glints
Walter Nissen (dk058@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Tue, 9 Apr 1996 05:58:48 -0400
>I've got my own little theory. What are the most notorious glinters? UARS,
>Tiros, DMSP. What do they all have in common? Single solar panels on a
>single actuator arm. My theory is that the simple arm is not a full helio-
>stat and doesn't track the sun all the way down to low angles such as at
>sunset. So we get glints. Theory (c)Jim Varney.
Here are all of the "glints" from my list of bright objects, sorted by
SPACECOM #, and hence, age:
mag glint mag
Atlas Centaur 2 00694 63- 47A 3 *2
M* 1- 4 04393 70- 37A 4 *1
SeaSat 1 10967 78- 64A 2 *0
Tiros N 11060 78- 96A 4 or 5 *2
NOAA 7 12553 81- 59A 4 *2 or 3
NOAA 8 13923 83- 22A *2
1515 14551 83-122A 4 *1
1626 15494 85- 9A 3.5 *2
1703 16262 85-108A *0 or 1
1908 18748 88- 1A 4 or 5 *3 or 4
1933 18958 88- 20A 2 *1
USA 32 19460 88- 78A 3 *1 or 2
1975 19573 88- 93A 4 or 5 *3
Lacrosse 1 19671 88-106B 1 *0
1992 r 19770 89- 5B 4 or 5 *3 or 4
HST 20580 90- 37B 2 *-1 or -2
Lacrosse 2 21147 91- 17A 1 *0
Nadezhda 3 r 21153 91- 19B 4 *2
UARS 21701 91- 63B 1 *-1
USA 81 21949 92- 23A 3 *2
Topex 22076 92- 52A *3
C* 1515, 1626, 1703, 1908, 1933, and 1975 are all identified as Tselina
objects by Rainer Kracht.
My observational experience does not support the idea that the notorious
glinters are UARS, Tiros and DMSP.
When I think of glints, I think of HST, SeaSat, Tselina (including lately
observed objects not yet in the list), Topex, SROSS-C2 = 23099 = 94- 27A,
DMSP F3 = AMS 3 = DMSP B5D1-3 = 10820 = 78- 42A, STS, Mir, Lacrosse, USA
32 and 81 and Tiros N. These seem to divide into 2 categories, the active
and the inactive. HST, Topex, STS (at the times observed), Mir, Lacrosse,
USA 32 and 81 are active. The others appear to have been inactive at the
times that glints have been observed (I'm still looking to confirm this;
anyone who has dates of operation for the Tiros/NOAA and Tselina
satellites will be gratefully received). The active satellites I mention
don't correspond well to UARS, Tiros, and DMSP. I have seen UARS glint.
Tiros may be ambiguous; despite many attempts, I haven't seen the older,
smaller ones; the newer ones, including the NOAA's, I haven't seen glint
until they are older (and no longer operating?).
The active satellites I have seen glint all seem to have an excuse other
than that offered by Bart and Jim. HST has that very long tube. Topex
has been observed to glint off its large bottom surface (note to those
trying to observe it: these glints have been observed when it is at a very
unfavorable phase angle; as a result it is hard to see when "favorable"
and occasionally bright when it is supposedly nearly invisible). STS
orbiters have the shiny payload doors. Mir has a flock of solar panels at
various (inoperative?) angles and lots of long tubes. The Lacrosses
emit(?) visible light described as red or yellow. UARS could be glinting
off its long boom or one of its large surfaces. USA 32 and 81 sometimes
flash (glint?) rapidly in a manner inconsistent with a deployed,
stabilized, somewhat misdirected solar panel.
I'm not saying Bart and Jim's theory is wrong (or theories if they are
distinguished). I'm merely saying I haven't seen (any? many?) glints
that seem to be so caused, and I don't see a stream (any?) of such
observations from others.
Cheers.
Walter Nissen dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu