long triple Iridial glint
Walter Nissen (dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu)
Tue, 21 Jul 1998 19:49:28 -0400 (EDT)
OBS:
Ir 23 mag 1? glint 19980721 40149.15 unseen before glint
mag 1? glint 19980721 40158.56
mag 1? glint 19980721 40220.65
sudden drop to 19980721 40229.71 later mag 5?
mag 4 or 5
Flat maxima, PPAS code: M, are quite difficult to judge, but these were
more difficult than usual. The drops between the first 3 events were only
maybe 1/2 magnitude. The general impression, with my expectation fueled
by previous experiences of briefer glints, was that it just went on and on
for a very long time.
Even when objects are quite bright and I am using binoculars, I have
developed the habit of using averted vision to locate the flat M maxima.
I place the object on the most sensitive, rod-rich area of my retina just
above the relatively light-insensitive fovea. This places the object just
below the very slightly whitish, central, foveal spot in my field of
vision. One reason this is the most sensitive area may be that the eye is
accustomed to a bright field above (sky) and darker field below (ground).
I feel this technique gives me a more accurate idea of the time of the
maximum. Even using this sensitive technique, I had some difficulty
discerning the 3 maxima. Though, I would nevertheless say they were quite
definite.
Another OBS, for a tumbler:
84-123 A 98-07-21 3:37: 2.8 WN 27.2 .8 4 6.81 AA', NOAA 9, mag 3 or 4
I think I am using the most recent version of IRIDFLAR available for
pre-386 hardware
IRIDFLAR EXE 123571 19971201 1928
Occasionally, the 3 lines of its output are not in chronological order, as
seen below. If I pay little attention to this nit, I see great glints.
Cheers.
Walter Nissen dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu
-81.8637, 41.3735, 256m elevation
---
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood
and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the
endless immensity of the sea." -- Antoine de Saint Exupery
---
Latitude: 41.37350 Longitude: -81.86370 Altitude: 256.0 m
Time Zone: UTC +0.0 h
Iridium Coordinates Range Sat Solar Peak Std Maximum Flare
Ir Date Time Azm El RA Decl (km) N Ill Azm Elev M FlrAng Mag Mag Mag Latitude Longitude
23 98- 7-21 4:01:59.5 243 21 14h44 -4.9 1688.7 A Lit 336 -24.0 F 2.27 2.6 -6.8 1.2 40.8168 -83.6239
23 98- 7-21 4:01:57.0 242 21 14h45 -5.4 1697.9 A Lit 336 -24.0 F 2.23 2.6 -6.8 1.1 40.7151 -83.6004
23 98- 7-21 4:02:06.0 244 22 14h42 -3.6 1664.8 A Lit 336 -24.0 F 2.61 2.9 -6.9 1.5 41.0878 -83.6832
reformatted to conform to my oneline QuickSat output:
H M S TIM AL AZI C U MAG SHD RNG R A DEC
4 01 59 ? 21 243 A 2.6 1688 1444 -4.9 Iridium 23 -24
24906 4 01 57 ? 21 242 A 2.6 1697 1445 -5.4 Iridium 23 -24 r
4 02 06 ? 22 244 A 2.9 1664 1442 -3.6 Iridium 23 -24
For predictions, from OIG:
IRIDIUM 23
1 24906U 97043D 98201.18459896 +.00000056 +00000-0 +12883-4 0 02208
2 24906 086.3974 261.5466 0003051 065.4938 294.6570 14.34217138047844
Later elsets from OIG, some for recent OBS:
IRIDIUM 75
1 25346U 98032E 98201.11201406 +.00000284 +00000-0 +54863-4 0 00598
2 25346 086.5475 229.8882 0003977 062.8529 297.3080 14.59809177009238
IRIDIUM 71
1 25320U 98026B 98201.19093201 +.00000748 +00000-0 +26012-3 0 00783
2 25320 086.3983 261.5144 0001512 029.2263 330.9010 14.34219868011348
IRIDIUM 66
1 25289U 98021E 98201.15582136 -.00000070 +00000-0 -32223-4 0 01253
2 25289 086.3978 229.9632 0009366 078.9165 281.3083 14.34215494015022
IRIDIUM 65
1 25288U 98021D 98201.14946007 -.00000142 +00000-0 -57610-4 0 00764
2 25288 086.4011 229.9790 0002462 044.2118 315.9273 14.34217051015025
IRIDIUM 45
1 25104U 97082A 98201.13385387 +.00000000 +00000-0 -68870-5 0 01443
2 25104 086.4003 261.5548 0002517 011.3901 348.7350 14.34217239030375
IRIDIUM 24
1 24905U 97043C 98201.14020146 +.00000053 +00000-0 +11911-4 0 01965
2 24905 086.3996 261.5393 0002449 056.1774 303.9666 14.34216990047835
IRIDIUM 23
1 24906U 97043D 98202.16135868 +.00000043 +00000-0 +81510-5 0 02285
2 24906 086.3974 261.1387 0003069 062.9422 297.2079 14.34217059047981