UARS is now officially off track! T-minus impact on earth. Make a guess where it will land!

reply to post by DJOldskool


uars would be gone in seconds

thought I should post this. so I get a text at 11:29, 2 hours after last pass which didn't result in much viewing for me and my mate in the uk.

"unidentified burning thing moving slowly across sky" "not a shooting star, too slow. not a plane as can see it burning light delay?"

so I check norad and yea its coming this way.

went outside and stood watching this glowing object for a good while, then saw a 'shooting star' I assume to be a part of the satalite fall in a curve at unbelievable speeds glowing, I imagine it was a metal sheet of some sort but who knows, solar panel maybe. I don't think it was coincidence.

ed: I can see the 'not a star' aswell, idk if thats the sat or jupiter =S

I saw something simliar last night. It was glowing an gone in 20-30 secons maybe less. I saw if off in the distance an it zoome over head. There was a sound but was not an airplane sound. It was not real loud.

reply to post by YourRequestIsDenied


It's not skipping. Perhaps you got that impression because the satellite's orbit is fluctuating between 100-105 miles? That's because UARS was launched with an elliptical orbit; that's how it's always been. When it comes down, it won't skip, it will just sink at a constant rate of descent.

Don't expect the satellite to glow until its altitude is about 400,000 feet. This is the point at which plasma flashes--and soon after, a glow--were visible from inside the shuttle. Of course, none of this was visible on the ground.
The shuttle and UARS will have roughly the same velocities, so I would expect assumptions for EI altitude to hold for UARS, too. Mass, I do not think is a factor.

Based on our experience with Skylab, yes, you can expect a sonic boom.

reply to post by whatsinaname


wow, I would love to get a chance to see it.

I checked google skymap again and I think it is Jupiter, it was in the same area an hour ago or more and it is spot on now after moving across the sky a fair bit.

Not sure whether to be dissapointed it is not UARS of pleased as that is the first time I have seen a planet in the flesh so to speak.

I knew Venus was bright in the sky, but is Jupiter supposed to be that bright?

im not really sure about that, it looks like its got an aura like the moon soo its preety bright >_> is jupiter trying to ignite itself ??

3 or 4 more passes and it should be americas turn to see the shiny burning yet deadly satalite =D but srsly if the shooting star i saw -was- a peice of the sat I swear I would never wish that hitting anybody, I don't think I blinked.

Getting very close now. 4 hour window.

Update #11
Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:30:46 PM GMT-1000

As of 7 p.m. EDT on Sept. 23, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 90 miles by 95 miles (145 km by 150 km). Re-entry is expected between 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and 3 a.m., Sept. 24, Eastern Daylight Time (3 a.m. to 7 a.m. GMT). During that time period, the satellite will be passing over Canada, Africa and Australia, as well as vast areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. The risk to public safety is very remote.

www.nasa.gov...

If you see something, anything can you please say where you are??!

I've seen debris re-entry before and even a small piece can produce a substantial trail behind it, remember its not the size of an object that's mainly important. Its how much kinetic energy it holds, and how much the atmosphere has to 'bleed' this energy off. Given UARS is now coming on its final orbits, it's pretty expectant to see lighter pieces of the satellite breaking off given the gravitational extremeties already being faced by its elliptic orbit.

looks like its going to be america, africa, or the sea, provided it doesn't bounce, change course, other multitude of variables...

I think im going to go with nevada just for kicks and since its been mentioned =D cept this time you know its not aliens.

ed: 2/3 more passes at most, of course I could be way off as is anything with guesses.

well I'm on the east coast of canada and if what nasa says is right, the trackers are way off, like i said before, don't trust them

reply to post by whatsinaname

Latest update:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by DJOldskool


Yes, Jupiter really is quite bright.

reply to post by Traxx
I'm thinking how convenient it would be to crash into a nuclear plant :/

"During that time period, the satellite will be passing over Canada, Africa and Australia"

So basically - still the entire world

Another expertly poor track by NASA, our space COUGH heroes

love to see it but from a distance...

reply to post by markymint


got the camera ready just incase!!! lol

Originally posted by CheckingtingsOut
reply to post by Traxx

 

I'm thinking how convenient it would be to crash into a nuclear plant :/

Or crash it into a country so they have an excuse to send in military.

People in Miami, its just about to fly over your head.

It will be over the top of you in about 6 minutes from now.

Go have a look pls.

www.foxnews.com...

Air & Space - SCITECH FAA Issues Warning for Pilots to Watch Out for NASA's Falling Dead Satellite The Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert to pilots today warning flyers to be on the lookout for any signs of a huge NASA satellite expected to fall to Earth tonight (Sept. 23) or early tomorrow. FAA officials released the special notice after NASA refined its estimates for the re-entry time of its Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), a 20-year-old climate satellite the size of a school bus that will fall from space sometime in the next 18 hours.

I kind of get the impression nasa are praying exactly that sort of event will not occur >_> also landing on anyones house. it really is unlikely but..well time will tell, enjoy watching the shiny burning thing in the sky =D

ed: ty phage I didn't notice canada was in the list of possibles, also australia