Chance to see Atlas Centaur geosynch burn and propellant dump Friday night, 21 Jan 2022 - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Chance to see Atlas Centaur geosynch burn and propellant dump Friday night, 21 Jan 2022

Posted: 1/20/2022 10:09:57 PM EDT

Most of the info and a past event are in this twitter link

Alerting observers and astrophotographers! Friday evening a fuel dump from a rocket may be visible as a bright nebula in the sky for observers in North, Central and South America. The fuel dump will occur at 18:11PST/21:11EST for the planned 19:00UTC launch of the #AtlasV rocket. pic.twitter.com/EjO88ktAc8
Cees Bassa (@cgbassa) January 21, 2022

Launch webcast for 200 PM EST launch on 21 January 2022

Jan. 21 Live Broadcast: Atlas V USSF-8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNkCmDBDVzU

The circularization burn is scheduled for 6h31m after launch, with separation of the satellites at 6h36m and 6h45m after launch.

The fuel dump should be at 9:11 PM EST and look like the following:

For an on time launch here is where you want to look. Binoculars may help. This is just west (to the right) of the constellation Orion. What about launch delays? For every four minutes delay, Orion will move one degree closer to the ovals. The ovals stay stationary using azimuth and elevation. Your fist from thumb to pinkie at arms length is roughly ten degrees. Obviously be out early. Fifteen minutes or so helps to adapt your eyes to the darkness making it easier to see this event.

Posted: 1/20/2022 10:12:37 PM EDT

[#1]

Fuck Twitter

Posted: 1/20/2022 10:20:29 PM EDT

[#2]

Thanks for the info!

Posted: 1/20/2022 10:54:29 PM EDT

[#3]

in before the ufo reports!

Posted: 1/21/2022 12:57:40 PM EDT

[#4]

Looks like the 200 PM EST launch is still good.

Posted: 1/21/2022 1:01:31 PM EDT

[#5]

Cool. Thanks

Posted: 1/21/2022 1:02:10 PM EDT

[#6]

Be out early to adapt your eyes... or break out the NVGs

Posted: 1/21/2022 2:57:13 PM EDT

[#7]

Launch in four minutes

Posted: 1/21/2022 3:12:04 PM EDT

[#8]

I will definitely have to watch this tonight.

Posted: 1/21/2022 3:49:00 PM EDT

[#9]

Not gonna be able to see shit here along the coast in SC, clouds now with more rain later.

Posted: 1/21/2022 4:41:23 PM EDT

[#10]

So uhh, anyone know where I should look from south Florida?

Posted: 1/21/2022 4:46:31 PM EDT

[#11]

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So uhh, anyone know where I should look from south Florida?

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Up.

Posted: 1/21/2022 4:57:07 PM EDT

[#12]

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So uhh, anyone know where I should look from south Florida?

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Look at the sky chart with Orion and four ovals in it.

I just got orbital elements so for Miami at 9:11:40 PM EST, Orion is a little east of due south. Saiph and Rigel are the two bright stars of the Orion feet. Draw a line between them and go to the right almost twice the distance between them. That puts you at azimuth 202 degrees, elevation 58 degrees. Look there. Be out early and the time may be off a little.

The circularization burn starting at 8:31:12 PM EST is is basically the same spot...just about 0.5 degree east. Use binoculars and scan a little.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:04:38 PM EDT

[#13]

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So uhh, anyone know where I should look from south Florida?

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https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/next-launch/atlas-v-ussf-8
Looks like South the Equator and South of Mexico over the Pacific but a ways out there (19k+ nmi), so UP.

Looking at what they have listed on ULA's flight profile.

Attached File

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:11:38 PM EDT

[#14]

Crap, sky was perfectly clear this morning but it's clouding up with a snowstorm rolling in tonight.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:18:41 PM EDT

[#15]

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So uhh, anyone know where I should look from south Florida?

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Just south of due west, not all that far above the horizon.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:27:42 PM EDT

[#16]

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Fuck Twitter.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:27:59 PM EDT

[#17]

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Just south of due west, not all that far above the horizon.

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I just updated my previous response with an accurate position.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:29:09 PM EDT

[#18]

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No look angles for you (Soup Nazi).

If you expect clear skies I can generate those for you.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:30:27 PM EDT

[#19]

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No look angles for you (Soup Nazi).

If you expect clear skies I can generate those for you.

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No look angles for you (Soup Nazi).

If you expect clear skies I can generate those for you.

I completely shit the bed trying to reply to the fuck Twitter guy with that.

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:35:31 PM EDT

[#20]

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I completely shit the bed trying to reply to the fuck Twitter guy with that.

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I thought it was a "I can't see anything" meme. Snowing in Colorado Springs so I may miss it. Are skies clear where you live?

Posted: 1/21/2022 5:52:57 PM EDT

[#21]

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Up.

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So uhh, anyone know where I should look from south Florida?

Up.

Posted: 1/21/2022 8:36:12 PM EDT

[#22]

nice info. those spacex launches are so frequent they are boring unless it's a polar or other high angle launch and the booster comes back along the coast with a big sonic boom. third launch of the year a couple days ago

Posted: 1/21/2022 8:58:46 PM EDT

[#23]

Attached File

Phone pic from the ride into work of launch today.

All covered up and wont be able to see anything tonight here.

Posted: 1/21/2022 9:01:49 PM EDT

[#24]

Take some photos and post them. We won't see anything here. We're all socked in with clouds.

Posted: 1/21/2022 9:18:58 PM EDT

[#25]

Less than an hour until the propellant dump.

Geosynch burn in about 12 minutes

Posted: 1/21/2022 9:38:53 PM EDT

[#26]

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Less than an hour until the propellant dump.

Geosynch burn in about 12 minutes

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I was outside with my PVS-14, but I honestly don’t know if i saw the burn or not. What was its duration?

I saw what appeared to be a satellite slowly transiting in that area of the sky, but I didn’t see it change in magnitude appreciably.

Posted: 1/21/2022 9:47:51 PM EDT

[#27]

Should be like a green cloud that just appears and slowly spreads.
Saw one once, was pretty neat.

Posted: 1/21/2022 10:18:30 PM EDT

[#28]

Bueller?

Posted: 1/21/2022 10:43:09 PM EDT

[#29]

Here’s a potato pic of it, from Arkansas. I can’t see it at all with the naked eye, but my 8-year-old claims she can.

Posted: 1/21/2022 10:58:57 PM EDT

[#30]

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Quoted:

I was outside with my PVS-14, but I honestly don’t know if i saw the burn or not. What was its duration?

I saw what appeared to be a satellite slowly transiting in that area of the sky, but I didn’t see it change in magnitude appreciably.

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The geosynch burn was about 105 seconds. Unknown how long the propellant dump lasts. That is what would have been easier to see.

Posted: 1/21/2022 11:02:15 PM EDT

[#31]

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The geosynch burn was about 105 seconds. Unknown how long the propellant dump lasts. That is what would have been easier to see.

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Yeah, I got the dump. It’s dim, but it’s just to the right of the two bottom stars in Orion.

Posted: 1/22/2022 1:33:17 AM EDT

[#32]

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Yeah, I got the dump. It’s dim, but it’s just to the right of the two bottom stars in Orion.

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Here is video of it. I was expecting something much better visually. The dump is stationary as stars slowly move to the right. Jump ahead 20-30 seconds to see the motion.