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(meteorobs) Iridiums

Iridium is a "Constellation" of some awful amount (sorry SeeSat guys, but to meteor observers, this is still light pollution) [20 or 40 I think?] communication satellites (for Digital Telephone Service I believe). The Solar collectors are aluminized, and when the sun hits it just right can produce bright flares from 5-15 seconds long, with a few as high as Mag -8. They are (IIRC) in about 400 mile orbits, so have slower angular velocity that say the MIR or shuttle, and are, I think, below naked eye visibility the rest of the time. Perhaps it would be in all of our meteor observer's best interest, to try and see at least one of the real bright ones, so we can hopefully discern them from stationary meteors...I believe Alan Pickup suggested that you can see them with binoculars after the flare, but I haven't had time to track one down yet....with the sites Jean-Christophe suggested, I will try and track them down And if you doubt the magnitude estimates, some sighting have been made during the day so it is real. I'm sure UFO reports will abound :-<
	Disclaimer, I am not terrible knowledgable about these sats; I have been lurking on the SeeSat mail list for a while learning. I am not 100% sure of all my facts, so if someone knows better, please correct me...this is all from an overloaded memory.

Wayne

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From: 	GeoZay@aol.com[SMTP:GeoZay@aol.com]
Sent: 	Tuesday, February 10, 1998 5:45 PM
To: 	meteorobs@latrade.com
Subject: 	Re: (meteorobs) Introduction

In a message dated 98-02-10 17:05:43 EST, you write:

russell<< ve an annual trek to try 
 and watch the Perseids meteor showers in August.  On Sunday, February 8, 
 1998 my oldest daughter and I saw an Iridium satellite flare.  I was baffled
by 
 the sighting and began research on the net.  >>


russell or anyone..dot care to share what you've learned about the Iridium
flares? I'm only guessing, but is this some kind of study of the solar wind or
something else? Just would like to know more about it when I get asked by ufo
folks and the sorts. I have a feeling this guy will set off some alien UFO
sightings? Plus want to get a feel for them when I see them. Actually, I might
already have last summer. I think bob was with me then? 
George
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