TERRIERS Launch Seen

Jim Varney (jamesv@softcom.net)
Mon, 17 May 1999 23:02:33 -0700

Watched the TERRIERS Pegasus rocket from a rural area about 5 miles south 
of my home (near Elk Grove, California).  I'm about 175 miles northeast of 
the drop zone, so I see nothing but the nozzle end.

Saw it at about 05:12 May 18 UT.  Rough estimate of azimuth is 200 deg and 
highest altitude 15 deg, using Corvus and the horizon as a guide.  

Orange-red, about mag -3 at its best, would have been brighter if not for 
scattered cirrus.  As it quickly rose above the horizon it disappeared at 
about elevation 10 deg., then reappeared again.  3rd stage?  A small 
portion of the exhaust plume was visible, lit by the sun, just before I 
lost it or it burned out.


__________________________________________________________
Jim Varney        -121.398 W, 38.457 N, 10m
Member, Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society
GPS Elsets www.softcom.net/users/gps/gps.html