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A personal Iridium milestone



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 3rd 04, 01:30 PM
William C. Keel
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Default A personal Iridium milestone

This morning's sighting of a flare from Iridium 46 marked a milestone for
me - I've now seen flares from all the operational Iridium satellites
(defined pedantically as "in operational attitude when I would have
first seen a flare"), and flashes from the rest. With the luck of the
draw, 46 was the tough one - held me up for almost a year with bad weather
and bright twilight wiping out four previous attempts. It's taken a year
to pick up the last three.

I saw my first one on March 27, 1998 and was hooked. There have
been several especially memorable flare sightings - a double flare
over the NRAO 12m radio telescope, double flare seen simultaneously
with ISS over the NASA IRTF dome at Mauna Kea (see
http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/issirtf2.jpg), and a mag -6 flare over
Kitt Peak telescopes (http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/telescopes/).
It was appropriate to see one flare overhead as Buzz Aldrin was
extolling space commerce, Huntsville commemoration of Apollo 11's
30th anniversary celebration. I caught one from Germany while
it was overcast and raining. Have caught two in daylight (our skies
are usually on the murky side for this, and I've learned a lot about
the visual system by watching for them). Really impressed some friends -
I'd be at a soccer game with the kids and point up.

Well, it's a pretty cheap hobby. I'll only be annoying family
and collaborators by glancing at my watch and dashing outside
for really bright ones hereafter.

Bill Keel

  #2  
Old September 4th 04, 10:46 PM
Skywise
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Default

"William C. Keel" wrote in news:413863f8$1
@news.ua.edu:

This morning's sighting of a flare from Iridium 46 marked a milestone for
me - I've now seen flares from all the operational Iridium satellites

Snipola

Congratulations!!! That's an excellent accomplishment.

I just recently obtained a new digital camera that has the ability
to take exposures up to 60 seconds and you can be sure I can't wait
for my next Iridium flare so I can start photographing these things.

Brian
--
http://home.earthlink.net/~skywise71...ics/laser.html
"Great heavens! That's a laser!"
"Yes, Dr. Scott. A laser capable of emitting a beam of pure antimatter."

Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?
  #3  
Old September 5th 04, 04:23 PM
Pokey Latrobe
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"William C. Keel" wrote in message
...
This morning's sighting of a flare from Iridium 46 marked a milestone for
me - I've now seen flares from all the operational Iridium satellites


Congratulations on your accomplishment. I have been logging my Iridium
observations since July 2003 and now have seen 39 separate satellites in 59
sightings. My favorite was a mag -8 double sighting of #76 in April of this
year. I am a novice in this hobby, my first planned satellite observation
was Starshine 3, a few weeks before its decay in January, 2003. This, and a
little research, inspired me to purchase a pair of 9x63 binoculars and the
rest is history, albeit a brief one.

Hopefully, I'll know for certain if and when I complete the list.
Iridium.com states there are 79 satellites currently in operation but H/A
shows there about 90 or so satellites or related hardware floating around...


P.L.


  #4  
Old September 7th 04, 09:00 AM
tednat
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Default

http://www.mensamagazine.gr/Hellas/I...iliWoosea.html

"Pokey Latrobe" wrote in message ...
"William C. Keel" wrote in message
...
This morning's sighting of a flare from Iridium 46 marked a milestone for
me - I've now seen flares from all the operational Iridium satellites


Congratulations on your accomplishment. I have been logging my Iridium
observations since July 2003 and now have seen 39 separate satellites in 59
sightings. My favorite was a mag -8 double sighting of #76 in April of this
year. I am a novice in this hobby, my first planned satellite observation
was Starshine 3, a few weeks before its decay in January, 2003. This, and a
little research, inspired me to purchase a pair of 9x63 binoculars and the
rest is history, albeit a brief one.

Hopefully, I'll know for certain if and when I complete the list.
Iridium.com states there are 79 satellites currently in operation but H/A
shows there about 90 or so satellites or related hardware floating around...


P.L.

 




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