[FPSPACE] FW: [Launch Alert] Launch Yesterday?

[LARRY KLAES]

> From: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
> To: launch-alert at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 17:07:40 -0800
> Subject: [Launch Alert] Launch Yesterday?
> 
> 
> LAUNCH ALERT
> 
> Brian Webb
> Ventura County, California
> kd6nrp at earthlink.net
> http://www.spacearchive.info
> 
> 2010 January 1 (Friday) 17:02 PST
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> LAUNCH YESTERDAY?
> 
> There have been reports and photos of a California December 31 dusk
> rocket or missile launch. There was no launch from Vandenberg
> yesterday.
> 
> I receive a small number of such reports each year and they are worth
> discussing.
> 
> First, ALL launches from Vandenberg AFB are announced in advance by
> the Air Force and in Launch Alert. That said, Vandenberg isn't the
> only place where rockets and missiles are launched along the
> California coast. In the past, missiles have been launched from Navy
> ships and submarines offshore, from Air Force cargo planes, and San
> from Nicolas Island. So it's within the realm of probability (but
> that you may spot a launch even though there is nothing scheduled from
> Vandenberg.
> 
> It's more likely that what people saw was one of the numerous jet
> contrails that cross the sky this time of year. I believe that in this
> part of the world contrails occur in a portion of the atmosphere some
> 5,000 feet thick called the "contrail zone".
> 
> This zone has a mean altitude of 33,000-38,000 feet. The height of
> the zone varies with the time of year. During the summer, it's higher
> than where most passenger jets fly. However, during the winter, the
> contrail zone is much lower and coincides with the crusing altitude of
> many jets fly.
> 
> Depending on your point of view, a jet contrail may appear to be
> steeply inclined when in fact it's level.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Copyright 2010 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may be
> distributed in its entirety without restriction. Excerpts may not be
> reprinted or posted elsewhere without prior permission.
> 
> 
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