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#1
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If not Iridium Flare, them what?
Last night (12/8) at 2215 BST (a few minutes after the ISS pass) I saw what
looked for all the world like an Iridium Flare at about Mag -1 in the east at about 60 degs alt. It was at max brightness when I first noticed it and then gradually faded away heading North. Checking Heavens Above for my location in Crawley, West Sussex showed none for that time (2344 was the only one). So if it was not an IF, what else might it have been? A retired Iridium Satellite perhaps? |
#2
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If not Iridium Flare, them what?
In article , Albert writes
Last night (12/8) at 2215 BST (a few minutes after the ISS pass) I saw what looked for all the world like an Iridium Flare at about Mag -1 in the east at about 60 degs alt. It was at max brightness when I first noticed it and then gradually faded away heading North. Checking Heavens Above for my location in Crawley, West Sussex showed none for that time (2344 was the only one). So if it was not an IF, what else might it have been? A retired Iridium Satellite perhaps? My understanding is that there are some Iridium Satellite's orbits that have become unpredictable... that is probably not the correct description and I hope someone can correct me. Anyway Heavens Above will only publish the data of orbiting Iridiums that they are sure about... so it likely you will observe an Iridium Flare that is not predicted on HA website. I hope I *am* correct... -- Wendy Tinley http://www.theigloo.co.uk/ |
#3
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If not Iridium Flare, them what?
Wendy Tinley wrote:
In article , Albert writes Last night (12/8) at 2215 BST (a few minutes after the ISS pass) I saw what looked for all the world like an Iridium Flare at about Mag -1 in the east at about 60 degs alt. It was at max brightness when I first noticed it and then gradually faded away heading North. Checking Heavens Above for my location in Crawley, West Sussex showed none for that time (2344 was the only one). So if it was not an IF, what else might it have been? A retired Iridium Satellite perhaps? My understanding is that there are some Iridium Satellite's orbits that have become unpredictable... that is probably not the correct description and I hope someone can correct me. Anyway Heavens Above will only publish the data of orbiting Iridiums that they are sure about... so it likely you will observe an Iridium Flare that is not predicted on HA website. The first time I ever looked for Iridium flashes, I saw one about a minute too early, and not in quite the right place. A minute later the predicted flash occurred. When I checked, there was a booster stage from a Russian rocket at the right time and place - I was just lucky to have been in the right place to catch a reflection off some flat panel on the booster. -- Pd |
#4
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If not Iridium Flare, them what?
Wasn't it Albert who wrote:
Last night (12/8) at 2215 BST (a few minutes after the ISS pass) I saw what looked for all the world like an Iridium Flare at about Mag -1 in the east at about 60 degs alt. It was at max brightness when I first noticed it and then gradually faded away heading North. Checking Heavens Above for my location in Crawley, West Sussex showed none for that time (2344 was the only one). So if it was not an IF, what else might it have been? A retired Iridium Satellite perhaps? There are lots of satellites that can flare. The Iridium flares are the only ones that you hear much about because they happen to be predictable. The orientation of other satellites is not known in advance with sufficient accuracy to determine the point on the ground that is illuminated by the light reflected off their panels. -- Mike Williams Gentleman of Leisure |
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