Re: Low, very bright and stable

From: Edward S Light (edlight@juno.com)
Date: Sun Sep 12 2004 - 10:42:45 EDT

  • Next message: Eddy Thompson: "SeaSat 1 unexpectedly bright."

    On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 08:47:52 -0400 "Ted Molczan" <molczan@rogers.com>
    wrote:
    ... stuff deleted ...
    > 
    > 98067AD was closest in time and observed elevation.
    > 
    > Both are small pieces of debris from the recent ISS EVA. Kevin Fetter
    has
    > observed several of them, and found 98067AD to be the brightest. 
    > Examining his video of it:
    > 
    > http://satobs.org/seesat/Sep-2004/0059.html
    > 
    > I estimate its standard magnitude at 9 (1000 km, 90 deg phase angle).
    > 
    > Its predicted magnitude was about 7 at the time of your observation, 
    > so for it to have been as bright as reported, it must have made a
    > specular reflection.
    > 
    ... stuff deleted ...
    
    I observed 28412/98-067AD ("ISS debris AD") on two different passes
    between 2004 Sep 06 - 11 UTC and in all cases, it seemed steady at
    apparent magnitudes from 4.9 to 5.4.  The corresponding "quicksat
    intrinsic magnitudes" averaged +6.3 +/- 0.1; using [Matson's]
    SkyMap program (which uses a Lambertian phase law), the corresponding
    "standard" magnitudes averaged +7.6 +/- 0.1.  (The three observations
    were at astronomical phases ranging from 64 to 29 degrees; for what
    it's worth, no hint of flashing was seen during the brief passes
    observed.) The IOD form of the observations:
    
    28412 98 067AD  0000 F 20040906091109000 18                      S+049 02
          
    28412 98 067AD  0000 F 20040911002321000 28                      S+054 02
          
    28412 98 067AD  0000 F 20040911002345000 28                      S+052 02
          
    
    ("0000" is a dummy station identifier, corresponding to the below
    coordinates.)
    
    Clear and dark skies!
       Ed Light
    
    Lakewood, NJ, USA
    N 40.1075, W 074.2312, +24 m (80 ft)
    
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