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7:27am, 6th July
“Variety” is the key word summing up NZ’s weather over the coming month, which means it may be quite similar…
Here’s what is making the weather headlines today. FRONT CLEARS AWAY THEN SETTLED A front moving over the North Island…
A front pushes off the North Island today moving away to the northeast and a high moves in in behind….
Several lows will impact NZ over the coming week or so, with more rain along eastern Australia but relief in…
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Rob on 20/01/2009 1:41am
I have provided information to Mt John Observatory that clearly establishes that this is a decaying rocket body from an old satellite launch and NOT a meteor. Decay was predicted and expected though the exact time or location of decay could be established till at or close to the time of occurrence. However the pass near the South Island was predicted.
Unfortunately owing to illness I was unable to be on standby in case of decay near here as I would normally have done. However it is possible that the decay would have been too south for me to observe here in Wellington area anyway.
For those who would like to be able to follow these type of events I recommend http://www.calsky.com which will also provide information on all sorts of other events concerning both man made and natural celestial objects.
I must acknowledge that I was alerted to this article in the Herald initially by another satellite observer (who did not observe the event either) as I was still recovering from illness and had not seen it.
This occurred through use of the satellite observers mailing list at http://www.satobs.org/seesat which is a useful means of communicating and comparing notes with other observers.
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Rob on 20/01/2009 3:01am
If I may be allowed one further comment it would be extremely interesting if anyone happens to have filmed this event.
Footage of satellite decays other than pre-determined ones is comparatively rare.
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