All: Yes, I noticed something "funny" going on as well. I was ready for the flashes this time, despite swatting 'skeeters and occasional cirrus clouds. I was trying to time the first few flashes, keying on the brighter flash as the "primary". However, after a couple of cycles I kept getting 23 second intervals between the "primary" and "secondary". Then in a clear patch of sky I was able to see the "sparkles" before and after the brighter flash. As Don mentioned, around 03:01 the brightness shifted to the "classic" primary. By 03:07 both flashes started to fade and the primary flash began to increase in duration. It also seemed to have a "double peak" for several cycles, and its duration crept up to about a second. The "sparkles" before the secondary flash seemed to remain at about the same brightness until the secondary disappeared altogether by about 03:13. I lost track of all traces of the satellite by 03:16. I plan to head out to my dark sky site tonight with my 14.5-inch 'scope. Hopefully I'll be able to see the satellite before the flashes start and monitor its brightness changes from beginning to end... Cheers, Geoff Chester USNO Public Affairs Office > -----Original Message----- > From: Mir16609@aol.com [mailto:Mir16609@aol.com] > Sent: Friday, June 23, 2000 00:08 > To: ppas@blackadder.lmsal.com; ecannon@mail.utexas.edu > Cc: mikem@fc.net; ROBERT.D.MATSON@saic.com; > chester.geoff@usno.navy.mil > Subject: 00-653 A > > > 00-653 A 00-06-23 03:09:23.2 JDG 954.2 0.3 39 24.47 +2.0->inv > > Interesting obs. > > In the beginning of the flash series (02:53:29 UTC; 23 June) > the flash after > the 23.xx second period was brighter. The brightness shifted > to the flash > after the 25.xx second flash at 03:01 UTC. As that bright > flash began to > fade, it seemed to have a more complex pattern. > > Cheers > Don Gardner 39.1799 N, 76.8406 W, 100m ASL > Homepage: http://hometown.aol.com/mir16609/ > ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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