At 17:45 25/09/01 , Atul Sowani wrote: >Dear list, > >Is it possible to see satellite flares >or flashes because of moon (or moonlight)? I was thinking >over this for few days and I don't see why they (the >flares/flashes) shouldn't occur. Atul, Iridium moon flares have been observed( reaasonably rarely). As Leo says in another reply search the archive. Given that you have to be looking when the nearly full Moon is above or nearly above your horizon, and the 13-14 magnitude difference in brightness of the Sun and Moon, they are telescopic objects, maximum expected magnitude 6 or 7. For other satellites whose specular reflections can't be predicted the difficulty multiply quite naturally. I dont think there are ANY reports of lunar "flares" from other satellites. Given that the brightest solar relections from other satellites reported have not exceeded mag -4 ( please correct me if am wrong) any accidentally observed lunar glints might reach mag +10 . Tony Beresford ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Sep 25 2001 - 05:08:22 EDT