#1
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Debris query
JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, AoT posted at Sat, 12 Jul 2003 11:16:53 :- At about 2340? yesterday, there was a very large and bright flash in the sky to the West, at about 40 degrees elevation; having binoculars handy, I was able to see that whatever burnt up left an object, glowing faintly and orange, which sped off to the North East. If I could see it, does that mean that there is a sizable lump on its way down? Or should it have landed already? Not a very useful report, since it does not give your location. Since you are presumably in the UK, that puts the position as somewhere above UK, our territorial waters, or much of Eire, given the height you imply. However, it sounds much like an Iridium Flare - two bright ones were visible within about 30 miles of here at about that time - sunlight reflecting off solar panels of satellites, height a few hundred miles?. Had you been looking earlier, you should have seen it getting brighter. See via http://www.heavens-above.com/ for predictions; I think it will do past flares. You will need to know your latitude & longitude in decimal degrees; to a tenth will do, to a hundredth much better. It also predicts the ISS and many other satellites. If the event that you saw had been within the atmosphere, the debris, if any, would have landed within a few minutes - apart from the extremely rare case of aero-capture from hyperbolic to elliptical orbit, in which case it might come down at almost any time after 90 minutes, almost anywhere. Stephen - perhaps FAQ section O should have a bit on classification and identification of sightings? The possibilities include meteors, satellites (steady/flares), departures from LEO, comets, planets, and Objects Fixed to the Heavenly Sphere. The answers might be a line of description (in some cases) and a link to a specialist site. OFHS might include a star-chart link and a nova/variable link. Some links can be taken from via below, but there must be other sources. -- © John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. © Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links; some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c. No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News. |
#2
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FAQ request (was: Debris query)
Dr John Stockton wrote:
Stephen - perhaps FAQ section O should have a bit on classification and identification of sightings? If anyone wishes to write this bit, please email me. Best, Stephen -- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books + + (N51.162 E0.995) | http://www.astunit.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + |
#3
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FAQ request (was: Debris query)
Dr John Stockton wrote:
Stephen - perhaps FAQ section O should have a bit on classification and identification of sightings? If anyone wishes to write this bit, please email me. Best, Stephen -- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books + + (N51.162 E0.995) | http://www.astunit.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + |
#4
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Debris query
"Dr John Stockton" wrote in message " it sounds much like an Iridium Flare..." Thank you for your comments; from the web-site given, the event would appear to have been Iridium 94. Fom another site, I have learnt what an iridium flare is. I am sorry for putting my query so clumsily, thanks again, Anthony Thomas |
#5
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Debris query
"Dr John Stockton" wrote in message " it sounds much like an Iridium Flare..." Thank you for your comments; from the web-site given, the event would appear to have been Iridium 94. Fom another site, I have learnt what an iridium flare is. I am sorry for putting my query so clumsily, thanks again, Anthony Thomas |
#6
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FAQ request (was: Debris query)
JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Stephen Tonkin posted at Sun, 13 Jul 2003 05:47:30 :- Dr John Stockton wrote: Stephen - perhaps FAQ section O should have a bit on classification and identification of sightings? If anyone wishes to write this bit, please email me. 1) See URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/astro2.htm#CVS for a rough version of the sort of information I had in mind. 2) FAQ B.1 BAA link says it's now http://www.britastro.org/main/index.html -- © John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. © Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links; some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c. No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News. |
#7
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FAQ request (was: Debris query)
JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Stephen Tonkin posted at Sun, 13 Jul 2003 05:47:30 :- Dr John Stockton wrote: Stephen - perhaps FAQ section O should have a bit on classification and identification of sightings? If anyone wishes to write this bit, please email me. 1) See URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/astro2.htm#CVS for a rough version of the sort of information I had in mind. 2) FAQ B.1 BAA link says it's now http://www.britastro.org/main/index.html -- © John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. © Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links; some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c. No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News. |
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