A correction, and a bit of fun

[johnfosteruk]

I noticed the Hyades sketch I did the other night had wonky cardinal points. So I've corrected that for the record as they were about 35° off, shameful really

Also, while I was out a little earlier in the evening (with the tento bins) I noticed a satellite buzzing through as you do. So for fun I did a very quick sketch with the path it took. 

I looked it up in SkySafari, worked out the time taken to pass through the FOV and overlaid a little realtime animation on top of the sketch from later in the evening. Interesting satellite too I think, so I added an info panel as well.

Who needs cameras for animations eh?

(Can you tell it's cloudy here?)

Also, it may be just me but don't you think the satellite looks like a Chinook?

I'll go to bed now. (and take my pills)

Corrected sketches

Animation

[colin2007]

Superb sketches and very inspirational too. It`s amazing what can be done without going down the imaging route.

[ronl]

Really good sketches, love the satellite animation sketch, very creative.  

[happy-kat]

Interesting and fun

Given its now exceeded its total lifetime is it now space junk?

[johnfosteruk]

I believe so Kat

[laudropb]

A novel idea for a sketch. I like it.

[SilverAstro]

10 hours ago, happy-kat said:

Interesting and fun

Given its now exceeded its total lifetime is it now space junk?

Its original (mission plan) lifetime was for 2y but it performed well for a further 20odd years and was instrumental in monitoring the progress of the ozone hole ( a fortunate conjunction !) it was finally decommissioned sometime in 2005? and while it was still under control ( one battery had failed already and the second had lost severl cells) it was commanded into an elliptical orbit with a low perigee to cause atmospheric drag and an eventual burn-up so that it wouldnt become dangerous space junk.

Quite why that burn-up has not happened by now  (and that it continues to be an interesting sight, , it's a while since I looked for it myself, nice one John)  is a bit of a surprise to me and I feel a  google  is needed >>>

 

 

[johnfosteruk]

15 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Quite why that burn-up has not happened by now 

I'm presuming it just hasn't got there yet, nominal altitude was 610km, current is 443 according to calsky, so it's on the way. 

Couldn't find anything on a burn up prediction after a quick look, but did find an interesting slide deck looking at some of the results from the experiment(s)

https://ceres.larc.nasa.gov/documents/STM/2004-03/wong_decadal.pdf

 

[SilverAstro]

29 minutes ago, johnfosteruk said:

so it's on the way. 

Yes ! Taking its time, presume not enough propellant left to lower it any further. So we have a new activity, collect obs on erbs and estimate next time you fancy an animate - wear a tin hat

It looks like decision to de-orbit was taken a year or two earlier than data collection shutdown :-

from http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2005ESASP.587..321W

[johnfosteruk]

1 minute ago, SilverAstro said:

So we have a new activity, collect obs on erbs and estimate

Don't tempt me.

 

[SilverAstro]

Actually, I think it is breaking up already, it seems to be leaving bits of itself behind in the animation ??

       

coat >>>

 

[johnfosteruk]

Just now, SilverAstro said:

Actually, I think it is breaking up already, it seems to be leaving bits of itself behind in the animation ??

       

coat >>>

 

Yup, that's how accurate a sketcher I am

I'll have that coat please.

[N3ptune]

I like your drawing of the Hyades, you also used colors I think it's a good idea to record the essence of a star cluster, this one has many colors. On the right drawing there is a red star, what a beautiful place.

Thanks for sharing.

[johnfosteruk]

2 minutes ago, N3ptune said:

I like your drawing of the Hyades, you also used colors I think it's a good idea to record the essence of a star cluster, this one has many colors. On the right drawing there is a red star, what a beautiful place.

Thanks for sharing.

Thank you N3ptune. The colour was mainly for Aldebaran but I was certain I detected the red in the one you mentioned so that got the colour treatment too