Re: NOAA 15, ETS 6, Cosmos 2228, SPOT 3?, Irid 11A

Mir16609@aol.com
Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:05:56 EDT

In a message dated 4/16/99 04:48:07 PM EDT, b_gimle@algonet.se writes:

> 
>  Well, I'm not in the southern hemisphere, and it's not January,
>  but I accidentally found it flashing wildly and irregularly.
>  Average period 3.5 seconds, but some intervals around 2 sec.
>  Best flash about -3m at 19:24:24 UT, next good one (+0m?)
>  at 19:24:40

"Wildly" is a very good description.  I've made several obs of Spot 3 over 
the past few weeks.  On the evening of 12 April (circa 01:30 UTC 13 April) 
the primary flashes were still about 13 seconds apart but there were regular 
secondary flashes.  Two just before the main flash, one abot 6 secs after the 
main flash.  It was a relatively low elevation pass in the NE sky.

On the evening of 14 April (at 02:39 UTC 15 April) the main flash seemed to 
increase in brightness slowly, then suddenly flash.  This was a high 
elevation pass (340az, 60el) descending to the horizon.   

Spot 3 is definitely an interesting object for the Northern hemisphere 
observers to see this summer.

Cheers
Don Gardner  39.1796 N, 76.8419 W, 34m ASL
Homepage: http://hometown.aol.com/mir16609/
Space Day - 6 May 1999; http://www.spaceday.com/