| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 549.1 | UHF RADIO observaion | HYDRA::BIRO | | Mon Jul 31 1989 11:14 | 36 |
| I did the element set a little different, runing them did not give
any good visual times for the Boston Mass area, however there
is a good radio window starting about 2 min after launch for
about 10 min. NASA safty rules require even DOD mission to
use the UHF radio untill actual insersion orbit and on the
last orbit for wx info etc... Also watch Fleetsat 261-262 MHZ
25 KHz steps for uplink of FAX information during the mission.
If you have any informatio to share on either visual or radio
contacts please post them here, If you like I will pass them
on to Ted....
john
STS-28-57_DEG (Launch 89-99- A) Set: 1,
Epoch Year: 1989 Day: 220.539583000 Orbit # 1
Inclination = 57.00000000 R.A.A.N = 29.50000000
Eccentricity = 0.00079390 Arg of Per = 0.00000000
Mean Anomaly = 0.00000000 Mean Motion = 15.39997000
Drag = 0.99990E-04 Frequency = 0.000
S.M.A. = 6824.2122 Anom Period = 93.5067
Apogee Ht = 451.4699 Perigee Ht = 440.6344
STS-28-63_DEG (Launch 89-99- A) Set: 1,
Epoch Year: 1989 Day: 220.539583000 Orbit # 1
Inclination = 63.00000000 R.A.A.N = 34.00000000
Eccentricity = 0.00079390 Arg of Per = 0.00000000
Mean Anomaly = 0.00000000 Mean Motion = 15.39997000
Drag = 0.99990E-04 Frequency = 0.000
S.M.A. = 6824.2122 Anom Period = 93.5067
Apogee Ht = 451.4699 Perigee Ht = 440.6344
|
| 549.2 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Tue Aug 08 1989 10:01 | 10 |
| Liftoff was at 8:37am (EDT, unofficial).
FWIW, the ascent did not look like the Lacrosse mission. I guessed that
the inclination was lower, but upon rereading .0 I'd now just say that
it was different.
As with other DoD missions, voice communcations were not relayed over
NASA Select.
gary
|
| 549.3 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Tue Aug 08 1989 10:25 | 4 |
| Orbit insertion occurred at 41m 30s MET. Form the timing, I'd say this
was the OMS-2 burn.
gary
|
| 549.4 | ? OHMs one ? | PARITY::BIRO | | Tue Aug 08 1989 10:39 | 8 |
| ???? did they say they had OHMs one,
if it was a 57 deg insertion they would have said
'Roger, no OHMs one' this is the giveaway
I will check my tapes at lunch time
John
|
| 549.5 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Tue Aug 08 1989 10:56 | 10 |
| As I mentioned in .2, they do not carry the communications from either
the orbiter or MSC Houston. Only the 'voice of mission control' and it
says very little on a DoD mission.
OMS-1 is nominally around 10 mins MET, OMS-2 nominally at 40 min for a
high inclination mission.
If you were taping shuttle UHF you may have heard more.
gary
|
| 549.6 | | PAXVAX::MAIEWSKI | | Tue Aug 08 1989 11:03 | 5 |
| So is this the long awaited KH-12? Can anyone tell from the orbit what
the payload is? The fact that Columbia has a smaller weight capacity may
also be a clue as to the cargo. Anyone know how much a KH-12 weighs?
George
|
| 549.7 | 14 tons | WONDER::STRANGE | Ou est le Soleil? | Tue Aug 08 1989 11:31 | 6 |
| I believe they said KH-12 weighs 28,000 lbs. on CNN this morning.
It's capable of resolution to a few inches! I assume that's ideal
atmospheric conditions, of course. There is also supposedly an
SDI test satellite, on the order of a couple hundred pounds.
Steve
|
| 549.8 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Tue Aug 08 1989 12:33 | 13 |
| Don't know if it is a KH-12 or not.
I had gotten the impression earlier that KH-12 was at the limit for shuttle
launches from VAFB, and Atlantis would have to be used. I don't know how that
translates into launch capability from Kennedy with different operational limits
on SSME thrust.
I'd guess that KH-12 is likely, given the state of other recsats. The use of
the Hubble Space Telescope for 'tests' recently also supports a KH-12 flight
real soon now. The next DoD flight would be STS-33, and I don't when that is
scheduled now.
gary
|
| 549.9 | my 2 cents | HYDRA::BIRO | | Tue Aug 08 1989 13:54 | 12 |
| from all indication of the insersion orbit, I dont think this
is a KH-12 . I think it is an Optical Spy-Sat, I did not get
anything on UHF but I will check tonight with other monitors.
