Space Spotters Track Secret Satellites

Ponca City, We Love You writes "When government officials announced last month that a top-secret spy satellite would come falling out of the sky they said little about the satellite itself. They didn't need to. Spotters equipped with little more than a pair of binoculars, a stop watch and star charts, had already uncovered some of the deepest of the government's expensive secrets and shared them on the Internet. Thousands of people form the spotter community. Many look for historical relics of the early space age, working from publicly available orbital information. Still others are drawn to the secretive world of spy satellites, with about a dozen hobbyists doing most of the observing. When a new spy satellite is launched the hobbyists will collaborate on sightings around the world to determine its orbit, and even guess at its function. They often share their information on their web site, satobs.org."

I would say...

[arkham6]

to these people that they need to get out more, but it appears they already do.

Re:This is news?

[somersault]

Yep, the information would be highly useful to terrorists - they could probably shoot down the satellites with their AKs!

Obligatory

[TurinPT]

1995 called. They want that website back.

Re:Two Words:

[Trigun]

Two more: Appalachian mongoose.

Re:Government for you.

[Chris Burke]

Because, hey, if three guys with a $500 telescope, some lawn chairs, a six-pack of beer and nothing else to do on a Friday night don't do it, maybe hostile foreign governments won't either! Riiiiight.

Well, maybe they're hoping all the hostile foreign government agents have plans for Friday night.

Re:New features to block observation.

[sholden]

Yes, hi-rez pictures of camels humping from geosynchronous orbit. Try Engaging brain before keyboard.

Re:Government for you.

[repapetilto]

a six-pack split three ways? cmon man

Re:Nuke Fallout

[Lumpy]

Yes it is very easy. all you need to look for the three sided black symbol printed on a yellow square or circle.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp1.blogger.com/_BYX14125JUQ/RpVqASyl-cI/AAAAAAAADU8/R2ettoJs-Z8/s400/Nuclear_Warning_Symbol.gif&imgrefurl=http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/2007_07_08_archive.html&h=225&w=225&sz=8&tbnid=Ov10iqjDEvf1QM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnuclear%2Bsymbol%26um%3D1&start=3&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=3 [google.com]

take the above for example. They print them HUGE on the satellite to make sure the aliens and astronauts don't go messing with the satellites for fun.

Space Spotters Stalk Secret Satellites

[PPH]

Say that three times real fast and you're admitted to the Satellite Stalkers club.

Paint it black?

[maillemaker]

Why don't they all just paint their satellites black?

Re:How about these?

[hachete]

Also, large machines orbiting his house:

http://www.rense.com/general79/wdx2.htm [rense.com]

The Black Ops boys must have money to burn if they can send a gdam CHINOOK to photograph him

Re:New features to block observation.

[Anonymous Coward]

Plus, it doesn't make much sense to track a satellite that's directly overhead.

"Where is it now, Yasir?"

"I give you three guesses, Rashid!"

RIAA: Re:Paint it black?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why don't they all just paint their satellites black?

The obvious solution of 'Paint it Black' is copyright (c) the RIAA and they will sue the spy agencies asses into oblivion if it's used.

Re:c'mon ppl - parent is BS

[Terrasque]

In addition to discovering and refining his optical telescope videotaping technique, John has also discovered how to actually hear and record the sounds in real time coming from the particular craft he is videotaping. By carefully aligning a satellite dish receiver with his telescope, he has been able to record some very unusual and intriguing sound from the different spacecraft...

How can you call these fakes?? He has even recorded sounds from them! Sound! From these space .. crafts.. which is .. in space.. which is famous for its inability to lead sounds.. clearly he is a misunderstood genius that have all these incredible new technologies which he stole from the aliens he is taking pictures of. Right.

It's good entertainment tho :)