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Re: A celestial tow job?



Hi Mary Lou:

First thanks again for inviting us. Second is a message from the
phys-L list; it may provide you with an interesting URL. Unless
you already know it. Regards, Ludwik.

John Mallinckrodt wrote:

I got an unexpected Christmas present this evening when I went out to
watch the 6:48 PM passage of the space shuttle over Southern California.
As it rose from the West, the shuttle appeared to be towing something. I
was surprised how long it took me to figure out that it was "merely" the
Hubble telescope trailing by about half a degree which I figure translates
to about five or ten miles. (I say trailing, because the trailing object
was dimmer and I assume that the dimmer object was the Hubble.) Both
objects proceeded to blink out as they entered the Earth's shadow at about
6:52. Very cool.

By the way, if you aren't tuned in yet, you really need to visit
http://www.heavens-above.com/ which will give detailed information on
shuttle, International Space Station, and Mir passages, Iridium flares,
and lots of other info all tuned precisely for *your* viewing location. I
caught a really bright Iridium flare tonight. Told my neighbor I had
arranged for a simulated "Star of Bethlehem" at precisely 48 seconds past
6:13 PM, 52 degrees above the horizon in the northeast. She *was*
impressed.