Iridium 27 Strobe Obs. & TRMM
JRBURCA (JRBURCA@aol.com)
Tue, 6 Jan 1998 10:22:46 EST
Iridium 27 culminating Az. 275 El. 20 @ 14:20 UTC (6:20 AM local)
06-Jan.-1998. This was my first observation of the Iridium 27 strober.
I first stepped out the front door when my STS Plus program indicated
that it was very low approx. due NW. As soon as I stepped out I saw
a flash at the expected spot. Then I walked to a better spot because
of a tree. When it was approx. due west I saw the second flash, then
another maybe 1-3 sec. later. Then when it got roughly Az. 250 (?),
another flash followed by another again maybe 1-3 sec. later. Then
when it was roughly Az. 230 (?), a single flash. The duration of the
flashes was very short but the magnitude was plenty to see easily with
the unaided eye, maybe -1 to -2. The early stage of twilight had started
and there were some thin cirrus in the western sky. After the last flash,
its path was taking it behind trees so I saw no more. All observation
was with the unaided eye.
Without the benefit of reading about Jari's discovery of the Iridium 27
strobing, probably, I would have dismissed it as another distant airplane,
but may have wondered why the strobe wasn't cyclical.
.
Earlier around 13:46 UTC, I had observed TRMM approx. 30 degrees
(culmination) above the southern horizon. It was naked eye visible but
not so bright. It became invisible to the unaided eye as it got past approx.
Az. 150-160 in its generally west-to-east path.
Jake Rees
Burbank, Calif., USA