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From: mahaun@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Mark A. Haun)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: seeing shuttle
Summary: visible shuttle, inclination
Keywords: shuttle
Message-ID: <1991May6.231623.14611@sactoh0.sac.ca.us>
Date: 6 May 91 23:16:23 GMT
References: <8116@eos.arc.nasa.gov>
Organization: Sacramento Public Access Unix
Lines: 41

In article <8116@eos.arc.nasa.gov>, brody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Adam R. Brody) writes:
> I went out to see the shuttle at 5AM today and saw a light pass
> from about SSW to NW as planned.  However, it passed directly overhead
> and I only expected an inclination of 45 degrees.  I was impressed
> with how many other lights were moving across the sky at that
> hour.  I thought airports had curfews at that hour.  Also, they
> seemed too high to be SFO or SJC traffic and I do not think I could
> see planes en route to Hawaii or some other distant destination.
> Any comments?  Could the shuttle have had that high an inclination?
> What could the other dots have been?

I saw the shuttle this morning from Sacramento at around 5:15 AM,
and also four other days last week from Southern CA.  From here I
would say it was about 60 degrees high at peak elevation.  Be sure
not to confuse the elevation of a pass (0 = horizon, 90 = zenith)
with *orbital* inclination, the "tilt" of an orbit relative to the
equator.  As long as your latitude is less than the inclination of
an orbiting object (57 degrees in the case of this mission), you
will have passes varying in elevation, all the way up to a perfect
overhead pass, depending where you are relative to the orbit when
the object comes by.

Today's pass was about 15 minutes late according to my predictions,
but I was using Friday's keplerians, and they have done
considerable maneuvering up there.  Did anyone else see the bright
object passing NW to SE a few minutes later?  I have a hunch that
it was Mir, but need to confirm this with the tracking program.

I'd also appreciate hearing reports from anyone who was able to
observe the SPAS/IBSS leading or trailing the orbiter.  I never saw
it;  maybe it was too close for naked eye resolution.  Last week I
was really excited when they scheduled one of the CRO releases for
5:30 PDT, during a great pass over LA.  Apparently, it was delayed
:-( :-( :-(  ... oh well!


-- 
Mark A. Haun / 3445 Del Mesa Ct. / Sacramento, CA 95821 / Phone: (916) 488-2965
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