TDF-1 geo flasher

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message: Allen Thomson: "Decayed objects returned to life"
• Previous message: Matson, Robert: "#08910 decayed?"

Hi All,

Finally got a chance to look for the TDF-1 GEO flasher (#19621)
Sunday evening (Aug 22) from Newport Coast, CA.  The gibbous
moon was not far away; fortunately TDF-1's flashes were plenty
bright -- at least magnitude +2.

Since I didn't see the beginning of the sequence, I don't when
the center of the flash window was.  Flashes were visible from
22:40 PDT (5:40 UT, 23 August) until at least 22:55.  Some of
the brightest occurred from 22:45 to 22:49.  The basic period
seems to be about 29.666 (+/- .003) seconds, though equally
bright flashes are seen on the half-period.

When I first acquired TDF-1, it was doing "double flashes" at
each half-period.  The double flashes were about 1/4 second
apart.  Later on, the doubles reduced to singles.  So while
this satellite is similar to Superbird A (#20040) in terms
of approximate period and flash brightness, its flashes are
more complicated.

PPAS report for TDF-1 (19621, 88098A):


88- 98A 99-08-23 05:52  RM 237.33 0.05 16 29.666 mag +2 -> inv

• Next message: Allen Thomson: "Decayed objects returned to life"
• Previous message: Matson, Robert: "#08910 decayed?"