Re: Two unknowns

Bjorn Gimle (bjorn.gimle@online.dextel.se)
01 Sep 1995 13:07:14 GMT

jim.varney@24stex.com wrote :

>> Was looking for Microlab 1 when something very bright caught the corner
>> of my eye.  Near the zenith was a satellite showing a blue-white glint
>> of mag -2 or so.  It faded down to 5th mag for a few seconds, then 
>> disappeared.    38.4578  121.3983   8m   August 31, 1995 UT
>> 04:47:49 UT         21h25m     62 N (near Alpha Cepheus)  S to N

It appears to have been a type of satellites, known for this behaviour.
I have seen #20978. Within several days, you can often see the best 
flashes on passes close to directions where you have seen flashes before.    
               
However, the prediction for this says 4:49:50 near alp Cep, 
not 4:47:49, though the elset was only six days old (el950827.Z).

DMSP B5D2-7
1 23233U 94057  A 95237.03078063  .00000044  00000-0  47388-4 0  4594 
2 23233  98.8734 294.4768 0012172 307.9947  52.0119 14.12630542 50872 
SatJD( 1)=2449960.703166
SatDur( 1)=    8.71667
Autolocate( 1)= 73.7056, 66.9252

Other DMSP B5D2's are :
DMSP B5D2-1  82118  A
1 13736U 82118  A 95237.02488402  .00000046  00000-0  37838-4 0  8356
2 13736  98.6292  65.1462 0008316 169.1794 190.9564 14.25748047658721
DMSP B5D2-2  83113  A
1 14506U 83113  A 95237.24944975  .00000033  00000-0  32582-4 0  2614
2 14506  98.4250  32.8494 0012420 353.3159   6.7831 14.23816556610883
DMSP B5D2-3  87053  A
1 18123U 87053  A 95236.98669569 -.00000009  00000-0  17915-4 0  1125
2 18123  98.7761  67.0622 0015154  25.6944 334.4980 14.15414559422451
DMSP B5D2-4  88006  A
1 18822U 88006  A 95236.58269565  .00000001  00000-0  18853-4 0   524
2 18822  98.4011  77.5974 0006075 146.0053 214.1515 14.23162276392245
DMSP B5D2-5  90105  A
1 20978U 90105  A 95237.05914636  .00000046  00000-0  32343-4 0  3095
2 20978  98.6358 305.0450 0079096 327.5869  32.0465 14.32571131247174
DMSP B5D2-6  91082  A
1 21798U 91082  A 95237.03797295  .00000024  00000-0  36233-4 0  9598
2 21798  98.9606 248.9407 0013182 354.8913   5.2122 14.13912140192931
DMSP B5D2-8  95015  A
1 23533U 95015  A 95236.97183156  .00000041  00000-0  45928-4 0  1888
2 23533  98.8343 238.4022 0006692 170.3865 189.7434 14.12698569 21669
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward Light wrote :
> On 1995 Aug 29 at about 01:30 UTC (Aug 28, 21:30 EDT), while watching Mir
> pass in my northern sky, I noted an unknown (to me) object moving to the
> right, essentially parallel to Mir's path, but much lower, and perhaps a
> half- to one minute earlier, passing below Polaris at about 01:30.5 UTC by
> which time it was fading (presumably as it was entering the earth's shadow,
> which Mir itself did a little later.

and 
>I first noticed this unknown object near Beta UMa at which time it was
>at approximate magnitude +2.0 moving towards the right - in fact initially
>I couldn't understand why Mir was appearing much lower (abour 20 degrees)
>lower than predicted!


and Walter Nissen suggests :
 
>>How 'bout this guy: 
1 23588U 95020D   95238.73265880 +.00000068 +00000-0 +76472-5 0 00343 
2 23588 051.6552 164.4121 0002250 247.8518 112.2227 15.57161319008414 

(Progress M-27 debris, 782 sq.m. according to satsit07 !!)

When I searched for candidates, I dismissed this one, because it was
predicted 1'42" AFTER ( behind and ABOVE ) Mir., using :
1 23588U 95020  D 95236.16558409  .00000011  00000-0  68741-5 0   337 
2 23588  51.6552 177.2683 0002384 236.2079 123.8670 15.57158338  8014 

There are a number of candidates below Mir's orbit, but far from parallell.

============================================================
== bjorn.gimle@online.dextel.se ;  59.22371 N, 18.22857 E ==
==(bjorn.gimle@duesenberg.se)      +46-8-7428086          ==
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