Re:An Unusual Satellite Observation

From: satrack\@libero\.it
Date: Sat Mar 14 2009 - 10:53:14 UTC

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    Joe,
    
    For Stormville, I predicted a possible NOSS flare from the
    pair NOSS 3-3 (A) / (C) at about 23.35 UTC. 
    However, from the reported time, the flare has been observed
    during the next pass (at about 01.30 UTC), which means the 
    model isn’t correct or another big flaring surface exists. If
    it would be possible to have more data, i.e. near which star 
    the satellites flared, or a more accurate time, I can try to
    make predictions for the following days.
    
    Predictions of NOSS flares are available at my web site (http://digilander.libero.it/SATrack/noss.html). 
    
    Best Regards,
    Simone
    
    http://digilander.libero.it/SATrack/
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    > I wanted to pass along an unusual observation  made by John Bortle, the 
    > well-known
    > comet observer who has been an assiduous  observer of the sky for over 
    > 50-years.  
    > John E-mailed me late tonight  (Friday, March 13) after observing this 
    > "double satellite"
    > from his home in  Stormville (Dutchess County), NY.  Has anyone an idea as to 
    > what 
    > John  might have seen?
    > 
    > -- joe  rao
    > 
    > ------------------------------------------------------------
    > Saw  something a bit on the peculiar side while out observing this evening. 
    > Right  around 8:30 PM, as I went from the eyepiece to the desk to consult a 
    > chart,  something caught my eye up in the north.
    > 
    > Right where the Big Dipper's  handle meets the bowl was a brilliant star of 
    > about -2 magnitude with a  companion of about magnitude +2 just a degree or two 
    > below it. To the unaided  eye they appeared essentially stationary and only 
    > on looking through my 10x50's  was I able to detect a very slow motion toward 
    > the north-northeast. Both slowly  faded as they crept along, although the 
    > companion did slowly brighten back up  for a brief time and exceeded the primary in 
    > brightness but by that time they  were both binocular objects. After 
    > traveling perhaps ten degrees the fade  out.
    > 
    > Heavens About didn't seem to indicate anything, at least that I  could find, 
    > for that time period when I checked. Awfully slow motion but  unusually bright 
    > (like the ISS). 
    > 
    > -- John
    > 
    > 
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