To answer this I will have to repeat some of what I said in my intro some years ago. I am ancient enough to have seen the first Sputnik (from what I have heard and read since it was probably in fact the rocket!) - all the neighbours were also out looking at or for it. I took an interest in the manned space program when it was little more than a dream, I deeply regret that a scrapbook I kept of the early training of astronauts went missing somewhere amongst various moves in dwellings. Later as a radio ham I communicated via the Oscar satellites, and had the privilege of talking to one of the Mir cosmonauts (I know I am off topic with that sentence but it did influence what follows!) I did want to see the Mir etc but didn't know about things like the earth's shadow and times for illuminated passes. In more recent years I did a bit more research on the web as to how and when to observe satellites, and began (as a lot of people do) with the ISS and then Iridium flares. I worked up from there, though things like IOD format and PPAS are still out of my league at present. It is fun to look at what comes over that has been predicted and hope to see something that hasn't, I particularly keep an eye on anything which is close to decay. Highlights for me have been seeing the shuttle tucked up close to the ISS just before docking, and watching a Main Engine Restart of the rocket with a NOSS satellite (at the time the ground track was made public, that is not likely to happen these days!) I have had the privilege of meeting an astronaut, without having got into satellite observation I doubt whether I would have taken that opportunity. I have also been in fairly constant contact via Facebook with our local observatory who is taking a keen interest in the space program, and this has resulted in a few more observers. I have also met people responsible for launching (off-topic!) sounding rockets in New Zealand. (Unfortunately we don't have the facilities to launch anything which will be on-topic at this stage, we do have one New Zealand satellite possibly planned but it would be launched outside this country.) Everyone probably has their own reasons, but I think "because they are there" and for the enjoyment and satisfaction of it would be common themes- it is also fun to show others what's up there when they are not already aware of it! Robert Holdsworth Wainuiomata New Zealand 174.948E 41.261S ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger" <roger.in.eugene@gmail.com> To: "SeeSat-L" <seesat-l@satobs.org> Sent: Friday, September 09, 2011 8:30 AM Subject: Why do people look at satellites? > Just wondering, what's the reason some of you watch satellites, work > related? Purely hobbiest? > > Any goals for people,anybody have a 'must see' list they try to > complete? I've been lurking for a few years, so I know some of you > specialize in types of satellites. Even if I don't post, I do > appreciate some of the observations people make. > > I first started intentionally seeking out satellites back in Sky-lab > days. Later on, after the shuttle missions started, I started > watching those when I could. I did manage to catch the Mir before > it came back down. > Lately, I've been more of a watcher, than try to figure out what I > saw. I do want to try for the hubble when I'm far enough south, but > usually have to wait for vacation for that. > > ~44N ~123W > Roger > _______________________________________________ > Seesat-l mailing list > http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 6426 (20110901) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
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