Very low Iridium flares

From: Ed Cannon (ecannon@mail.utexas.edu)
Date: Wed Jun 05 2002 - 03:26:27 EDT


(I'm sending this just in case some folks don't know about
Iridium flares very low in the sky.)  The last several 
nights I've had some bright flares predicted as low as 
four degrees above the horizon.  Mike McCants and I have 
been able to see most of them through a "notch" in the NE 
horizon of the BCRC site.  (Last night was pretty cloudy,
so from the park near my apartment I just saw one -- 
predicted -6 through clouds -- all the way up at 12 degrees 
above the horizon.)  At least one that we saw that was only 
about six degrees up, I believe, was a solid -4 magnitude.  
Rob Matson's Iridflar will predict flares that low in the 
sky.  Obviously you have to have an unobstructed horizon 
and clear weather to see these very low ones!

Also managed to see some Superbird A flashes through the 
cirrus cloud layer last night.

The NOSS 2-3 triangle passes have been bright every night
lately, but only one night has been clear enough at the 
time of the pass to see them easily without binoculars.  

Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexas.edu - Austin, Texas, USA

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