NASA rules use to require that the UHF link stayed open until OHM2 -
even for DOD missions for safty reasons...
When I get more reports this evening I will have a good indication
of the insersion orbit and will post an estimated element set.
john
|
| 549.10 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Tue Aug 08 1989 14:39 | 7 |
| re .9
But the KH-12 is an optical reconnaissance satellite, isn't it?
There was talk of encrypting the UHF. I don't know if they ever did.
gary
|
| 549.11 | 1st guess for STS-28 | HYDRA::BIRO | | Tue Aug 08 1989 15:06 | 24 |
| my guess for the orbit
re. -1
I not sure anymore, LA-Cross is the radar if that is not a KH-12
then the KH-12 is an optical,, it is possible that the inc will
changed so that it can be part of the other constalation of
optical reconnaissance satellite, it 90 deg spaceing etc.
as for the UHF encrypting, no idea, it was not encrypted on the
La-Cross mission ( I think it was STS-27 ) and I had good coverage
up to OHMS-1 on STS-27 then DOD blackout, then UHF again for the last orbit.
STS-28 Set: 1, Obj: 1
Epoch Year: 1989 Day: 220.586111110 Orbit # 1
Inclination = 56.98550000 R.A.A.N = 46.05670000
Eccentricity = 0.00050600 Arg of Per = 0.00000000
Mean Anomaly = 0.00000000 Mean Motion = 15.39557338
Drag = 0.33983E-02 Frequency = 0.000
S.M.A. = 6825.5113 Anom Period = 93.5334
Apogee Ht = 450.8050 Perigee Ht = 443.8976
|
| 549.12 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Tue Aug 08 1989 16:04 | 8 |
| Lacrosse is the synthetic aperture radar imaging spysat. KH-12 is optical,
visual and infrared.
BTW, predicted deployment of the primary payload was orbit #5, over the Indian
Ocean. Does DoD make use of the ARIA planes? If so, I'd guess that there is
one loitering above the Indian Ocean as was the case for the Magellan deploy.
gary
|
| 549.13 | photo recon for sure | HYDRA::BIRO | | Wed Aug 09 1989 09:03 | 26 |
|
ok, others did get UHF reports, so NASA safty rules still
require UHF on take-offs and landings and it is not
encyrpted. Not much just something link ' we have MECO on
speed' reports however indicated that the signal was weaker
then normal....
from visual observation, it looks like the STS-28 is about
150 km lower in orbit then the La-Cross Mission thus indicating
that it is a photo recon bird...
updated elements best guess are:
STS-28 Set: 1, Obj: 1
Epoch Year: 1989 Day: 220.579000000 Orbit # 1
Inclination = 56.98550000 R.A.A.N = 46.05670000
Eccentricity = 0.00050600 Arg of Per = 0.00000000
Mean Anomaly = 0.00000000 Mean Motion = 15.91400000
Drag = 0.33983E-02 Frequency = 0.000
S.M.A. = 6676.4592 Anom Period = 90.4864
Apogee Ht = 301.6775 Perigee Ht = 294.9209
|
| 549.14 | This launch forced me to whine!! | BALMER::MUDGETT | did you say FREE food? | Thu Aug 10 1989 23:39 | 34 |
|
Hello again fellow space adventurers,
Would you guys mind if I whine for a minute...
1. I looked forward for the last couple of months to being at the
Shuttle was launched. Well I got down there and pretty much knew
it was going to fly on the 8th of August the last day of my vacation.
Add to that bleak thought my wife is pregant and didn't want to
hang around Florida waiting for the shuttle to fly. So we came back
early and I watched the launch on TV like everyone else.
2. While I was watching the launch CBS seemed to want to make a
issue of how little the Columbia has flown. They seemed to be
desparately trying to make a case for the calling the Columbia a
failure and having it grounded permanently. Of course its the Hanger
Queen of the fleet, of couse its heavier than all the other shuttles
but it still has flown as many flights as Discovery.
The thing that made me steamed about this "investigation" was that
all the "allegations" that Columbia is a failure was that the
information they "uncovered" is common knowledge to anyone who has
read AW+ST in the last 3 years. To me the reason the shuttles aren't
flying more often is a lack of support facilities to prepare the
shuttles.
