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Re: (meteorobs) Re: Leonid Report for Western NC.
At 11:29 22/11/01, Robert Lunsford wrote:
>Rick,
>
>What you spotted sounds like an Iridium flare. This are basically caused
>by sun glints off one of the many Iridium satellites. You can learn more
>about these satellites at http://www.satobs.org/iridium.html
>
>Clear Skies!
>
>Robert Lunsford
>
>> Rick Creel wrote:
>>
>> One very interesting object was seen. Did anyone else see this?
>> >From our position, looking almost due south, at about 09:00UT, an
>> extremely bright object (magnitude -4.0+), moving slowly from south to
>> east about 15 degrees above the horizon. It burned for about 3-4
>> seconds before it fell apart. As it did so, you could see the hot,
>> illuminated debris falling from the fireball. Must have been an old
>> rocket booster, piece of a satellite or something. Just wandering if
>> anyone else saw it. You would nearly have to be south of our latitude
>> to see it. I heard observation in that direction was very limited.
Bob,
The description of debris dropping from the object means it couldnt be an Iridium flare. It wasnt a satellite re-entry either. No decays were expected on November 18,
as evidenced by the OIG database change report. Of course the 3-4 seconds duration
is far too short for a slow moving object ( in a meteor context) like a satellite.
Tony Beresford
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