Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Observing USA 259 (NROL-35)

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On December 13th, 2014, the NRO launched NROL-35 out of Vandenberg AFB into a Molniya orbit. The payload, USA 259 (2014-081A) is most lik...
Monday, 22 December 2014

Analysis of the 2014-074B Soyuz r/b re-entry on 26 Nov 2014

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In the early morning of 26 November 2014 between 03:35 and 03:40 UT, a very slow, long duration fireball was observed from the Netherland...
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Thursday, 27 November 2014

[UPDATED] Re-entry of Soyuz third stage 2014-074B from Soyuz-TMA 15M launch observed from the Netherlands and Hungaria.

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Update 23 Dec 2014: further analysis of imagery in new post (28 Nov 2014, 10:45 UT: updated with more imagery) click image to enlarg...
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Monday, 10 November 2014

Live blog from ESOC, Darmstadt: Philae (Rosetta) Landing on comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko:

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 LIVE BLOG   I (am) was on-site at ESA's European Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Darmstadt for the Philae landing on comet 67P/...

Announcing a Live Blog from ESOC during the Philae landing on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

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On Wednesday November 12, Philae, the lander of ESA's Rosetta mission , will attempt to land on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. I wil...
Saturday, 1 November 2014

Brightness variation of the USA 198 Centaur rocket stage on October 30, 2014

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Earlier today I posted this image of the USA 198 Centaur rocket (2007-060B) passing close to M33 galaxy in Triangulum: click image to ...

USA 198 r/b passing the M33 galaxy

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click image to enlarge Last Thursday evening was very clear. I tested a clip-in CLS filter on my Canon EOS 60D, employing the 2.8/180m...
Sunday, 19 October 2014

Imaging the North Korean Kwangmyŏngsŏng (KMS) 3-2 satellite

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Yesterday evening was initially clear. Using the SamYang 1.4/85 mm lens, I imaged an object that has been on my "to do"-list for a...
Sunday, 28 September 2014

Observing HEO objects

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Friday evening I missed the LEO window because of a dinner. When back home near midnight, conditions were dynamic: intermittent clear skies ...
Tuesday, 23 September 2014

USA 186, bright and fast

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USA 186 (top) and an old Russian r/b (1988-039B, lower corner) click image to enlarge Yesterday evening at the end of twilight, I obs...
Saturday, 20 September 2014

USA 186 manoeuvered on the 17th

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USA 186 being half a minute late one hour after the manoeuvre, 17 Sept 2014, 19:32:02 UT.  Chinese satellite Yaogan 11 also visible  (cli...
Monday, 15 September 2014

Rosetta's landing spot. In 3D. Woah!

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image: ESA Put on your red-cyan glasses and take a look at the image above ( high-res here on the ESA website ). It is the chosen landi...
Saturday, 13 September 2014

KH-11 USA 186 has stabilized its orbit

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Note 15/09/2014 9:25 UT: corrected inadvertent apogee - perigee mix-up in 4th paragraph USA 186 passing in early twilight of the evening...
Thursday, 11 September 2014

[Updated] You Only Die Twice: the confusing end of the Russian Kosmos 2495 Kobalt-M spy satellite mission

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Update 15:00 UT, Sep 11: a very brief update confirming the object was artificial is provided at the end of this post Introduction: a spe...