So now I'm in a foul mood at the media because they only know how
to yell fire all the time (or is it that the sky is falling?) And
I'm steamed at my ungrateful family that couldn't hang around Central
Florida for 5 extra days so I could see a shuttle launch.
And now I'm back at work!
Fred Mudgett
|
| 549.15 | 100% isn't enough? | CLIPR::KLAES | N = R*fgfpneflfifaL | Fri Aug 11 1989 12:41 | 5 |
| Could someone please explain to me how the Space Shuttle could
go at 104% throttle up?
Thanks.
|
| 549.16 | | STAR::HUGHES | | Fri Aug 11 1989 12:50 | 8 |
| The engines are rated at a nominal performance (100%) which allows them
to operate within all constraints of reliability, operational life etc.
However, they can operate at higher thrust levels, with a decrease in
reliability and, more importantly, a decrease in operational lifetime.
They may also be less efficient at higher thrust levels, so 104% thrust
may require, say, 110% propellant rates.
gary
|
| 549.17 | Re .15 | MAYDAY::ANDRADE | The sentinel (.)(.) | Fri Aug 11 1989 12:53 | 5 |
| Re .15
104% of first planned thrust. I guess they could rename this 100%
except that by keeping it as it is they save themselves a lot of
doc and spec re-writes.
|
| 549.18 | Who is Frank? | HYDRA::BIRO | | Mon Aug 14 1989 08:54 | 21 |
|
UHF conversation came back on, most likly the last 2 or 3 orbits,
they were talking to a person name Frank about fule tank ISO
and about great compacts??? at least the word sounded like
compacts and proper vent must have been done or they would
not have got the great compacts...
Orbit aos/los indicates that the visual observation guide is
a good first pass element set, with a few visual/radio contacts
the element set can predict orbits within 5 min or so.. at
best and worst case I have about 12 min error... not bad
for rolling your own, I am sure the Russian can correct this
the the fraction of a second and tell you the cross section area
of the two birds the shuttle launched...
john
|
| 549.19 | Have we landed yet? | WONDER::STRANGE | Ou est le Soleil? | Mon Aug 14 1989 11:07 | 1 |
|
|
| 549.20 | | KAOA04::KLEIN | Susan H. Klein @TRO | Mon Aug 14 1989 11:12 | 10 |
| > -< Have we landed yet? >-
Yes! On Sunday morning at Edwards Air Force Base. I have a general observation
that is interesting. After they landed, the crew was shown leaving Columbia
without the partial pressure suits on, they were wearing the blue flight suits.
Do they get changed before they come out? I can remember other missions were
they were wearing the suits after they landed. Or do they not need to wear the
suits on reentry?
Looked like a real smooth landing. Not much dust.
|
| 549.21 | Another question | STAR::KOHLS | No comment. | Mon Aug 14 1989 11:23 | 9 |
|
I've heard the Columbia called the "Hangar Queen" in this notes file,
and similar things on TV. Just how many times has it flown? It seems
like even before the Challenger accident the Columbia was used less
frequently than the other orbiters.
-SK
|
| 549.22 | STS-28 NASA ELEMENT SETs | HYDRA::BIRO | | Mon Aug 14 1989 12:24 | 20 |
| just got my NASA mail and I found the element set for STS-28
it is not classified I bet DOD is happy....
here are a few element set so you can grade your home brew ones
sts-28 89 61 A
1 20164U 89220.55325463 0.00084253 25599-3 0 15
2 20164 57.0005 46.3102 0012736 291.1181 241.7481 15.91332185 05
sts-28 89 61 A
1 20164U 89220.79027750 0.00079075 25599-3 0 26
2 20164 57.0015 45.2137 0009385 304.2600 146.5357 15.90176904 53
sts-28 89 61 A
1 20164U 89221.08986465 0.00026967 88476-4 0 44
2 20164 57.0002 43.8308 0009249 309.4077 56.8652 15.90058720 97
sts-28 89 61 A
1 20164U 89221.10520486 0.00078617 25599-3 0 50
2 20164 56.9981 43.7612 0008896 307.8287 146.2817 15.90071905 97
|
| 549.23 | | PAXVAX::MAIEWSKI | | Mon Aug 14 1989 14:14 | 9 |
| After flying the 1st four flights and being regularly used for the 1st few
years, Columbia was sent back to the factory to be moderinized. It had just
returned and had flown one mission when Challanger blew up (broke up actually).
As a result, it's only flown something like once in the past 5 years.
Also, because it weighs more than the other orbiters, it is limited as to
what payloads it can fly.
