HST -- 2 flares in one pass

Ed Cannon (ecannon@mail.utexas.edu)
Fri, 18 Apr 1997 02:28:16 -0500

I continued watching HST, noting it would go pretty near the Moon and 
Mars, a nice view.  After some seconds it began to brighten again, and 
flared again to mag. -2 or brighter (much brighter than Mars, which was 
nearby).  Due to its proximity to the Moon and Mars, I was able to note 
closely its location and remember it so that I could check it out on my 
astronomy program when I got home.  Now I can say that the second flare 
occurred within a degree or so of alt. 52 at 127 azi. at about 1:42:15 
UT, about 6 deg. mostly right (west) of Mars and 8 deg. mostly down 
(south) of the Moon.

These two flares were between 60 and 75 seconds apart, on either side 
of culmination.  HST traveled about 60 to 65 degrees in azimuth during
that time.  So I'm trying to figure out if I got two ends of one long
reflection, where near culmination the reflected beam was north or 
south of me, or if I saw two separate reflections.  I guess I tend to
think that I saw two parts of a continuous phenomenon.

After that, the clouds gradually thickened, and I was not able to observe 
any other satellite.  While walking home, I could see only the Moon and 
Mars.

Ed Cannon
Austin, Texas, USA
30.308N, 97.728W