USA 193 bright & flaring!

From: Marco Langbroek (marco.langbroek@wanadoo.nl)
Date: Thu Apr 05 2007 - 15:48:01 EDT

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    Just observed USA 193 (06-057A) making a 50 degree pass in the southwest. It was 
    bright again, about mag. +1.5 while crossing Gemini.
    
    The bonus however was that it briefly and conspicuously flared, a flare of about 
    1 second to mag. -1.5, with a distinct orange-yellow colour at 19:37:50 UTC. I 
    don't think I have seen mention of flare behaviour for this sat before (but I 
    could be wrong).
    
    Alas it did 10 seconds after my camera exposure ended. I do have a fine trail on 
    photograph though. Positions from it will follow later.
    
    Now I do know that it gets so bright on west-southwest passes (in other sky 
    directions it is invisible for me, in the sense of: too faint), I'll start to 
    regularly cover it during such passes.
    
    - Marco
    
    -----
    Dr Marco Langbroek  -  SatTrackCam Leiden, Cospar 4353
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