Horizon Limit

Jonathan Wojack (j_wojack@hotmail.com)
Sun, 09 Aug 1998 11:53:59 PDT

>Walter,
>	I agree with your assessment.  Now that I have seen
>a flare at 12 degrees I have started searching as low as 5
>degrees (my local horizon limit) for flares.
>				Randy
>
>Walter said...
>As you can see by looking at the details below, I've been following
>these 
>glints to lower and lower altitudes.  I would like to question the
>default 
>limit for altitude provided by glint prediction programs (IRIDFLAR,
>Randy 
>John's program, GSOC, and any others).  1 or 2 degrees is probably 
>reasonable.  Individual observers will want to adjust that upward as 
>required by local conditions, but bright glints are visible at very low 
>altitudes.  I would believe a fractional altitude, i.e., less than 1 
>degree, is possible.  In DC, in the summer, the Sun sometimes 
disappears
>
>at 20 or even 30 degrees altitude.  Typical urban or even suburban 
>environments can make observing at low altitude difficult.  We don't
>want 
>to frustrate newbies, but observers with good horizons shouldn't be
>denied 
>bright glints. 
>
>

My horizonal limits are bad--
40 degrees N
5-10 degrees E, 5 degrees wide section
5-15 degrees SE, 5-10 degrees wide section
30-35 degrees S

Everything else is about 20-25 degrees.  On most satellite passes, I 
lose the satellite 30 seconds to a minute before it goes into the 
Earth's shadow.  My question is, is this O.K.?  I can see most of all 
the satellites that pass by, but I cannot see most of them fade out.  I 
haven't even tried for any Iridiums yet.  They are so low!

Jonathan
j_wojack@hotmail.com


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