Re: Iridum next flare

From: John Locker via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2018 08:34:02 +0100
Hi Kevin

Not sure if Matt Desch , CEO of Iridium is a list member , but I'm sure he
will be delighted to know that the Next Gen spacecraft are creating flares
, especially if the flares can be predicted !

Best wishes

John

On Thu, Jul 5, 2018 at 5:01 AM, Astro Course via Seesat-l <
seesat-l_at_satobs.org> wrote:

> Kevin,
> Thank you for posting to YouTube your cool video of Iridium 156 flaring.
> As I am sure you know, the Iridium NEXT satellites are configured quite
> differently from the original Iridium satellites.
> My understanding is that instead of three flat Main Mission Antennas
> (MMAs) tilted downward 60 degrees from the bird's longitudinal axis (which
> itself is controlled to point along the local vertical), there is a single,
> smaller MMA antenna/surface on each Iridium NEXT satellite that is
> maintained so as to be perpendicular to the local vertical.
> Thus I speculate that this bright flare originated from the solar panels.
> This leads to my two questions:
>  1. Did you know in advance that Iridium 156 would flare on this orbital
> revolution, as seen from your observing location?
>  2. If so, could you provide the source of your predictions?
> Thanks again.
> Roger L. Mansfield
>
> P.S. Anyone else on the SeeSat list: please comment if you yourself can
> make Iridium NEXT flare predictions, or know of a source of Iridium NEXT
> flare predictions.
>       From: Kevin Fetter via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
>  To: Seesat List <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
>  Sent: Tuesday, July 3, 2018 9:52 PM
>  Subject: Iridum next flare
>
> Tonight, I got my confirmation, that a iridium next can flare up.
> Iridium 156 causing a nice light show.
> Kevin
>
> 43251
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> Iridium 156 giving a flare.
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Received on Thu Jul 05 2018 - 02:34:55 UTC

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