89-100B tumbling rapidly already reported
MALEY, PAUL D. (paul.d.maley1@jsc.nasa.gov)
Mon, 27 Sep 1999 06:41:22 -0500
Ed Cannon posted a message indicating that this object was tumbling rapidly.
Back on June 4, I posted this note to the net but received no replies. I
have since observed it a number of times and this tumbling is very obvious
under certain aspect angles; not the appearance in others. Although I did
not reference it by the international designator, it is the same object:
"I observed a fair pass of (20390) Cosmos 2053 rocket body on 3 June 1999 at
0207 UT and it showed clear flashes at a rate of 4 or 5 per second.
Magnitude +4 at a range of about 900km. Can someone confirm this please? On
May 30, a better pass showed it as apparently steady in the east post sunset
according to my video tape. This was a western pass post sunset. On April
18, 1999 this rocket experienced a breakup producing at least 40 short-lived
pieces."
Paul