> > Iridium Flare can be seen? As far as I can remember, > > I've never seen one with an altitude greater than > > about 45 degrees. Presumably the geometry of the > > reflections off the satellite's panels limit this. > If I remember correctly, the MMAs are tilted 40 degrees from the vertical. In that case, the Sun must be 10 degrees above horizon to give a flare from zenith. From the forward MMA, this means in winter far north (or south) on a descending leg near noon, or near midnight in arctic summer on an ascending leg. For the left MMA, evenings "anywhere" ascending, or mornings descending, and v.v. > > > Would this be different for a tumbling Iridium sat? > Yes, since they can point in "any" angle they can flash in the zenith at night. > ... > > QUICKSAT and Sky Map are the best. > http://www.satobs.org/orbsoft.html and ... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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