[vsnet-chat 1875] Re: (fwd) Re: (fwd) query from chris adamson

[Robert Warren Brown <rwb0006@jove.acs.unt.edu>]

Hello,
I reported the same type of flare about a month ago on this service.  It
was located in the same area of sky.  I was informed that iridium
satellites are in low earth orbit and are apparently moving quickly across
the sky.  What I witnessed was stationary and apparently what Chris
Anderson saw was also stationary.
Robert W. Brown




 On Tue, 11 May 1999, Taichi Kato wrote:

> (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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