[Tig] Peter Swinson sent along a scope photo

[Rob Lingelbach]

On Fri, April 13, 2007 1:21 am, Jim Houston wrote:
> Icebergs breaking off of Antarctica?
>
>>> Penguin Migration
>>
>> that's very imaginative, and wish it were the case.
>> The blips on the screen can have something to do with
>> penguin migration, if the penguins prefer not to get wet.
>> think navigation at the date shown on the scope lower
>> right: Jan 16 2007.  Mix in global warming.

Jim Houston got it right.  Russian science vessel converted to tourism out of
Chile.

Ted Langdell's explanation was pretty good and included the Comet McNaught
reference ... does that mean it's a comet made of nothing, and a hoax of
McDonalds'?
I guess naught.

Last Wednesday night, here in the southern hemisphere at about 22:30 UTC, I
saw pass
directly overhead the International Space Station, with the naked eye, the
conditions were
perfect, I only had to confirm the ephemeris to realize that it wasn't a
different satellite,
but it was about as bright as Venus, and in a lower earth orbit than I had
imagined (I've
since learned it's only 230 miles above the earth, and takes just 92 minutes
to complete
an orbit).  Quite a sight.
Best time for satellites is from sunset until about 3 or so hours afterward,
looking to the west
and toward the zenith, until they enter the earth's shadow.

Rob

http://www.colorist.org
emergency address for tig: rob at calarts.edu