THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 29, 1996 TAG: 9602290322
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
One of NASA's biggest disappointments will soon be visible floating across the sky.
Off and on during the next 10 days, stargazers across the country will be able to get a glimpse of a $404 million satellite and its 12-mile-long umbilical cord.
The cord snapped during deployment from the space shuttle Sunday night and the satellite hurtled into space.
The satellite is likely to appear as a relatively fast moving blip of light dragging a long, thin strand of spaghetti.
``It should be an absolutely awesome sight,'' astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman said from the space shuttle Columbia.
The satellite will be clearly visible with the naked eye, astronomers said.
``Go outside a good 10 to 15 minutes ahead of time so your eyes can adjust to the darkness,'' said Jack Horkheimer, director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium.
Said Eileen Hawley, a NASA spokeswoman: ``We're not exactly sure what it will look like, because we've never had anything up there with a tail like that.''
In Hampton Roads, residents should be able to catch a glimpse of the satellite early on the mornings of Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9.
According to NASA, sky watchers should look 10 degrees above the southern horizon at 5:17 a.m. March 8, as the satellite travels south-southeast. The next day, March 9, the satellite can be seen at 5:31 a.m., this time 10 degrees above the south-southwest horizon, traveling southeast.
The satellite will look like a fast-moving point of light; both appearances will be brief. The first will last one minute, the second three minutes. NASA calculations are for Norfolk only. The times and duration of the sightings will vary slightly, depending on where in Hampton Roads viewers live. MEMO: Staff writer James Schultz contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: KRT Map
by CNB