Ted Molczan quoted: "looking at one moving light in a randomly dotted black sky, the brain constantly tries to produce these patterns but fails. What are thought to be oscillations in the satellite's path are really the unconscious workings of the mind trying to make sense out of an unfamiliar visual environment. The result is, in effect, an optical illusion." I see the effect more pronounced with the ISS is a brightly twilit sky, with few or no stars to dot the patterns. And I would say the effect is strongly influenced by brightness and speed - ie "slower" satellites barely discernable to the naked eye like a NOSS formation seem to move smoother than ISS or a low flying fast Cosmos rocket. The H-2A r/b (#27700) to me is the jerkiest object I've seen, on a fast, bright pass, seen with the naked eye. However, I agree it is an illusion; and I've never noticed it using optical aid. Brad Young TULSA 1 COSPAR 8336 36.1397N, 95.9838W, 205m ASL ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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