sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer) said: >Those of you reading the newsgroup "sci.astronomy.amateur" may have >seen a recent posting by Greg Granville at Penn State University, >describing a brilliant flash apparently from a geosynchronous >flashing satellite, reaching an estimated Magnitude of ONE!!! <snip> >However, if we assume that the sighting occurred earlier, approximately >19:10 - 19:15, then Skymap places the DRIFTING geosynchronous >satellite Anik D1 (Norad nr 13431) about 40 arc-minutes north >of the Trapezium!! (My TVRO elements are a few weeks old, but I >don't think they change as quickly as objects in lower orbit). As a rule keps for higher altitude stable orbiting satellites tend to remain stable because of less effects from the atmosphere and the Earth's irregularities. Anik D1 is a Hughes HS-376 spinner. It's about 7' (2.16 meters) in diameter, and 21' (6.62 meters) tall in orbit. Since it's a relatively small satellite, and a spin stabilized satellite, I would doubt that there would be much differences in its brightness as it spins, and strongly doubt that it could reach a magnitude of one. As a guess - if it is a geosynchrnous flasher, then it's likely to be an international satellite (e.g. a Gorizont) or a satellite which may or may not exist (e.g. NRO). If you can give an estimate of the longitude of the satellite in the geosync belt, then I could look at the satellites in that area, and which ones could be logical choices for flashers (large satellites with extended solar arrays). Philip Chien, KC4YER Earth News - space writer and consultant note new E-mail address - pchien@digital.net