Is Superbird's Rotation Rate Decreasing?

Jim Varney (jvarney@mail2.quiknet.com)
Mon, 07 Oct 1996 22:40:28 -0700

I have now made 6 nights' worth of Superbird A flash period observations.
This consists of 197 timings spanning a total of 38.5 minutes of
observing time.

The average flash period based on these obs is 11.6982 seconds.

There seems to be a trend towards an increase in flash period, but
will need more obs to confirm.  Each night's measured period, based
on no fewer than 31 observations per night:

Date(UT)  Period(sec)
 --        ---
9/29      11.6964
10/3      11.6965
10/4      11.6971
10/6      11.6948
10/7      11.7000
10/8      11.7045

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Jim Varney       | 121^ 23' 54" W,  38^ 27' 28" N   |           Sacramento, CA
Member, SeeSat-L |           Elev. 31 ft.           |                         
Member, Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society      |jvarney@mail2.quiknet.com
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