Re: ASTRO-D glint?

Ed Cannon (ecannon@mail.utexas.edu)
Wed, 30 Dec 1998 00:21:49 -0600

Rob Matson (ROBERT.D.MATSON@cpmx.saic.com) wrote:

> Mon, 28 Dec 1998 13:28:30 -0800
> 
> Has anyone ever observed a bright glint from ASTRO-D (#22521)?

Under another subject, I reported a +0 phenomenon from that one
(which I discovered back then is officially -- in some places at 
least -- called "ASCA") in the last paragraph of this message:

  http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/Aug-1997/0411.html

> Monday night also saw a bright 1-second flash from "ASCA" (93-11A,
> 22521 -- The Satellite Formerly Known As Astro-D according to 
> http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/asca/asca2.html and other sites) 
> near its culmination at alt 78 degrees.  It may have been as bright 
> as nearby mag. 0 Vega.  Predicted mag. was 3.3-3.4 ....

I think I've seen it do that another time or two, but I don't 
think that any of them was brighter than possibly -1.

Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexas.edu - Austin, Texas, USA