Observation by Grant Privett: 2025-010D 3.1 degs from the Moon

Uploaded by

Grant Privett

Observer

Grant Privett

Observed

2026 Aug 05 - 01:42

Uploaded

2026 Aug 05 - 16:34

Equipment

C14 + f/6.3 reducer
SX Trius 694

Exposure

7s x2 binned in processing

Location

Broad Chalke

Target name

2025-010D NORAD62719

Title

2025-010D 3.1 degs from the Moon

About this image

I gave 2025-010D up as missed due to cloud, but looked out the window before bed at around 02:15BST and saw the Moon in a lovely clear sky. By the time I was ready to image clouds had appeared from the west which led to many images being binned and seriously messed with the automated focusing. Just 45 minutes later I had to close down as drizzle started to descend - in the driest summer on record.

I took two sets of data. The first showed several clear images of the rocket body brightening and fading as it tumbled. The movie attached shows the first such brightening. It was 01:42UTC and with about 5 hours until impact, it was less than 3 degrees from the lunar limb. Given that the satellite was probably mag 16/17, I'm reasonably happy with this as a result. Position estimates will be made shortly.

Files associated with this observation

2025-010D_20260805_0142_Privett.gif (450.7 kB)

Like this image

Jim Latham, Nigel Evans

Comments

Nick James, 2026 Aug 05 - 17:38 UTC

Grant - Excellent stuff. Could you let me have your astrometry when it is available, preferably in ADES format.

Grant Privett, 2026 Aug 05 - 18:23 UTC

Will do. Am about to start work on that...

EDIT: Now sent to you and Bill Grey. Anyone else, feel free to ask. I'm not sure how to attach a file to this...

Nick James, 2026 Aug 05 - 21:22 UTC

Thanks for the astrometry. With astrometry from 970, Y82 and M21 in the last few hours before impact Findorb predicts an impact time of 06:35:20.66 UTC this morning. The plume was observed by the VLT.

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