Astro geeks spot spy satellites

Science
Astro geeks spot spy satellites

Spotter600
Very fascinating article- hobbyists tracking and identifying spy satellites that the government won’t really talk about –

When the government announced last month that a top-secret spy satellite would, in the next few months, come falling out of the sky, American officials said there was little risk to people because satellites fall out of orbit fairly frequently and much of the planet is covered by oceans. But they said precious little about the satellite itself.

Such information came instead from Ted Molczan, a hobbyist who tracks satellites from his apartment balcony in Toronto, and fellow satellite spotters around the world. They have grudgingly become accustomed to being seen as “propeller-headed geeks” who “poke their finger in the eye” of the government’s satellite spymasters, Mr. Molczan said, taking no offense. “I have a sense of humor,” he said.

Satellite Spotters Glimpse Secrets, and Tell Them – New York Times – Link.

Related:
US spy satellite USA-193, which may crash to Earth in late February or early March, photographed from the UK by John Locker – Link.

More:
Illustrated Guide Cover
Amateur astronomy is now within the reach of anyone, and this is the ideal book to get you started. The Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders offers you a guide to the equipment you need, and shows you how and where to find hundreds of spectacular objects in the deep sky — double and multiple stars as well as spectacular star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies – Link.

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