View this page "Finders Cruise Orbits"

[cano...@yahoo.com]

This new page presents quick analysis of favorable imaging windows to
acquire the LCROSS-Centaur spacecraft during its cruise oribt one.

Lunar phases during curise orbit one favor attempts to image the
LCROSS-Centaur spacecraft by observers in the southern hemisphere
between July 19 through the First Quarter Moon on July 28. Northern
hemisphere observers are disfavored and have only a brief low-altitude
imaging window before the First Quarter Moon of June 29 as LCROSS
rises of the northwest horizon beginning on June 26.

Click on http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/finders-cruise-orbits
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

Clear Skies - Kurt

[Patrick Wiggins]

Hi Kurt,

I just checked JPL's Horizons and using my observatory (718 in their
catalog) I got the following for a possible sighting:

UT Date/Time: 2009-Jun-26 04:00
RA/Dec: 09 38 49.12 +44 03 30.8
Azi/Alt: 301.2595 34.8637
% Illuminated: 14.897
One way light time: 0.022016 (I put that at 6,600 km)

Might be worth trying. But before I do could you double check my work?

Thanks,

patrick

Patrick Wiggins
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada
http://utahastro.info
p...@wirelessbeehive.com
435.882.1209

[Patrick Wiggins]

Never mind...

I just found "one way light time" is expressed in minutes, not
seconds. Duh!

Which will put LCROSS nearly 400,000 km away.

6,600 km did seem too close. :)

patrick

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Patrick wrote:
> Might be worth trying. But before I do could you double check my work?

Patrick, that's what I get. It's low at 34 degrees. Since the albedo
is unknown, I'm pretty much ignoring the illuminated fraction until
someone has an acquisition. Orbit one looks like a southern
hemisphere observer event. - Clear Skies - Kurt

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Added Illuminated Fraction and Distance data to Orbit One maps.

Added ephemeris table for OP W110 N41 with distance and illuminated
fraction.

Added Orbit Two maps.

- Clear Skies - Kurt

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Click on http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/finders-cruise-orbits
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

This page has been updated to include a quick analysis of cruise orbit
imaging of the LCROSS Centaur booster for cruise orbits one, two and
three.

The best local circumstances for imaging the LCROSS Centaur will be
from the southern hemisphere during cruise orbit one between July 22
and July 28 (Figure 4) and during cruise orbit three between September
16 to September 26 (Figure 11). Cruise orbit two provides sub-optimal
imaging opportunities for both hemispheres. Northern hemisphere
observers have less than optimal imaging opportunities during all
three cruise orbits but are well positioned to view the impact.
(Figure 12).

Clear Skies - Kurt

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Heaven's Above now has a satellite page for LCROSS, but no orbital
elements. Check back at Heaven's Above in a few days to see if they
have the orbital element data lines for use in amateur satellite
tracking programs.

http://www.heavens-above.com/satinfo.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&alt=0&loc=Unspecified&TZ=CET&SatID=35316

LCROSS
Identification USSPACECOM Catalog No.: 35316
International Designation Code: 2009-031-B

Clear Skies - Kurt