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mickkk
22-07-2009, 08:09 PM
On Wednesday the 15th at 6.50 am I witnessed a "satellite" which was as bright as Venus, easily the brightest object I have ever seen in the dawn sky that was moving. I held my hand out at arms length and it was taking 1 second to cover a handspan. It was brighter than any object I have seen at night moving, just magnificent. The sun cleared the horizon 12 minutes later.

It appeared roughly in the sth west, moving to nth east at a huge rate of knots. Was visible for 5 minutes, travelling dead straight, not an Iridium flare IMO.

I couldnt find it on Jtrack.

Any ideas?

BTW, on one of my 2 am nocturnal 1 minute obs from the backayarda the other week, I saw a meteorite through the clouds, that is a first for me. Lasted about 3 seconds, heading east to s/w about 50 degrees above the horizon.

Im on the bay, hardly see anything looking south, what I see seems to always be heading roughly e/w which is a lighter sky than my clear dark sky to the south.

acropolite
22-07-2009, 08:44 PM
That would have been the ISS, the pass for my location (Tassie) was around that time. If you go to heavens above (http://http://www.heavens-above.com/) , sign up and put in your lat/long you can get predictions, useful for impressing your friends etc at barbecues....

mozzie
22-07-2009, 08:53 PM
yep its a little brighter know with some more solar panels
mozzie

mickkk
23-07-2009, 07:36 PM
Thanks boys, I hadnt considered the extra panels!

Ive seen ISS at night sans panels, the dawn sighting was 3 times brighter I reckon.