George
|
| 549.24 | More Info on Columbia | KAOA04::KLEIN | Susan H. Klein @TRO | Mon Aug 14 1989 14:39 | 20 |
| The following list is the flights of Columbia and the launch date. STS 1 thru 4
were orbital test flights. STS 5 was the first operational flight. STS 9 was
the first flight of Spacelab.
STS 1 - 12 April 1981
STS 2 - 12 November 1981
STS 3 - 22 March 1982
STS 4 - 27 June 1982
STS 5 - 11 November 1982
STS 9 - 28 November 1983
STS 61C - 12 January 1986
STS 28 - 8 August 1989
|
| 549.25 | Mods | LANDO::STONE | | Tue Aug 15 1989 13:32 | 9 |
| Just to add one point re: Columbia's remodification. New aerosensors
were placed on various parts of the orbiter (wings and vertical
stabilizer) for re-entry studies (the data will probably be used for
the Aerospace Plane as well as orbiter improvements). If you look at
the top of the vertical stabilizer there is now a pod mounted there.
I had read somewhere that there were cameras located there to record
the airflow and thermal characteristics during re-entry. This
capability existed on Columbia's last mission before 51L, but I've
never seen any of the info published.
|
| 549.26 | Guide to STS 28 Payloads | HYDRA::BIRO | | Wed Aug 16 1989 09:13 | 281 |
|
Guide to Searching for STS 28 Payloads
--------------------------------------
by T.J. Molczan
Shuttle Columbia has returned safely to Earth, and STS 28 is over. Southern
Hemisphere observers had good visibility, but in the Northern Hemisphere we
had daylight passes. However, the STS 28 payloads' orbits are now beginning to
precess into morning twilight which will enable them to be observed. These
military payloads' orbital elements are classified, therefore observing them
is a challenging proposition for the hobbyist. The objects must first be
located and then observed with sufficient accuracy for their orbits to be
determined. This is a guide for those who would like to assist in this effort.
1.0 Payloads
--------
It is believed that STS 28 deployed two payloads. The first is thought to be a
member of the KH (Key Hole) series of photographic reconnaissance satellites
and probably will be designated 89061B. It may be an advanced KH-11 or
possibly the long awaited KH-12. According to Aviation Week magazine, the
payload has a mass of 9.3 tonnes.
Recent KH's, such as the KH-9 and KH-10, are believed to be about 15 m long
and 3 m in diameter. Hobbyists who have observed the current KH-11, 84122A,
have reported that it is often as bright as a star with a visual magnitude of
zero. (There are only about ten stars that are as bright.)
The second payload, 89061C, is believed to be a 129 kg SDI experiment.
2.0 Orbital Elements
----------------
It is probable that the STS 28 payloads are in a somewhat similar orbit to
that of Columbia, whose elements are no longer classified and are now in the
public domain. As of this writing, my most recent Columbia elements are :
20164 89061A 89223.02569416 .00078926 00000+00 25599-3 013
56.9982 34.8993 0008868 311.3318 339.9367 15.90148092 00039
It is reasonable to assume that the secondary payload, 89061C, is in the same
orbit as Columbia because it was probably too small to have carried a rocket
motor.
If the primary payload, 89061B, belongs to the KH series, then it is highly
maneuverable and it is reasonable to assume that it is now in a different
orbit than that of Columbia. The current KH-11 in orbit, 84122A, is somewhat
higher than Columbia, and has a mean motion of about 15.78 (based on accurate
observations made by hobbyists). In the absence of height data for 89061B, it
is reasonable to assume that it has maneuvered to a 15.78 mean motion. In view
of its maneuverability, 89061B's decay can be assumed to be zero.
84122A has been observed to have an eccentricity as great as 0.037, however it
is best to assume that 89061B has the same eccentricity as Columbia for the
purpose of the search because we have no idea of its argument of perigee.
Based on the preceeding discussion, the following elset can be assumed for
89061B :
????? 89061B 89223.02569416 .00000000 00000+00 00000+00 001
56.9982 34.8993 0008868 311.3318 339.9367 15.78000000 00039
3.0 Visibility Windows for AUG/SEP 89
---------------------------------
The table below lists the morning and evening visibility windows of 89061B
between 60 N and 60 S latitude. The basis for the predictions was the orbit
estimated in Section 2.0. 89061C would have very similar windows.
