Re: COSMO-SkyMed 4 flare

From: Bram Dorreman (bram.dorreman@gmail.com)
Date: Fri Feb 11 2011 - 02:05:21 UTC

  • Next message: Brad Young: "BY Obs Feb 11"

    George Kristiansen wrote:
    This is my first submission to the Seesat list. I recently observed a
    bright and extensive flare from COSMO-SkyMed 4, which is a lesser
    known source of bright satellite flares. Here are the details:
    
    Location: 53.4N, -0.7W
    Magnitude: -1.7
    Duration: ~20 seconds
    Time: 18:50:20UTC, 8 Feb 2011
    
    Hi George,
    You will see more of these flares at about the same time when a Skymed
    is there. Last year I was and still am cooperating with a
    meteor-observer. He makes all-sky-records in order to get bright
    traces from meteors. All records on which presumable bright satellite
    tracks appear are sent to me. Until 2011-01-11 I was able to identify
    more than 200 satellites. Surprise: 25 of them were Skymeds.
    When they have a transit at about 18:20 UT they flare brightly to about -1.5.
    
    Your observation location is about 6 degrees to the west and a bit to
    the north. I expect your flare time will be about 25 minutes later.
    If a Skymed is there, 18:20 + 0:25 = 18:45.
    
    I have not yet got the time the analyse those flare photographs more
    thorough. And compare them with my own naked eye observations.  I hope
    to write more about it within a couple of weeks.
    
    As the Skymed orbits are Sun synchronous the place of those flares
    does not change much. A better mathematician than I am will certainly
    find an algorithm to derive a relation between observer's, satellite
    and sun's location.
    
    More to follow.
    Happy observing.
    
    Site 4160: 51.27931 N, 5.47683 E (WGS84), 35 m
    Bram Dorreman
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