AAS 96-144

A GEMINI PUZZLE - OPTICAL IMAGING 30 YEARS AGO

R. G. Schinnerer, Kaman Sciences Corporation

Abstract

A historical and entertaining look at 19 frames of movie film exposed thirty years ago during the Gemini 4 space flight. The frames reveal what appeared to be a visiting space object of some sort. When a thorough examination of the space catalog made it apparent that there were no other space objects predicted to be anywhere near Gemini at the time, the analysis became a detective story. While there were many clues, many of the questions that arose have still not been answered. But there are some pretty likely outcomes.