[vsnet-chat 1872] (fwd) Re: (fwd) query from chris adamson

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

(fwd) Re: [vsnet-chat 1870] (fwd) query from chris adamson

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 03:36:19 -0400
From: Charles Scovil <cescovil@snet.net>
Subject: Re: [vsnet-chat 1870] (fwd) query from chris adamson

> Forwarded query from Chris Adamson:
>
> From: "chris adamson" <adamsonfamily@home.com>
> Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:35:35 -0600
> Subject: question
>
> Okay, believe it or not...
> About 10:45pm tonight 5/10/99 (USA Mountain Standard Time) I step
> outside to
> begin viewing through my binoculars, only out for a couple minutes,
> eyes
> nowhere near dark adapted.  I look up at the Big Dipper, about a few
> degrees
> out from Alpha Ursea (Dubhe), 2-3 degrees heading towards Polaris, I
> see a
> very bright object (I would estimate -1 or so); stationary, bright and
>
> seemingly very out of place.  In fact, it looked like Venus (in
> magnitude);
> but new though I am, I knew this would not be located there.  As I
> looked
> and wondered for probably less than a minute (I had no idea how long
> it had
> been there), it began to dim and disappeared in a 10 second or so time
>
> frame.  Note it did NOT move, it simply faded. Very strange.  This was
> all
> with naked eye; as I had not actually taken my binoculars out of there
> case.
> I checked my star atlas and Burnham's and did not see any variables
> that
> would get nearly this bright.  Any idea how to check up on these type
> of
> things (what could it have been) or who to report things to?  I have
> only
> been at this for about 8 weeks, but I was not seeing things.  Any
> other
> reports?  Any ideas?
> Thanks,
> Chris Adamson

This sounds like a slightly a-typical flare of one of the IRIDIUM
satellites.  I have seen many of them.  They range in brightness from
about 0 magnitude to minus 8!!!  Now that is BRIGHT!  It makes Venus
look dim.  You can check on what to expect in any area of the world at
the URL:
gsoc.dlr.de/satvis
They have a list of some 1.5 million places on earth, or you can enter
your exact Lat & Long.
Charles Scovil, AAVSO

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