Question. Satellite sighting NOT Atlantis / ISS.

[3488]

Don't know where to ask this, so here is probably a good place. <br /><br />At approx 18:20 UT a satellite (first magnitude), in a polar orbit, passed a degree <br />(my estimation) from Polaris / Alpha Ursa Majoris, then <br />continued due south, quite a bit slower than the ISS, so my guess was this one <br />was in a higher orbit. <br /><br />Then it turned orange & deep red slowly, as if it was passing into the Earth's shadow <br />at a very shallow glancing angle, before disappearing, to the west of Orion. <br /><br />I have tried to find said satellite, but have found nothing.<br /><br />Possibly a classified defence satellite, Russian, Chinese? Does anyone here know?<br /><br />My location. Ashford, Kent, United Kingdom. <br />Latitude 51 degrees 8' North. 0 degree 53' East. <br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

You looked on Heaven's-Above?<br /><br />Did you look at their special USA 193 page?<br />Although if the speed was slower, it probably wasn't that satellite.<br /><br />I find that backtracking from what I actually observe when meteor watching I can only identify about 75% of what I see.<br /><br />Some are perhaps brighter than expected, since H-A only shows sats down to +4.5.<br /><br />Unfortunately there is no way to input an observation and get a satellite ID back <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Cheers MeteorWayne.<br /><br />Yes Heavens Above was the first site I went to. I did think of USA 193 initially, but thought <br />the orbit of the satellite I saw was far too high, but still checked anyway.<br /><br />Thank you anyway.<br /><br />Like your post on the observing spacecraft thread. Must have been a weird site seeing <br />Atlantis / ISS flickering through the trees of a place you know so well & love so much, it <br />must make you fell as though you are part of it personally. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>