Re: geo sat's to internal power = time for geo sat flare's

From: Brad Young (allenb_young@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 31 2008 - 21:10:35 UTC

  • Next message: Ralph McConahy: "Re: geo sats to internal power = time for geo sat flares"

    Paul,
     
    I don't know if anyone else answered, but what Kevin meant was that they are going near the shadow. You are right - if they were in the shadow they would be dark. Their solar panels or concentrators are the reason they flare up, and they do so near the equinoxes (both March and September) because that's the best geometry for reflecting back to earth. I find this behavior really cool, see:
     
    http://www.satobs.org/geosats.html
     
    http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Oct-2007/0059.html
     
    http://www..satobs.org/seesat/Nov-2007/0027.html
     
    They are easy to pick out if you know where to look and have binoculars or a telescope (no guiding required). Seeing them with naked eye is a bit harder only because the stars don't drift by them as quickly, but if you have a star chart it can be easy to identify also.
    
    There's lots more info out there if you're interested, especially from Jeff Umbarger and Bjorn Gimle. Look at the old posts on satobs.org.
    
    
    TULSA1:
    COSPAR 8336 +36.1397, -95.9838, 201 m
    
    
    
    ----- Original Message ----
    > From: Paul Bridges <bridges_paul@yahoo.com>
    > To: SeeSat-L@satobs.org
    > Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 3:43:15 PM
    > Subject: Re: geo sat's to internal power = time for geo sat flare's
    > 
    > I hope I'm not the only ignoramus here.
    > 
    > If someone has a moment, could you explain, either on or off the list, 
    > why going into the earth's shadow
    > would make geosats flare?  It seems like they would go dark at that time.
    > And why just this time of the year?
    > Is it antennas causing the flare like with Iridiums?
    > Is "spectacular flaring" a relative description?  It's hard to think 
    > they'd be very bright that far away.
    > 
    > Is there a web page that could clear this up for me?
    > 
    > Thanks in advance.
    > 
    > Paul
    > 
    > 
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