Morning Evening
--------------------------- ------------
North-bound South-bound North-bound
------------ ------------ ------------
START END START END START END
LAT dd/mm dd/mm dd/mm dd/mm dd/mm dd/mm
---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
60 N 25/08 31/08 31/08 06/09 12/09 30/09
50 N 20/08 30/08 30/08 08/09 10/09 05/10
40 N 16/08 22/08 04/09 09/09 09/09 15/09
30 N 14/08 18/08 06/09 10/09 08/09 13/09
20 N 12/08 15/08 08/09 11/09 07/09 11/09
10 N ----- ----- 09/09 12/09 06/09 10/09
00 N ----- ----- 10/09 13/09 05/09 09/09
10 S ----- ----- 11/09 14/09 04/09 08/09
20 S ----- ----- 12/09 16/09 02/09 07/09
30 S ----- ----- 13/09 18/09 31/08 06/09
40 S ----- ----- 15/09 21/09 27/08 04/09
50 S ----- ----- 18/09 11/10 11/08 02/09
60 S ----- ----- 23/9 09/10 14/08 30/08
4.0 Search Strategy
---------------
4.1 "Stare" at the Orbit
--------------------
The search strategy takes advantage of the fact that the orientation of the
satellite's orbital plane with respect to the Earth can be predicted with much
greater accuracy than the position of the satellite within the orbit. The idea
is to "stare" at the imaginary ring in the sky which is the satellite's orbit.
As we wait for the satellite to appear, the Earth rotates, which makes the
orbit ring move slowly across the sky. The satellite must occupy each point
along the orbit once per revolution, so eventually it must be seen.
To facilitate the type of search described above, it is useful to compute a
set of theoretical satellite passes for different times on each morning or
evening of the search.
Consider the ephemeris below for 89061B, at Cape Cod on the morning of
19 August. It was computed using the elements given in Section 2.0 and shows
that if the satellite passes on time at 04:16 EDT, then it should pass about
24 deg above the horizon in the south east :
19/ 8/89 EDT J2000.0 CAPE COD
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TIME %I MAG AZ EL R.A. DEC FE VANG RANGE ALT
-------- -- ---- --- -- ----- ----- -- ---- ----- -----
04:15:46 LS 61 0.4 152 21 03:16 -21.8 3 0.52 805 337
04:16:01 56 0.4 144 23 03:43 -17.5 3 0.56 770 338
04:16:14 50 0.5 136 23 04:07 -13.3 3 0.58 751 338
04:16:27 44 0.6 128 24 04:32 -8.9 3 0.59 744 338
04:16:40 38 0.7 120 24 04:56 -4.4 3 0.58 748 338
04:16:53 32 1.0 112 23 05:19 -0.1 3 0.56 765 338
04:17:06 27 1.2 105 22 05:42 3.8 3 0.52 792 339
04:17:20 22 1.5 98 20 06:05 7.7 2 0.47 832 339
04:17:36 18 1.9 91 18 06:28 11.4 2 0.41 891 339
04:17:54 14 2.4 84 16 06:53 14.8 2 0.35 969 339
The position of the satellite within its orbit is not known, therefore, there
is no reason to expect it to arrive at the time shown above. If it arrives
say, 15 minutes early, then it will pass only about 16 deg in the south east,
as shown in the ephemeris below. That ephemeris was computed by subtracting
15 minutes from the epoch. In Section 2.0, the epoch for 89061B was
89223.02569416 days. The 15 minute early epoch was calculated as follows :
89223.02569416 days - 15 min / 1440 min/day = 89223.01527749
19/ 8/89 EDT J2000.0 CAPE COD (Assuming 15.0 min early arrival)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TIME %I MAG AZ EL R.A. DEC FE VANG RANGE ALT
-------- -- ---- --- -- ----- ----- -- ---- ----- -----
04:00:46 LS 47 1.1 132 16 04:23 -17.6 3 0.45 987 337
04:01:03 42 1.2 125 16 04:47 -13.1 3 0.45 980 338
04:01:20 36 1.4 117 15 05:11 -8.5 3 0.44 988 338
The ephemeris below is for a pass that is 25 minutes late. It was computed by
adding 25/1440 to the epoch given in Section 2.0.
