Sky's falling down

M

montyracing2

At the Start
Joined
Apr 17, 2005
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763
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Blackpool
Did I read somewhere that this satellite, Phobos-Grunt, falls to earth in January.

Anyone know of a predicted crash site?

Seems to becoming more frequent! - MR2
 
Walsworth's our skywatcher and will give you links galore. Or you could try Googling NASA and getting info.
 
Thanks for that Walsworth, great reading. Talk about 'beauty and the beast'.

What with venus, a crescent moon and the potential for a explosion puts the nativity tale in its place.

MR2
 
"Phobus-Grunt" - it's like an unpleasant Dickensian character, isn't it?

"Sir Horatio Phobus-Grunt knocked aside his grovelling manservant, Pigsnuffle, on the way to his private observatory... "
 
Space Weather News for Jan. 5, 2012
http://spaceweather.com

MARS PROBE PHOTOGRAPHED: Phobos-Grunt, a Russian Mars probe stuck in Earth orbit since November, is sinking back into the atmosphere. Best estimates suggest re-entry will occur on Jan. 15th or 16th. Meanwhile, citizen scientists can see the probe moving through the night sky sometimes shining as brightly as a first-magnitude star. French astrophotographer Thierry Legault recently photographed Phobos-Grunt through a 14-inch telescope, revealing its outlines and perhaps a clue as to why the probe has had difficulty communicating with Earth. His images and video are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com .

Local flyby times for Phobos-Grunt may be found using SpaceWeather's online satellite tracker (http://spaceweather.com/flybys) or on your smartphone: http://simpleflybys.com
 
Oh, poor little Phobus Grunt. It looks quite a cuddly little probe, like a cosmic teddy without fur, and now it's lost and lonely, its suncatchers failing and its demise inevitable, passing over France for its last time... :( Where the hell is Steven Seagal at a time like this? He'd just lassoo the Gruntling to a star ranger, and down it would come, safe, sound, and ready for another outing (with its fins pointing the right way next time).
 
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Sad, disastrous but a little bit amusing:

....... just imagine if Phoby manages to crash-land in the east-end, just as it appears that the main olympic venue is passing all its certification standards!

MR2
 
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