(meteorobs) meteorobs 90 second fireball and ISS

[Marco Langbroek]

drobnock schreef:
> Of interest, Space Weather for 26/27 May 2009 indicated that the ISS was
> retrofitted with upgraded solar panels. The end result was a brighter
> flaring. The station is visually brighter with  a -8 and greater
> magnitude for the satellite. 

To be fair, that (-8) is still exceptional. But it does happen. I have seen ISS 
do that (shortly, think 10-20 seconds) briefly a few times now (recently in the 
evening of 19 May for example), usually at 40 degrees altitude in either the 
east or west.

On a "normal" pass through the zenith it can easily reach -4 though, that is a 
bit of a standard magnitude for such a pass now. And yes, it get's reported as a 
fireball (or "UFO") every now and then.

- Marco

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Dr Marco (asteroid 183294) Langbroek
Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)

e-mail: dms at marcolangbroek.nl
http://www.dmsweb.org
http://www.marcolangbroek.nl
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