Andy’s Astronomy: Rogue Satellite Plunges Into Atmosphere

As noted in a previous column the Link satellite returned to Earth, and did so last Friday.

An uncontrolled re-entry, the satellite was reported to have entered the atmosphere over an ocean and posed no threat to anyone on the ground. The precise location was not reported.

Described as “America’s first commercial space robot” the Link was a rushed production designed to “rescue” the Neils Gehrels Swift Observatory by moving it into a higher orbit. The observatory has spent over 20 years recording and studying gamma-ray bursts and other space phenomena.

The Link suffered a number of malfunctions that marred the mission.

The observatory is expected to re-enter Earth atmosphere in November.

There are over 11,000 satellites currently orbiting the Earth.

Our erstwhile amateur astronomer Ms Lynn reminds this week in 1604, Kempler’s Supernova was observed.

Kepler’s Star, also known as SN 1604, remains the most recent supernova to be witnessed in the Milky Way. Located about 20,000 light-years from Earth, it was spotted and recorded by German astronomer Johannes Kepler.

Prior to going supernova, Kepler’s Star was so incredibly bright that it was recorded as being seen during the daylight hours.

In 1941, observers in the Mountain Wilson Observatory in California reported finding a remnant of Kepler’s Star.

The Orionids Meteor shower is approaching, or actually the Earth is approaching the stream of material left by comet Halley.

The Orionids shower is projected to start on Oct. 2 and end on Nov. 7, with peak activity during the overnight hours of Tuesday, Oct. 21 to Wednesday, Oct. 22. Generally, the shower produces 10 to 20 meteors per hour at peak activity but upon occasion delivers many more.

The Moon will be waxing gibbous at about 75 percent illuminated. This will wash out some of the fainter meteors but the shower should still produce a good show.

Spend more time looking at the night sky instead of your phone.

Meteors can flash across the sky anytime, day or night, and they are spotted quite often. Particularly bright meteors are often referred to as fireballs.

The American Meteor Society webpage suffered a cyberattack that took much of the site offline. The site is currently being rebuilt with reports of fireballs taking priority, Anyone seeing a fireball is urged to report the sighting to https://amsmeteors.org

Going outside and looking at the night sky can be fun and educational for the entire family. There are a number of free apps available to help identify stars and constellations, and some of the apps show satellites.

Happy skywatching!