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Lunar Eclipse Satellite Transit?


lenscap

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I put the scope out for the partial lunar eclipse on Tuesday evening more in hope than expectation. The weather apps said mostly cloudy.

But when I looked out at 10.30 BST the sky was 90% clear & there was a big orange moon hanging low in the sky, with a big black  bite taken out of it.

I observed with the 200p & with 10x50 binos for about an hour watching the umbra grow & then start to recede. Wonderful shades of deep red, orange & salmon pink. I think the colours were "enhanced" by the murky urban atmosphere at around 12 degrees altitude. Surface features could be seen dimly in the fully eclipsed portion. The whole disk looked "soft" even at best focus.

At about 11.20 BST through a 20mm Plossl (x50), what the hell was that?

Something transited the full width of the disk in about 2 seconds! It was tiny, black, sharp edged, consisting, I think, of 3 rectangular sections, like a hull & two solar arrays. I didn't see a visible object leave the limb but a satellite in that position would probably have been in earth-shade. It wasn't a plane. I saw an aircraft cross the moon through the scope on Monday. The plane was easily recognisable, much, much bigger & I could see the jet-wash. A bird? Possibly, but the shape was wrong, too hard-edged, but it was a brief glimpse.

Neither Heavens-above nor CalSky show a satellite crossing the moon from my location at that time, but they don't track every object.

So I can't confirm that it was a satellite but I believe it probably was.

So a probable satellite transit during a beautiful lunar eclipse. Despite the frustrations, this hobby just keeps finding ways to put a big smile on your face, doesn't it? 😀

Edited by lenscap
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Following a mention on another thread I searched Previsat   https://sourceforge.net/projects/previsat/ for any objects transitting the eclipsed Moon on 17th July.

I found a possible match for an SL-14 Rocket Body (Norad No 18153) at about 23:32 BST.

900743215_Screenshot(13).thumb.png.1d10b374c3ad1d8b9f54940f84ea90b8.png

 

860359986_Screenshot(14).thumb.png.d14ccab89d1bfb4071a95523dcc97b33.png

The direction of travel is correct & since I estimated the time rather than write it down immediately, I think this is a confirmation.  :hello2:

 

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