Skywatcher snaps photos of stranded Russian Mars probe

msnbc ^ | 11/30/2011 5:53:06 PM ET 2011-11-30T22:53:06 | Mike Wall

[BenLurkin]

A skywatcher has photographed a troubled Russian Mars probe that remains stuck in Earth orbit three weeks after its launch.

Astrophotographer and veteran satellite spotter Ralf Vandebergh tracked Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft as it passed over the southern Netherlands on Tuesday. Using a 10-inch (25-centimeter) telescope and a video camera, he snapped a series of images at a range of about 170 miles (274 kilometers).

"It was bright in my tracking scope, I think it was clearly visible (to the) naked-eye as well with sun at -6 degrees," Vandebergh told Space.com in an email. "Striking was a kind of reddish-yellowish color I saw in the tracking scope."

[Ernie Kaputnik]

“Phobos-Grunt”

Sounds like something Barney Frank does with a male prostitute.

[Erasmus]

...but, unfortunately, not intelligent.

[Erasmus]

Erasmus: Proudly posting before reading the thread, since 1998.

≤}B^)

[JimRed]

Its track does not pass over the U.S., does it? (Think EMP weapon)

[BenLurkin]

Looks to me like the load shifted.