Re: Four Iridium flares in less than four minutes?

From: Rod Sladen (rodsladen@crosswinds.net)
Date: Thu Jan 11 2001 - 02:32:30 PST

  • Next message: Rod Sladen: "Re: Has OIG "lost" Iridium 84 ?"

    Ed Cannon wrote:
    
    > For the morning of Saturday, January 20, for the Austin area, 
    > Iridflar is predicting four Iridium flares within less than 
    > four minutes.  Three of them are among those with question 
    > marks as to their status.  I've seen Iridium 21 (25778, 
    > 99-032B) flare pretty much as predicted, but I'm not sure 
    > about Iridium 73 (25344, 98-032C) or Iridium 14 (25777, 
    > 99-032A).  Has anyone seen either of those flare as predicted 
    > recently?
    
    I have seen flares in the past few days from both Iridium 14 and Iridium 21.
     I suspect that Iridium 73 has failed and is probably slowly tumbling, so an
    observation (or non-observation) would be most valuable confirmation.
    
    Ed also has a opportunity for Iridium 73 on Saturday, January 13, which might
    give an earlier opportunity to check.
    
    Furthermore, Ed has opportunities for Iridium 2 on Friday, January 19 and Wednesday,
    January 24.  Iridium 2 is another that I suspect to have failed, so a non-observation
    or an observations of flashes would again be a valuable confirmation.
    
    For reference, I thank that the status of the spare Iridium satellites (as flagged
    by Mike McCants with "?") is as follows:
    
    Under control and likely to flare on time (but not necessarily to the magnitude
    predicted by Iridflar):
    51, 77, 82, 86, 20, 14, 21 
    Probaly out of control and tumbling: 69, 73, 2
    Unknown (!): 84 (see separate thread).
    (all identities are the current Spacecom versions!)
    
    
    
    
    -- 
    Rod Sladen, Beeston, Nottinghamshire, UK, 52.923N, 1.219W
    
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