Three Satellites in less than 30 Minutes

[Barry W]

I came home from work today pretty depressed - It looked like the ovcst skies would stay for the weekend and I wouldn't get a chance to play with the new telescope.Although chilly and windy, the skies have cleared. Instead of the telescope I've just been doing some naked eye and binocular observing and trying my hand at my first sketch of the moon and Venus.About 1845 I happened to look in the sky to the east and saw a fast moving object passing just north of Orion and continuing north through Gemini. I moved to a little darker spot and lost the object. Almost immediately I turned and saw a second object on roughly the same line passing south to north, this time passing just above the twin stars almost overhead. I knew these couldn't be planes and took the opportunity to check Heavens Above for the first time. Sure enough, the data base indicated that Cosmos 1220 followed by the Cosmos 1242 Rocket were due about the time I sighted them.By the time I finished the log in and search I noted that Lacrosse 2 was due overhead at 1911 (it was 1910!!). I ran outside and looked up toward Taurus - sure enough, there was the satelite streaking across the sky, passing through Auriga (s. of Capella), just as the web site said.Gotta say - being able to get the chance sighting and quickly figure out what they were was pretty exciting. Thanks to those of you who recommended the Heavens Above site - It's great with very detailed info on the times and orbits in relation to the star charts.

Cheers,Barry :salute: