[meteorite-list] Doomed Mars Probe Photographed (Phobos-Grunt)

[Ron Baalke]

Space Weather News for Jan. 5, 2012
http://spaceweather.com

MARS PROBE PHOTOGRAPHED: Phobos-Grunt, a Russian Mars probe 
stuck in Earth orbit since November, is sinking back into 
the atmosphere.  Best estimates suggest re-entry will 
occur on Jan. 15th or 16th. Meanwhile, citizen scientists 
can see the probe moving through the night sky sometimes 
shining as brightly as a first-magnitude star.   French 
astrophotographer Thierry Legault recently photographed 
Phobos-Grunt through a 14-inch telescope, revealing its 
outlines and perhaps a clue as to why the probe has had 
difficulty communicating with Earth.  His images and video 
are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com .

Local flyby times for Phobos-Grunt may be found using 
SpaceWeather's online satellite tracker (http://spaceweather.com/flybys) 
or on your smartphone: http://simpleflybys.com