Delayed sighting for Mir & Spektr

From: Jeffrey C. Hunt <jhunt_at_eagle1.eaglenet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 08:12:48 -0400

The below message was originally sent (incorrectly to
seesat-l-request) at 09:16 GMT on May 25. I used the Pine
automatic mailer with only one eye open in the early AM and
failed to note "request" was in the address.
Although it's of little use now to observers trying to locate
Spektr at least the later report on May 25 from an observer in
Texas confirmed Spektr is lagging Mir by 3 minutes. I spent
a lot of time on May 25 trying to get a more up to date epoch TLE
from NASA and various Internet sources without success for 23579
for viewing on May 26 in the AM. I'm disappointed how little
NASA and others on Internet (or I'm not searching correctly) are
not providing more current TLEs for Spektr. Very frustrating!
As it turned out I had heavy overcast here this morning (5/26/95)
and no sighting was possible.
------------------------message from 5/25/95-----------------

>From the South Eastern USA (38.51N, 76.76W, 30 statue miles
SE of Washington D.C.), Tally-Ho Mir & Spektr! At 04:27AM
EDT (08:27 GMT) observed Mir low in the hazy SSE horizon as
expected using Mir epoch 95143.0310361. Within a minute it
was lost in the haze and light from the waning crescent moon
just rising. Spektr was observed approximately five minutes
later on the same track but later than the planned track
provided by Spektr epoch 95142.8344600. These were the
latest TLEs that I could find using OIG Goddard on 5/24/95.
Clearly a correction burn by Spektr did occur as planned
yesterday since Spektr did follow Mir by at least five
minutes. The timing on Spektr is only approximate and I
apologize. I am sure there were much better sightings seen
further to the South of here. Jeff Hunt
Received on Fri May 26 1995 - 08:44:34 UTC

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