FW: Geostationary Satellite flash

From: chester.geoff@usno.navy.mil
Date: Mon Dec 04 2000 - 12:35:36 PST

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    Anyone out there want to take a stab at this?  I figure that 18384/87084A
    was close to the described location.  Do we have any documentation of this
    bird as a flasher?  BTW Alexandria is 38.9 N, 77.01 W.
    
    Thanks...
    
    Geoff
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Dr Anthony Cook [mailto:tcook@nasm1.si.edu]
    Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 10:50
    To: chester.geoff@usno.navy.mil
    Subject: Geostationary Satellite flash
    
    
    Hi,
    
    Sean O'Brien of the planetarium suggested that I contact you
    regarding an optical flash that I observed just off the NW limb
    of the Moon at 00:28:56 Dec 03 2000 UTC. 
    
    I was monitoring lunar Earthsine from Alexandria, VA, when to
    my suprise I picked up a flash in the telescope (recorded on video)
    It lasted over a second and ramped up, peaked, and then down in
    brightness. As I have yet to detect any movement - near-earth
    satellites or aircraft can probably be ruled out - so I was
    wondering whether it could be sun-glint from a geostationary
    satellite or some satellite in some really elliptical orbit.
    
    Any help you can give would be gratefully welcomed. I can
    provide more details if needed.
    
    regards
    
    Tony Cook
    
    
    -- 
    Dr Anthony C. Cook,  Center for Earth and Planetary Studies,
    National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, 
    Washington D.C. 20560-0315.  
    Fax. (USA) 202 786 2566     	 Tel. (USA) 202 633 9748
    
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