19/ 8/89 EDT J2000.0 CAPE COD (Assuming 25.0 min late arrival)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TIME %I MAG AZ EL R.A. DEC FE VANG RANGE ALT
-------- -- ---- --- -- ----- ----- -- ---- ----- -----
04:40:47 LS 89 -0.1 200 23 00:30 -22.6 5 0.34 772 337
04:41:09 85 -0.5 194 29 01:00 -17.6 4 0.48 642 338
04:41:25 81 -0.7 187 35 01:27 -12.7 4 0.62 560 338
04:41:37 76 -0.9 180 40 01:53 -8.0 4 0.74 507 338
04:41:47 71 -0.9 171 44 02:17 -3.3 4 0.85 471 338
04:41:56 65 -1.0 161 48 02:42 1.4 4 0.95 446 339
04:42:04 59 -0.9 150 50 03:06 6.0 3 1.01 431 339
04:42:11 53 -0.9 139 52 03:29 10.1 3 1.04 424 339
04:42:18 48 -0.7 128 52 03:52 14.1 3 1.04 423 339
04:42:25 42 -0.6 116 51 04:17 17.9 3 1.02 428 339
04:42:32 37 -0.4 106 49 04:42 21.4 2 0.96 439 339
04:42:40 31 -0.1 96 46 05:09 24.8 2 0.89 458 339
04:42:48 26 0.2 88 43 05:36 27.6 2 0.80 483 339
04:42:57 22 0.5 81 39 06:04 30.0 2 0.69 518 340
04:43:08 17 1.0 75 34 06:35 32.1 1 0.58 568 340
The above examples show how easy it is to compute a set of theoretical passes
to assist in searching for a satellite. For naked eye objects, such as 89061B,
it is recommended that such a set include passes beginning at say 10 deg
elevation in the east, moving westward at increments of about 20 deg of
elevation for succeeding passes. For satellites which are not believed to be
naked eye, such as 89061C, the theoretical passes need to be much more closely
spaced, to facilitate searching through binoculars. (It is suggested that
observers practise on bright, naked eye objects before trying faint ones.)
It is important to observe on every clear day to ensure that the object is
found. If you do not see it on a given occasion do not give up. It may have
made too low a pass, or arrived too close to twilight. On the next day you may
get a better pass. If you want to search for missing or secret objects, then
patience is not only a virtue, it is a must.
4.2 Special Considerations for 89061B
---------------------------------
As stated earlier, 89061B may be in a fairly eccentric orbit, yet we assumed
a near circular orbit because there was no way to make an educated guess at
the argument of perigee. This means that the satellite may not follow the
exact theoretical path for a given time of arrival. The path across the sky
may be lower or higher, depending on its actual eccentricity and argument of
perigee. Also, it may have a different mean motion than the assumed 15.78,
which would change the rate of precession of the ascending node, and hence its
path across the sky. Therefore, it is a good idea to scan at least 10 deg
either side of the theoretical path.
5.0 Observation Network
-------------------
During the STS 27 / LACROSSE mission there was an informal network of amateur
observers who shared their observations. This made it possible for more people
to see the shuttle (and LACROSSE) because we were able to quickly refine our
orbital estimates and pass on the information. Within a few days after the
Shuttle Atlantis had landed, amateur observers managed to find Lacrosse and
determine its orbital elements. This was achieved despite the fact that it was
boosted into an orbit 230 km higher than when it had been deployed !
If you find either of the two payloads please make as accurate an observation
as you can.
The best observations are positions related to the stars along with the time
accurate to 1 second or better. For example,
"passed between Castor and Pollux, 1/3 distance from Castor to
Pollux, 08:34:21 UTC 20 AUG 89"
or
"passed 3 degrees below Vega, 09:12:10 UTC 20 AUG 89"
If you are not familiar with the stars, then give the time, azimuth and
elevation at the point of maximum elevation.
In addition, estimates of visual magnitude and colour would be useful. If the
magnitude is varying regularly, measure the period of variation. If two
objects are seen then state the separation between them. For example, "the
brighter object lead the fainter by 10 seconds of time", or "the red object
was about 4 degrees behind the other at maximum elevation of 50 degrees" would
be useful.
Make certain to provide your latitude and longitude as accurately as possible.
If you have information to share, try the following communications channels :
1) leave a message on this BBS for Ted Molczan
2) leave a message on the CSS (Canadian Space Society) BBS
for Ted Molczan. This is a 24 h/day free board, 2400 8N1.
(416) 458-5907.
3) phone me at (416) 928-3046 (H) or 926-2085 (W)
4) fax me at (416) 926-2218
5) send e-mail message via [email protected]
This is on NETNORTH, which is connected to BITNET and
other academic/research networks.
Please pass this on to other BBS's or interested individuals.
* * * *
|