Re: DMSP-16 observation

"William R. Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I caught DMSP-16 (the newly-launched USAF weather satellite) this
> evening (7:52 PM, MDT; from northern Utah).  It was about sixth
> magnitude in binoculars, and accompanied by a second object; this
> object was of similar magnitude and did not vary in brightness.
> When I spotted the second object it was about two degrees west of
> DMSP-16, and trailing it by about one degree.  As I watched the
> second object drifted to the east, appearing to cross DMSP-16's orbit.
> This took about a minute (sorry I'm not more exact, but I was
> too surprised for that).
>
> Heavens-above hasn't yet listed any predictions for any other objects
> launched with this satellite, so I have no idea what I saw--debris?
> a classified subsatellite?  It didn't seem bright enough to have
> been the Titan 2 upper stage.  Whatever it was, it was an interesting
> experience to watch them cross orbits.

This looks like a good candidate:

Meteor 1-23 Rk
1 08520U 75124B   03288.16769840  .00000145  00000-0  76981-4 0  3445
2 08520  81.2912 312.9652 0035438  25.6982 334.5938 14.08510132428108

Ted Molczan