FAQ Lab Assignment? (from "Bright new tumbler ...")
CmdrJaycee@aol.com
Fri, 6 Sep 1996 10:34:28 -0400
On Sept. 5 [Subject: Bright new tumbler (for newbies, too)], Walter Nissen,
in replying to Robert Sheaffer's comment that Cosmos 2322 r, which he had
recently happened upon, would be a prime Top 10 list selection, wrote:
>Indeed.
Indeed, yourself, Walter (;-) - you already had it listed among your own
selection of Top 10 candidates posted on July 2nd 1996, when you replied to
my question about your own person favorites. I've been observing Cosmos 2322
r ever since - thanks to you (and a few others).
In fact, for those fellow newbies out there who do star gazing or public
programs, in particular, I have found both Cosmos 2322 r and it's
slower-flashing cousin, Resurs 1-3 r (included on both of Walter's July 2nd
and Sept. 5th lists), to be among the sure fire show stoppers, guaranteed to
get a crowd buzzing (even some aloof, veteran amateur astronomers I know who
had dismissed satellite observing as "uninteresting" were taken by them).
These have been both easy naked eye objects, very dependable performers even
from very urban locations. (For example, I see even Geoff Chester includes
them both in his Bright Satellites over Washington DC web page.)
I mentioned in a previous note that I had been using Walter's July 2nd list
as sort of an ongoing "homework assignment," in giving me some organized
framework in getting more active in satellite observing. Two months into
that, now, I think the experience has been one of the most helpful things a
newbie, such as myself (I still figure I qualify) can start off with. So, I
have a suggestion.
While this may be more appropriate to Usesat and those putting the FAQ
together, I think it might be helpful (and fun) to offer newcomers a list of
20 or so satellites, such as Walter's July 2nd list (copied, below), to try
to observe in starting out.
This would be different than the Brightest Satellites FAQ list in that it
could include binocular objects as well as prominent flashers of various
periods (such as Cosmos 2322 r vs, say, MOS 1's 20 second disappearances),
maybe a few particularly historic objects, perhaps a sampling of different
categories of satellites, and any other satellites of note (such as TiPS,
EGP, the NOSS triangles, etc.).
In other words, if we think of the FAQ as sort of an instructor's lesson
notes for a semester long 3 or 4-credit class on Visual Satellite Observing -
this list of satellites might be the lab assignment. Just a suggestion.
- Jim Cook (CmdrJaycee)
[For the record, with apologies in advance to Walter Nissen, since some of it
is now out of date, here is his July 2nd, referred to above:
Mir
shuttles
23931
15.52 EORSATs
23596
23748
Lacrosse 1
Lacrosse 2
UARS
Resurs 1-3 r
HST
GRO
C* 1220
Lacrosse 2 r
KH 11's & 12's
19625
22251
23728
SeaSat 1
14.13 Zenit-2's
16182*
17590
17974
19120
19650
20625
22220
22285
22566
22803
23088
23405
23705
EGP = Ajisai
C* 1093
C* 1703
C* 925
C* 1933
C* 1953
SROSS-C2
DMSP F3
NOSS 2-n's
20682
21799
96294
USA 32 and 81]