(meteorobs) Point Meteor or Flaring Satelite

Chris Peterson clp at alumni.caltech.edu
Fri Oct 14 11:17:28 EDT 2011


I also catch these sorts of flares every few days. I believe that a few 
of them, caught over the last decade, are true head-on meteors. These 
were all observed during showers, and were present at the radiant and 
showed light curves consistent with other shower members. But the vast 
majority are probably satellite flares.

I know that Pete Gural did an analysis (a simulation, I think) which 
suggested that head-on meteors should be very rare events on meteor 
cameras. If he's lurking out there, perhaps he could comment on his results.

Chris

*******************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On 10/14/2011 6:47 AM, James Beauchamp wrote:
> My allsky camera catches them about once every couple of weeks.  Too slow to be meteors. Perfectly stationary = NOT IRIDIUM.  Always just after sunset or just prior to sunrise.  Always about the same az/el as you described, so can't be geostationary.
> Orbitron never shows anything either, so the only thing I can think of is military SIGINT or ELINT in a molniya orbit with a BIG solar array.
> Something is up there watching us all :)



More information about the meteorobs mailing list