Theoretically, flares could provide accurate information аbout the satellite attitude, but from the pictures I can't spot any flat surface that could give bright flares. However, if someone of you is aware of some parts that could flare and knows how the spacecraft's attitude control is supposed to work, I can try to code the model in my program. Yesterday I observed a 74 degree pass. It was orange at about magnitude 1. After culmination I also noticed a rapid brightness decrease. http://www.satflare.com/track.php?q=phobos Regards, Simone >----Messaggio originale---- >Da: ronlee@pcisys.net >Data: 27-nov-2011 3.49 >A: <seesat-l@satobs.org> >Ogg: Phobos Grunt attitude based upon visual observations > >Since Derek Breit provided a picture of the spacecraft that explained the color, I am wondering if the attitude may be inferred from the visual magnitude during a pass. In particular, the 87 degree pass I observed a few days ago did show a significant brightness decrease at some point after culmination. > >Assuming that the spacecraft would have been in some inertial attitude for the planned burns over South America, if it remained in the same attitude since the observed magnitude might be different than if some part of the spacecraft always faces to the nadir (Earth). > > > >___________________________________ >Sent using PCI Broadband webmail > > > >_______________________________________________ >Seesat-l mailing list >http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l > _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
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