[ASTRO] Unusual sighting? (fwd)

Willie Koorts (wpk@saao.ac.za)
Mon, 13 Oct 1997 16:17:22 +0200 (GMT+0200)

Hi SeeSatters

This appeared on ASTRO and I thought you transit watchers might find this 
interesting.

Willie

         Willie Koorts   wpk@saao.ac.za   http://www.saao.ac.za/~wpk/

       Cape Town,  Observatory   33d 56' 03"S   18d 28' 36"E   GMT + 2h
       Wellington, South Africa  33d 38' 56"S   19d 00' 52"E   GMT + 2h


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 20:36:15 -0400
From: Paul Goelz <pgoelz@eaglequest.com>
To: astro@lists.mindspring.com
Subject: [ASTRO] Unusual sighting?

HI Astro.....

Well, most of the time when I go out observing, I see something unexpected,
and this evening was no exception.  While observing the moon, I saw a dark
object cross the moon from the west to the east.  It was completely black,
looked to be round, and was a little out of focus.  I followed it for a bit
as it crossed the terminator, and until I lost it, it remained blacker than
the residual glow of the sky near the moon.  It's the out of focus bit that
I'm not sure about...... it seemed distinctly fuzzy, and that places it
quite near the scope, I think.  But it moved very smoothly like it was an
orbiting satellite.  

No wings that I could see, so I think that rules out a duck......

So it's back out and time to look north for aurora (just in case)......

Paul Goelz
Rochester Hills, MI
pgoelz@eaglequest.com