In a November 1 spacewalk, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara accidentally lost a tool bag, now orbiting Earth and visible to observers. The incident occurred during routine maintenance on the International Space Station (ISS).
Flight controllers spotted the drifting tool bag using external station cameras. This unintended event highlights the unpredictability of space exploration, turning a routine mission into an unexpected spectacle in the night sky. The tools in the bag were deemed unnecessary for the remainder of the spacewalk.
Orbiting Tool Bag Visible From Earth
The tool bag, now assigned its own satellite catalog number, has garnered attention from both enthusiasts and stargazers, who have captured it on video. The tool bag's luminosity is equivalent to a 6th-magnitude star, but it remains just below the threshold for naked-eye visibility, making binoculars a recommended aid for spotting it.
Stellar magnitude, a measure of a star's apparent brightness, elucidates the bag's luminosity within the night sky. The magnitude scale, spanning from -30 to +30, designates smaller numbers for brighter objects and larger numbers for fainter ones. For context, the full moon boasts a magnitude of -12.6, while dimmer celestial objects may exceed +10.
Fortuitously, the tool bag's inadvertent release did not impede the astronauts' completion of their spacewalk tasks, such as cable adjustments and solar panel bearing replacements. Furthermore, the bag was determined to be unnecessary for the remainder of the mission, ensuring the astronauts' continued progress.
NASA has assessed the bag's trajectory and asserted that it poses no threat to the ISS or its crew. In the ensuing months, the tool bag is projected to orbit in closer proximity to Earth, ultimately disintegrating in the atmosphere. This provides a limited-time opportunity for observers interested in witnessing this distinctive piece of space debris.
As Mission Control affirms a low risk of recontact, the agency assures the safety of the onboard crew and the space station. Consequently, the lost tool bag has assumed an unforeseen role as a new artificial "star" in the night sky, contributing an unexpected and fascinating element to celestial observations.
How To See the Orbiting Tool Bag
To spot the orbiting tool bag, enthusiasts are encouraged to first identify the ISS, as the bag consistently precedes the ISS by approximately five minutes, a relationship expected to endure in the days ahead. On clear nights, skywatchers should venture out and determine when the ISS will pass overhead.
Utilizing NASA's Spot the Station mobile app and website, observers can track the space station's trajectory based on their location. Recognized as the third-brightest object in the night sky, the ISS appears akin to a swiftly moving plane to the naked eye.
For those seeking to catch a glimpse of the lost tool bag, binoculars can be used to scan slightly ahead of the space station's course, watching for a faint, mobile object leading the way. The tool bag is anticipated to remain visible in the night sky for several months before its orbit gradually decays, leading to its descent towards Earth.
Similar to other diminutive objects in low-Earth orbit, including spent rocket components and small satellites, the tool bag will eventually undergo a harmless combustion as it reenters the atmosphere. NASA's guidance and technological tools facilitate the engagement of skywatchers in this unique celestial observation experience.
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