Re: Stardust capsule retun 1/15/2006 - photograph?
--- Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote offline:
FYI, I've attached an image showing the craft's path across the sky as seen from the Wendover airport. Patrick
Thanks. That looks like there's some (but a small) chance of seeing the last of the reentry fireball just as its coming up over the horizon - as it's streaking through Tau and Ori. The chart shows a fast track - about 140-160 degrees of arc (az 300 to az 160 ) in 1 min 40 secs (100 secs). The track starts at about 20 degs above the horizon. Assuming the vehicle is at 100km altitude when it is first visible, it is about 250 kilometers downrange. That means its average speed over the 100 secs shown on the track is 2.5 kilometers per second or about 5,600 mph. Although I can't say if the fireball will be visible, it looks like there is a good chance that there will be a sonic boom. The Moon shown at alt 60, az 225, is one day away from quarter phase. Looks like you'll still need the night vision goggles to see the parachute. -:) - Canopus56 (Kurt) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote: <snip all> Nice story in today's DN, Joe. Bauman, J. 12/23/2005. Jan. 15 re-entry of Stardust probe to light up sky over Wendover. Deseret News. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,635171081,00.html?textfield=Stardust An X-Y reentry track map: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/images/content/138867main_stardust2.jpg - in - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/exploringtheuniverse/stardust.html Tips on viewing, photometry, and video photography with celestial chart plots of the reentry track - http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov/viewingforum.html Two charts showing predicted brightness in magnitudes - http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov/brightness.jpg http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov/Moonpnts.jpg Apparently the track will be in the mag may be at mag 6, 7 or 8 range and south of Wendover on a line between Elko and the Utah Test and Training Range is the prime viewing spot. But for every 200km from the track, the magnitude drops 1.5 mags. So it will be dimmer in Salt Lake. The reentry chart for Salt Lake City (nowhere near as impressive as the Wendover chart) - http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov/stardust_saltlake.jpg Canopus56(Kurt) __________________________________ Yahoo! for Good - Make a difference this year. http://brand.yahoo.com/cybergivingweek2005/
Canopus56 wrote:
Two charts showing predicted brightness in magnitudes - http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov/brightness.jpg http://reentry.arc.nasa.gov/Moonpnts.jpg Apparently the track will be in the mag may be at mag 6, 7 or 8 range and south of Wendover on a line between Elko and the Utah Test and Training Range is the prime viewing spot. But for every 200km from the track, the magnitude drops 1.5 mags. So it will be dimmer in Salt Lake.
Just a clarification of Kurt's note. When he refers to "mag 6, 7 or 8" remember that that's _negative_ 6, 7 or 8. When you consider Venus is "only" about -4, you can imagine how bright -8 will be. Throw in the ion train and sonic booms and, from Wendover at least, it ought to be quite a show. Patrick -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/ paw@trilobyte.net 435.882.1209
--- Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote:
Just a clarification of Kurt's note. When he refers to "mag 6, 7 or 8" remember that that's _negative_ 6, 7 or 8. When you consider Venus is "only" about -4, you can imagine how bright -8 will be.
Thanks, Patrick. I clearly misread the chart. That's _a whole lot_ brighter. Instead of night vision goggles, maybe I'll bring my sunglasses and SFP15 block. -:) - Canopus(Kurt) __________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL Â Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com
Many thanks! This one will land safely, I now believe. This is truly exciting. Best wishes and Merry Christmas! -- Joe
--- Joe Bauman <bau@desnews.com> wrote:
Many thanks! This one will land safely, I now believe. This is truly exciting.
Yeah, your phone-in question at the news conference was geared to whether this will be a Gemini redux - that the chute won't open. From the principal investigator's answer - that they went back over the photographs that are made to document the assembly process, it looks like Stardust was properly assembled and should not suffer the same fate as Gemini. But just in case, I'll see if I can find in my storage shed my old SkyLab catcher's mit hat (one of those bear hats with a net on top) -:) Now it's down to whether the weather gods will cooperate.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas! -- Joe
Back at you and to all a good night. - Canopus56 __________________________________________ Yahoo! DSL Â Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com
participants (3)
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Canopus56 -
Joe Bauman -
Patrick Wiggins