(meteorobs) Sat re-entry - New Mexico - of possible interest to meteor observers

[Esko Lyytinen]

I agree to this "plasma envelope" conclusion by Rob.
This is especially because I think that I have once seen such a thing 
myself, which is the only (directly) re-entry connected observation I 
have. And my conclusion has been the plasma envelope, since observing this.

That was (probably) more than 30 years ago here in Helsinki, FInland 
near our own home. In the (in my memory Civil type) evening twilight I 
recognized a very fast moving satellite looking thing passing about 
horizontally at about 20 (or maybe a little more) (maximum) elevation 
angle in the SE side. I was then quite familiar in visual satellite 
observing since Sputnik 1 (booster) and this looked faster than any I 
had seen (considering also the elevation).
I had binoculars and could get this into view. This looked like a 
circular orange thing bringing into mind a view of planetary nebula, 
although much brighter of course, well negative magnitude. Was probably 
dimmer than Venus, although did not notice anthing for a direct comparison.
The diameter has been assumed a few arc minutes. Could not notice that 
it was not pointlike before looking with the binoculars.
This disappeared behind the roof of our house.
Then yet we did not have the internet and the identification did not get 
known. Did not see any news of this in the papers or TV.

Esko

> That's fantastic, Thomas!  Yes, it's absolutely the reentry of Cosmos 2495.  It would not have been sunlit
> at that time, so what you're seeing is the incandescence of the satellite itself (or perhaps more
> accurately its associated plasma envelope due to the interaction between the satellite and the
> upper atmosphere). With the exception of the Space Shuttle, it is extremely rare to witness such
> an event -- much less record it!  Congratulations!  --Rob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org [mailto:meteorobs-bounces at meteorobs.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Ashcraft
> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2014 7:55 PM
> To: Meteor science and meteor observing
> Subject: (meteorobs) Sat re-entry - New Mexico - of possible interest to meteor observers
>
> I think I captured a satellite re-entry on the evening of September 02, 2014, from 2231 MDT to 2233 MDT.  COSMOS 2495 -  as it passed over New Mexico just before it turned into a fireball over Colorado.
>
> Notes and video/radio at link below:
>
> https://vimeo.com/105618310
>
> Thomas Ashcraft
> Radio Fireball Observatory
> New Mexico
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