Re: Siting of STS-119 launch

Dr J R Stockton wrote:
In sci.astro.amateur message <w91xl.1522$SU3.435@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:01:32, flyguy <flyguy@xxxxxxxxxxx> posted:


STS-125 to the Hubble will go into an equatorial orbit using a so
called 'dog-leg' maneuver after launch. Only observers southeast of the
Cape, mainly in the ocean, will get a distant view of the launch like I
did with STS-119.


Doubtless they would then be rather embarrassed to discover that
Hubble’s orbital inclination is about 28.5 degrees.

But perhaps they'll first read <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-125>.

Doubtless I'm the one that should be embarrassed. I'll take this as a reminder to refrain from posting in a state of sleep deprivation. For some reason I had this image of seeing Hubble flying over the equator. I should know better since I've actually observed Hubble from my latitude of about 43-N which would be impossible if it really was in an equatorial orbit of only a few hundred miles high. As it is, Hubble nevers gets more than about 10-deg above my southern horizon. But while we're on the subject, wouldn't it have made more sense to put Hubble in an equatorial orbit, assuming the Shuttle had enough fuel to do the dog-leg maneuver? I guess the fact that they didn't, answers the question.
.

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