5918 flash obs Superbird A 20051118

From: b_gimle@algonet.se
Date: Fri Nov 18 2005 - 05:52:37 EST

  • Next message: Russell Eberst: "2005NOV17-18.OBS"

    I observed Superbird A flashes from town in moonlight this
    morning at RA 08:31.0-08:37.6 (2000, decl.+3.27, 03:32:51-03:39:19 
    UTC)
    
    Tried to see flashes from the 82.6-degree surface predicted
    about 50 minutes before the wellknown series with phase shift,
    which occurred about 03:37.
    
    Both flashes were seen 03:35:37-03:38:57. Due to binocular mag
    limit in moonlight at about +6.6(!) the ramp-ups and cut-offs of
    bright flashes were very sudden? Only one of the secondary
    flashes observed after the first series terminated!
    
    I tried twice to see the flashes naked eye, but didn't succeed,
    though I estimated them at mag +3 compared to eps/zeta Hyd.
    The flashes became invisible a little more than a minute before
    the star 1.5 degree W of eta Hyd was to pass right behind Superbird A.
    
    Allowing for somewhat larger latence on the first timings, I get
    a period of 22.170 s +- 0.005. I do not have 'Synodic' on this
    computer yet, after my disk crash, but I made a similar
    computation in an Excel file, containing all timings and a chart
    (unexpectedly consistent timings).
    www.algonet.se/~b_gimle/eurosom/Synodic.xls
    
    At about 3:35:19 Cosmos 158 r 67045B #02802 passed eps Hyd after
    crossing the binocular field as an "UNID" going in DIR=320 deg approx.
    
    SkyMap prediction for this, and the observed portion of
    Superbird track in www.algonet.se/~b_gimle/eurosom/11180332.gif.
    Note that I have a day old prediction for the flash path, moving
    -0:04 in RA daily.
    
    /Björn
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive:  
    http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Nov 18 2005 - 05:53:58 EST