Posted on 09/22/2011 8:08:34 AM PDT by Windflier
A NASA satellite the size of a school bus is just days away from taking a fiery plunge into Earth’s atmosphere and could set off a dazzling display when it does … if anyone is able to see it.
NASA's 6 ½-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is due to fall somewhere on Earth Friday (Sept. 23), though exactly where and when remains a mystery.
If you happened to be lucky enough to be within viewing range of a satellite that is re-entering the atmosphere, the sight, put simply, would amount to a short-lived but spectacular fireworks display. Unlike a fireball meteor, whose flight across the sky might take no more than a few seconds, a re-entering satellite’s path usually lasts much longer.
As the satellite descends to an altitude of about 50 miles (80 kilometers), friction with the atmosphere is converted to light and heat. As it moves on a relatively slow – one could almost use the adjective “majestic” – flight across the sky, what is usually seen is a long trail of light and sparks that can take on virtually every color of the rainbow.
Small chunks of the satellite may be seen to break off and trail behind the main body. (NASA expects up to 26 pieces from UARS to survive re-entry and reach the ground.) If the re-entry occurs at night, it could light up the sky with a brilliance that easily rivals the full moon. Even if it occurs during the daytime, the satellite's fiery passage across the sky could be readily seen.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Cicily Alaska.
That’s what we need...a nice fireworks show to emphasize the implosion of the economy.
We are so lucky to have incompetemts in all areas of government.
We are so lucky to have incompetents in all areas of government.
One night maybe 25 years ago, some friends and I were sitting on the beach at Godderich Ontario overlooking Lake Huron. All of a sudden we saw this huge visual display, something like fireworks, but far too high and distant to be that. We all sat there with dropped jaws saying, “WTF was that?!”
The next day we learned from the news that we had witnessed the re-entry of a Soviet satellite.
I predict that it will hit one of the Fukushima nuclear power plants.
Let the misinformed anti-nuke Freeper rants begin...
Is that a joke, or do you have data on this?
I am. They moved Algor's people from the "AGW" area over to the
tracking and projection area because of the bang up job they did at the former.
That, and it's closer to the Algorsat viewing and storage room.
UARS Mission Updates
http://www.nasa.gov/rss/uars_update.xml
Update #8Thursday, September 22, 2011 4:44 AM
As of 7 a.m. EDT Sept. 22, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 115 mi by 120 mi (185 km by 195 km). Re-entry is expected sometime during the afternoon of Sept. 23, Eastern Daylight Time. The satellite will not be passing over North America during that time period. It is still too early to predict the time and location of re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become more refined in the next 24 to 36 hours.
I've got half a mind that this administration is pre-emptively covering their behinds, because NASA's tracking shows this thing is going to come down in a well populated area.
In short: they really don't know right now -- the time window is about 4 hours wide, and that's enough for about 3 entire laps around the earth. Almost all heavily populated areas of the world are under those orbits... except North America and India.
Well, that's helpful. Isn't this thing supposed to come down tomorrow?
Got it. I'm terrible when it comes to pop trivia. I lost track of that sort of stuff over twenty years ago. Sort of like NASA and their satellite...
“A NASA satellite the size of a school bus” - remember, don’t pass it when the red lights are on.
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