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(meteorobs) Satellite triangle



Bert Matous wrote:

> At 311am I got an unusual 3 satellite (I think!) triangular formation
> from SSW to NNE almost overhead, not a perfect triangle with the
> trailer about 2 degrees back from echeloned 1 degree apart front
> runners.  Are these a military satellite group??  Not bright enough
> for the space station and maybe accompanying craft, is it?  I would
> love to hear input on this.
>
    I'm no satellite expert, but I once saw a pass of an arrangement like
this while in the company of one.  So I think what you saw was a NOSS Triad,
which is indeed military in origin.  I believe the intent is accurate spying
using triangulation.  On the occasion I saw them they were all three naked
eye, perhaps mag 4.5-5 which my friend said was unusual, they're more
typically binocular targets.  Because the three were moving in formation, I
was more than once fooled into thinking they were stationary and it was the
stars they passed that appeared to be moving.

    regards, Bruce

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