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What did I see?


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Hello folks,

I was in the observatory last night, calibrating the scope in the vain hope of imaging something before the clouds rolled in, when I looked up and saw what looked like a very bright satellite ( at least mag-4/5), heading west to east directly overhead.

I would normally put this down to an iridium flare but there were 2 distinct objects, about a degree or so apart, lined up west to east.

One was rather blueish and the othere a yellow/orange...pretty well the same colours as the Alberio double.

It didn't fade as it headed towards the eastern horizon ( I lost it at about 15 degrees behind trees) and there was a definite foreshortening effect as it headed away from me.

There was no engine noise so it wasn't a plane.

This was somewhere between 10.30 and 11 pm.

I don't reckon it was the Klingons :D

Any ideas?

Cheers

Rob

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Rob, it was Discovery with the just jettisoned external fuel tank. I watched it as I had followed the launch on NASA TV and nipped outside to catch fly over, it was in my northern sky which would put more or less overhead for you.

Spectacular sight :D

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Hi Rob

As you replied to my post thought I would reply to yours.

I have tried to catch the shuttle and tank a few times but no luck till last night. I knew it was coming but for you to catch it unexpectedly was very lucky. The colour in bins was ... Awesome! (please insert fake American accent).

Spaceweather site today had pics mostly trails taken by people from UK and Europe.

Happy landing Discovery

Scotastro

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