Iridium 20 flare

VideoCosmos (icosmos@dol.ru)
Tue, 2 Dec 1997 19:02:20 +0300 (MSK)

Hi all,

I know that Iridium flares aren't hot topic this day but it's difficult to
resist
to report one's first flare.

Observed Iridium 20 flare at Dec.2 at approx. 13:49:20 UTC naked eye
 from Moscow, Russia. The iridflar prediction for 55.635N, 37.474E was:

20 97-12- 2 16:49:05.0 292 28 15h04  34.8 1435.3 D Lit  -5.6  4.34  2.8
56.5220   38.2407
20 97-12- 2 16:49:24.1 285 28 15h26  31.5 1420.0 D Lit  -5.7  0.41 -3.2
55.5845   37.8084
20 97-12- 2 16:49:45.0 278 29 15h49  27.6 1417.7 D Lit  -5.7  4.81  3.3
54.5533   37.3719

Actually I was in my office somewhat 15 km NE. I found that I was looking to
the wrong
direction when I spotted the flare by side view! Magnitude seen was probably
-3 to -4,
the flare faded out in several (10?) seconds.

Clear skies,
Igor Lissov