UARS Satellite over Lake Charles 7:37pm & San Antonio 8:20pm

[wxman57]

Here's a website with info on that UARS satellite which should come crashing to Earth tonight or tomorrow morning. Just plug in your zip code and it tells you of the nearest pass and times. Fortunately, it's not passing over Houston:

http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/flybys.php

First pass is the brightest. It is first seen to the SSW at 7:38:32pm heading NNE. Reaches a max elevation of 47 degrees to our east at magnitude +0.8. Pretty bright. I calculated from that website that this pass goes right between Lake Charles and Sulphur, LA.

Rise time / Direction to look / Transit time / Max elevation / Magnitude
UARS 07:37:12 pm SSW 07:38:32pm 47° 0.8 (bright)

The next pass is just under an hour later. This time it passes nearly directly over San Antonio. It will pop up above the western horizon around 8:19:21 pm and be at a max elevation of 31 degrees around 8:20pm. Magnitude only +1.7 (negative is brighter, positive is dimmer).

Rise time / Direction to look / Transit time / Max elevation / Magnitude
UARS 08:19:21 pm WSW 08:20:46pm 31° 1.7 (visible)

Some astronomers report it's already glowing brighter from interaction with the atmosphere, though. Maybe we'll see a big fireball around 7:37pm or 8:20pm? We're safe here in Houston, though.

And here's a website to keep track of the latest orbit:
http://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx ... t=0&tz=CET

And an amateur video of the tumbling satellite:
http://www.space.com/13022-amateur-phot ... llite.html

[Ptarmigan]

Falling satellite slows down, Earth strike delayed
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Falli ... 184147.php

Code: Select all

The Aerospace Corp., which tracks space debris, estimates the strike will happen sometime between about 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. EDT (0100 and 0700 GMT), which would make a huge difference in where the debris falls. Those late-night, early morning passes show the satellite flying over parts of the United States.

[wxman57]

I was out there looking at 7:38pm but the sky was still too bright to see it at magnitude +0.7. Too bright to see even a single star. Tried again at 8:20pm but couldn't find it. Was on the hill at Miller Outdoor Theater - not an ideal location. Guess it didn't strike Sulphur or San Antonio.