weems%umass-cs%CSNet-Relay@sri-unix.UUCP (12/07/83)
From: Charles Weems <weems%umass-cs@CSNet-Relay> Two friends and I watched the shuttle fly over on Saturday the 3rd. The paper predicted it would rise at 4:32 for Boston. We first spotted it about 20 degrees up from the horizon in the NW. It appeared as a point source about mag. -3 (much brighter than Sirius but not quite as bright as Venus at its brightest). It proceeded overhead with its highest point roughly 15 degrees N of the zenith. It disappeared to the ESE. At about 45 degrees up from the ESE horizon it abruptly dimmed (to about mag 1) and remained dim until disappearance. (Dimming most likely due to entering Earth's shado, local sunset being about 4:12 EST). First sighting was at 4:33 and the shuttle was visible for about 5.5 minutes. UMass Amherst is about 60 miles West of Boston. One of my friends commented afterward that having the shuttle show up right on time had finally made him a believer in astronomical calculations.... chip weems