LWojack@aol.com writes >Can anyone hear me? My earlier posted question was apparently ignored! Yes, Jonathan, you're coming through 5 and 9, and welcome to the list. I should really have picked up on your earlier questions - your message was sitting quietly in my pending tray waiting for those spare few minutes that didn't come. > I just signed on to the list. But I have a question - is there any software > that will predict decays for my local area, and give times, azimuths, and > altitudes (so that I can see it)? Or just use a standard sat. track program > and see if any of the decaying satellites will be visible? > > Also, have any observers ever watched a satellite explode? For the first part, you must realise that you have to be extremely lucky to catch a decay - a more realistic aim is to observe a decaying satellite during its final days/hours of life. During this time, the satellite can appear impressively brighter and faster across your sky since it is (or may be) so much closer to you. Uncertainties in its time and position add to the challenge. For predictions, use a regular satellite prediction program such as Quicksat plus up-to-date elsets such as those in my select.tle and dklist.tle files (available from my WWW pages). Alternatively, you can employ the predicted elsets I post here from time to time in my "Decay watch" notes - use the predicted elset closest to your observing time. Or grab the elsets yourself by logging into OIG at http://oig1.gsfc.nasa.gov/scripts/foxweb.dll/app01? As for watching a satellite explode, I know of no visual observations other than the disintegrations witnessed during re-entry events themselves. > >Another question: what web site is the best for getting TLE's/Orbital >Elements for most observable satellites? I'm not sure there is a "best". If you havn't discovered the Visual Satellite Observers Home Page at ... http://www2.satellite.eu.org/satintro.html now is the time. This has links to several sources of elsets. One I favour is Mike McCants' page at http://www.fc.net/~mikem/ where Mike posts his alldat file, containing elsets for all but a few classified objects, including lots of (probably) unobservable debris objects. The "Molczan" file, available at several sites, has most observable satellites while there are other lists which limit themselves to the brighter ones. Alan -- Alan Pickup | COSPAR 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl Edinburgh | Home: alan@wingar.demon.co.uk +44 (0)131 477 9144 Scotland | SatEvo page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/