Very Bright Object Sighted
Hedgepet@stihl.de
Mon, 8 Feb 1999 20:31:26 +0100
Everyone,
On Friday evening (2/5) I watched a very bright object (magnitude -2 to
-4?) "set" in the south from my location (36.7653N 76.2178W, 6m elevation).
The object caught my eye as I watched another satellite transit from W to E.
When I first saw it, it was at an elevation of about 30° - 40° and azimuth
nearly due south. As I watched the object moved slowly and deliberately
south and remained very bright, though dimming as time passed until it
finally disappeared below about 10° elevation at 18:36:40 (UTC minus 5) and
I couldn't see it anymore. I am very comfortable with the accuracy of the
time as I had set my watch against my GPS receiver just an hour before.
Whatever it was, it did not appear on my list of visible satellite passes
for Feb 5 I printed out from the DLR/GSOC website nor on my earth satellite
ephemeris for that date.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I thought it might have been an Iridium
flare, but it lasted 2 or 3 minutes...
I am puzzled.
Also, on Saturday evening (2/6) I observed either a meteorite re-entry or
perhaps a satellite reentry. The object appeared to move from the zenith
towards the NW and only lasted about a second, but was very bright). Any
suggestions?
Troy E. Hedgepeth
36.7653N 76.2178W, 6m