Ummm, sorry about the dust...you should be getting the second instalment
in a couple of days.
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Holdsworth" <robbonz1@xtra.co.nz>
To: "Seesat List" <SeeSat-L@satobs.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 6:25 PM
Subject: Nice APT pass
> This one might have Kevin making reservations to come down here :-)
>
> The APT in question was 28188 from Eutelsat W3A.
>
> Conditions had been excellent around sunset and in accordance with
Murphy's
> law they rapidly deteriorated thereafter with cloud (and possibly
Australian
> dust!) moving in to the extent that I was debating whether to try at
all.
>
> However fortunately I did make the attempt with cloud breaking a
little just
> between the area of culmination and shadow entry.
>
> The object was predicted by Calsky to culminate at 2.6 mag but it
appeared
> much brighter than that and would have been difficult to see through
cloud
> at that mag. I was using binoculars but in better conditions this
would
> have been an easy object for 1x, probably around 0 or -1 mag. It
could
> almost be described as flaring! At culmination it was due to be about
the
> same height as the ISS orbits at, and anyone who didn't know better
could
> easily have mistaken it for that in the unlikely event they were
observing
> through the clouds! - (in fact there were no ISS passes due at the
time in
> question.)
>
> Exact timing not taken- oops!- but was difficult enough to do any
> observation at all, with culmination predicted at 0736 and shadow
entry at
> 0738 UTC and likely this was correct.
>
> I think this is only about the second APT I have managed to see,
missed
> others for various reasons, but thanks Kevin for alerting us to these
> objects with their nice fast speed when at or near perigee.
>
> A Resurs 1-4 flare was predicted just after this but cloud made this
> impossible to check on- although even in better conditions I have not
so far
> picked any up.
>
> Any further attempts at satellite observation were abandoned owing to
the
> poor conditions.
>
>
> Robert Holdsworth
> Wainuiomata
> New Zealand
> 174.948E
> 41.261S
>
> (currently UTC plus 12, in a few hours will be UTC plus 13!)
>
>
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