While looking for the comet from Southern California last night (too low to see through city lights), I saw something right above me … moving …
Way too slow to be what I would call “low-earth” stuff …
Which meant is was much higher? Is there “HEO junk” out there?
Puzzled,
Clint K6LCS
For sure lots of junk out there, and likely some in "HEO" but more likely really GTO that's left over from getting things up there. Leftover junk takes a pass at the Foxes frequently, which makes me wonder who the space junk really is when people claim that's what our CubeSats are. Don't mention -Cliff I still haven't finished a failure analysis (mostly because Spaceflight and SpaceX aren't talking).
So was it moving in a generally north-south way, or more of an east-west lower latitude way? And I'll take the opportunity to plug my favorite Android app Heavens Above Pro which would tell us right at the time but then you lose the fun of speculating and bonding over satellite stuff (before you give up and look it up). hihi
Jerry Buxton, NØJY
On 7/24/2020 12:58, Clint Bradford via AMSAT-BB wrote:
While looking for the comet from Southern California last night (too low to see through city lights), I saw something right above me … moving …
Way too slow to be what I would call “low-earth” stuff …
Which meant is was much higher? Is there “HEO junk” out there?
There is an android program called Orbitrack which can help you identify satellites that you observe naked-eye or in your telescope.
There are a great many of them, and always more, in all sorts of orbits.
Just curious - what makes you think it's junk??
The military (ours and others) have lots of hardware up there, both operational and junk!!
7 3 Jeff Moore -- KE7ACY CN94
On Fri, Jul 24, 2020 at 11:44 AM Clint Bradford via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
While looking for the comet from Southern California last night (too low to see through city lights), I saw something right above me … moving …
Way too slow to be what I would call “low-earth” stuff …
Which meant is was much higher? Is there “HEO junk” out there?
Puzzled,
Clint K6LCS
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
There are many man made objects in orbit. The mission plan for Geo-stationary satellites is to super-sync them at end of life sending them into a higher orbit out of the way of the rest of the geo constellation. Geo is fairly high orbit, approximately 22,300 miles above the equator, and they need to get them significantly above that to retire them.
On Fri, Jul 24, 2020 at 11:59 AM Clint Bradford via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
While looking for the comet from Southern California last night (too low to see through city lights), I saw something right above me … moving …
Way too slow to be what I would call “low-earth” stuff …
Which meant is was much higher? Is there “HEO junk” out there?
Puzzled,
Clint K6LCS
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (5)
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Bruce Perens -
Clint Bradford -
Jeff Moore -
Jerry Buxton -
Mark Lockwood