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Re: (meteorobs) July 26-27 Observation
Patrick Mcnally described a satellite:
She saw it first at an altitude
>of about 30 degrees. She noticed that it had no flashing lights and that
>it appeared to be moving about twice as fast or faster than jets normally
>travel. It moved nearly overhead (approximately 15 degrees west of the
>azimuth). She took her eyes off it for a minute or so, because we were in
>the middle of meteor watching, when both of us were startled by a bright
David Cross replied:
his sounds *very* like an Iridium flare. Much like any other
low-earth-orbiting satellite, except for a very bright flash (up to about
magnitude -7) as one of the Main Mission Antennas catches the light.
I have to disagree on several counts...I still think it was most likely
MIR.
First of all, Iridium flares are much shorter..lasting only 20 to 30
seconds above mag +5, and only covering about 20 degrees of sky. Second,
they said it was a short bright flash...the iRidiums have a slower rise to
the peak brightness and a slow decline.
I have seen reports that one of the solar panels on MIR cannot be
controlled, so it is not pointing at the sun as it should be...this is the
explanation for the bright flash.
Wayne
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