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Re: (meteorobs) Re: Iridium flares
Wayne Hally <wayne.t.hally@bangate.tek.com> wrote:
>Steve wrote:
>>But remember that the Iridium "flare" is the reflection from the solar
>>panels, which cannot be covered so easily as with some kind of paint.
>
> Just a small correction here; the flares are not from the solar panels,
> rather the Main Mission Antennas. I imagine the reflection of heat in this
> case is to prevent heat damage and deterioration, and possible to prevent
> warping or stresses that would shorten the life...I can't imagine they have
> to be perfectly flat for aiming purposes.
Thanks for the additional info, Wayne!
So keeping to a positive approach to this problem, I wonder if it might in fact be feasible for satellite engineers to produce components which were highly non-absorbent (i.e., reflective or radiative), without producing concentrated specular reflections? For antennae and photoelectric cells, it seems a daunting problem - but who knows until they ask?
Well, I suspect this thread is off-topic for ALL THREE of the lists currently being cross-posted, so I'll make this my last post about it. But anyone interested in discussing this further, please feel free to send private email! Perhaps we might even start a forum, or address this in one of the existing Light Pollution forums.
Clear (dark) skies to all!
Lew Gramer
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