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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

Wayne, you mentioned Mir was over us at 9:15, was that EST or DST?  What we
saw was definitely within 10 minutes of 10:15 DST.

It was definitely a short flash, much like the old flash bulbs with a
bright flash fading quicly away within 1-2 seconds.  The object remained
visible at its original brightness until about 15 degrees from the horizon.

- Pat McNally



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