[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Endeavor visibility for west coast
I just received this from one of my NAMN people. Perhaps some of you might
want to check this out in the morning if you are located in a favorable
place. I just so happen will be out there during that time trying to
photograph Hale-Bopp. Perhaps I'll take a 10 minute brake from the off axis
guider and see if I can catch a peek? I might direct the other camera in
that direction with the hopes of photographing it. George
------
Howdy, George:
Say, you might want to check out a predictable meteor-like event
to happen Wednesday morning, low in your northern sky. I enclose
a copy of a blurb I just sent to the appropriate Usenet groups:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
STS-77 (Endeavour) is expected to begin its deorbit burn at 10:15 UTC
on Wednesday, 29 May; touchdown at Kennedy Space Center will occur
less than one hour later. Given the 39-degree orbital inclination
and the early-morning landing circumstances, re-entry will likely be
visible to observers with clear skies in the Southwest.
The Eastbay Astronomical Society's David Rodrigues witnessed the
re-entry of STS-73 last November under similar conditions. He
reported it appearing like "a pinkish-red automobile flare shooting
across the sky in about three minutes, leaving a whitish smoke trail
behind. Its magnitude has been estimated at minus seven!" Like a
meteor train, the "smoke" trail may be visible for up to 15 minutes.
Those in a quiet environment might even hear the telltale double sonic
boom five minutes afterward.
The nominal re-entry track runs approximately from a point just north
of San Francisco to the "Four Corners" region and over the Texas
panhandle. Thus the trajectory across the sky will be from west to
east. However, twilight -- or even daylight -- conditions will hamper
visibility from New Mexico eastward.
Assuming a landing at KSC happens at 11:10 UTC, the approximate
timeline of events is as follows:
Event Time UTC MDT MST/PDT*
Radio Blackout
Begins 10:45 4:45 3:45
Arrives Over
West Coast 10:49 4:49 3:49
Maximum Heating 10:51 4:51 3:51
Blackout Ends 10:59 4:49 3:59
KSC Touchdown 11:10 5:10 4:10
(* Much of Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time [MST].)
Of course, if weather conditions won't allow a landing at the above
time, or if flight managers re-direct the landing to Edwards, the
above timeline will be invalidated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards, Mark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Gingrich grinch@rahuldot net San Leandro, California
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~