Greetings Group: With clear skies finally allowing visual observing of the Iridium 33 fragments, last nights sights were awsome. I used a 12.5" F/6 newtonian reflector @49x, a 1.1 degree field to enjoy their super speed and rotation. I observed 33775 cut through the field like a razor thin meteor, with two maximums and two minumums in rotation in just 2 seconds. Peaking at around 10th magnitude to completely invisible in a flash. Two quick blinks and then gone! WOW! Just 9 minutes later I observed 33774 just 32 minutes from Pollux which was much easier. This was completly visible crossing the entire field reaching 3 maximums and 2 minumums before leaving the field of view. It was much wider and brighter then 33775, perhaps a 7th to 9th magnitude object. An hour later held the faintest object of the night, 33773. This was hampered by haze and very low, but still quite the sight to top off the night. Again I observed two maximums. Observers with telescopes with fields of view from 1-2 degrees will delight in these objects and are not to be missed. Predicted clear skies might find more of these in the eyepiece tonight. Lawrence Garrett ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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