Re: Double flare from Iridium 9

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G'day all,
 
ROB MATSON wrote:
 
> Chris Wyatt asked about a double-flare that he observed from Iridium 10.
> I tried using the coordinates and TLE he posted and assumed today's date (June 24) for his observation.  Iridium 10 was nowhere in the area.  I
> thought perhaps he had confused Iridium 9 with Iridium 10, and sure enough
> Iridium 9 (#24838) was predicted to flare to -6 at 8:37:57 UT (which I assume
> is 18:37:57 local time for him).
>
> Not sure what surface on Iridium 9 could have caused a second flare at
> 18:38:40 (when the satellite passed by Alpha TrA).  The sun-observer-satellite
> angle at that time was about 134 degrees, so for the glint to have been off a solar panel, that panel would have to have been tilted 23 degrees away from
> the sun.  --Rob
>
> TLE used:
>
> Iridium 9
> 1 24838U 97030C   98174.06126447 +.00000099 +00000-0 +28416-4 0 01853
> 2 24838 086.3964 007.6414 0004143 050.8004 309.3559 14.34219511053074
 
Thanks for the quick reply Rob. I did mention date & local time used for obs.
I used both GSOC & Iridiflar  for output, both giving Iridium 10 as the
satellite & same time & location. So I just cut & pasted element set for this
from Iridium.txt downloaded from Celestrak on Sunday June 21 local time. Must
be some confusion in this Iridium.txt file.
 
Chris Wyatt, Lat. 36.7764S, Long. 144.2411E, elev. 240m
 
May your 'Heavens Above' be always clear.

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