Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

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SEmert
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Real Name: Steve Emert
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Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by SEmert »

The string of Starlink satellites launched on Saturday the 15th will pass over tonight beginning at 9:21, starting from the west, crossing the northern sky about 30 degrees above the horizon, ending in the east.

It will repeat at 11:02 pm, this time traveling from the northwest, highest again about 30 degrees in the north, setting in the east-northeast.

Third pass is highest, starting at 12:42 am in the northwest, getting as high as 64 degrees in the north-northeast and fading into the Earth's shadow just after passing zenith.

The ISS will also pass over at 9:14 pm going from the southwest towards the northeast, peaking at 58 degrees in the SSE. It reappears at 10:52 PM, this time going west to roughly east, peaking at only 35 degrees in the northern part of the sky.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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matt_2018
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by matt_2018 »

Thank you, Steve, I'll check it out!
Matt Dunham
MAS Treasurer & member since 2018

Meade LX200RC 12-inch (my portable observatory)
Celestron SC-8" w/fork wedge (my travel scope)
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SEmert
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by SEmert »

Darn. I don't know how it looked for anyone else, but it was a bust for me. I was at CGO for the 9:21 pass but the sky was too bright. Since the Moon was pretty bright I decided to head toward home, and tried getting off the freeway in the suburbs to get the 11:02 pass, but missed the time by a bit and there were a LOT of street lights in the area where I pulled off.

At least I saw the ISS during its 9:14 pass. I also had a handheld ham radio handy talkie and a homemade Yagi antenna and was able to listen to hams making contacts using the cross-band ham repeater radio on the ISS. I could hear them all the way as it passed from the western horizon to the east.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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matt_2018
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by matt_2018 »

I tried for the Starlink train at 11:02, but didn't see anything. Oh well...
Matt Dunham
MAS Treasurer & member since 2018

Meade LX200RC 12-inch (my portable observatory)
Celestron SC-8" w/fork wedge (my travel scope)
tugger
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by tugger »

I didn't see the 921 pass either. Thinking the sun wasn't down enough
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DahnGee
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by DahnGee »

I caught this Starlink train on Sunday night at 23:02 and caught it on a startrails picture I had setup

From Top to Bottom where the trails start on the west (left) side of the image

Top: 23:41 05/16/2021 ISS Pass
One down from top: 00:43 Unknown but I think this is the Starlink train again
One up from bottom: 23:02 pass of the Starlink train (I saw this one myself, it was interesting... the first half of the train was much dimmer than the second half)
Bottom: 01:18 05/17/2021 ISS pass
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Don Gazdik
rwcooper
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by rwcooper »

Steve, what do you use as an information source? I've found https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ to be pretty reliable. It seems to match up with the god's eye view http://celestrak.com/ (remembering to correct 5 hours for time zone & day light savings differences).

Nice pic, Don!
Ron Cooper
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SEmert
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Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by SEmert »

rwcooper wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 9:40 am Steve, what do you use as an information source? I've found https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ to be pretty reliable. It seems to match up with the god's eye view http://celestrak.com/ (remembering to correct 5 hours for time zone & day light savings differences).

Nice pic, Don!
I was using heavens-above.com I haven't any prior experience in verifying how accurate he is for Starlink, but he'd previously always been spot on for ISS passes and Iridium flares and other satellites.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
petemn2004
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Real Name: Mark Petersen
Location: Maple Grove, MN

Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm

Post by petemn2004 »

I was out in the back yard in Maple Grove observing this month and happened to look up and see a train of Starlink satellites go by. The peak altitude was about 60 degrees passing near the Little Dipper. I estimate their brightness about 2nd magnitude. I could see 25 satellites in one view all strung together like a string of pearls.

Mark
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