Malfunctioning spy satellite USA 193 has been in the
news lately because of expectations that it will reenter
Earth's atmosphere in March and turn into a spectacular
fireball. Reentry has not yet begun, but sky watchers are
already noticing the satellite as it zips over Europe and the
United States shining as brightly as a first or second magnitude
star. Typical photos are shown on today's edition of
http://spaceweather.com.
In fact, USA 193 may never reenter--at least not in one piece.
Today, the Pentagon announced it will attempt to blast the satellite
with a missile before its orbit decays. This would lessen the chances
of dangerous satellite debris and fuel reaching the ground while increasing
the population of space junk in low-Earth orbit.
Would you like to see USA 193 with your own eyes? It is about to make
a series of evening appearances over many US towns and cities, beginning
this weekend and continuing until the Pentagon intervenes. Flyby timetables
may be found at Heavens Above (http://heavens-above.com). You can also
receive telephone and email alerts when the satellite is about to fly over your
backyard by subscribing to Spaceweather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com .
