RE: SATOBS ML (remote), 10 June 2014: Prowler (flared!)

From: Derek C Breit via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 07:42:58 -0700
Every time I have seen Prowler, it has "flared".. Not Brightly, but it has always been 'unsteady", like a heartbeat.. And I always
have seen it in the early evening, i.e. near a 90 degree phase angle.. Give or take.. 

My use of the word "flare" is just in keeping with the subject line.. I've near seen Prowler brighter than mag 10 or 11.. but it is
these brightness peaks that let me measure it reliably. Otherwise, it is usually nearly impossible to find in a 1/60s still image,
even though it is readily visible with the video in motion.. 

Derek

-----Original Message-----
From: Seesat-l [mailto:seesat-l-bounces+breit_ideas=poyntsource.com_at_satobs.org] On Behalf Of Allen Thomson via Seesat-l
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 12:19 PM
To: marco.langbroek_at_online.nl; satelliet lijst (SeeSat); Ted Molczan; Pierre Neirinck; Bram Dorreman; Greg Roberts; Philip Masding;
Scott Campbell
Subject: Re: SATOBS ML (remote), 10 June 2014: Prowler (flared!)

It would be of interest to follow Prowler's flaring.  While there's a lot of supposition and speculation involved, Prowler, like
LES-8, is thought to have been optically stealthy during its operational life, probably just by hiding behind a suitably oriented
mirror. "Suitably oriented" means that the line of sight from a terrestrial observer would have been sent off into deep, dark
space.  But once the operational period had passed and control over orientation was lost, the mirror might occasionally show that
terrestrial observer something brighter. That might be the moon, the sun, the earth itself or something else.  Some modeling of the
geometries involved  might provide insights into the possibilities. 




On Tuesday, June 10, 2014 1:54 PM, Marco Langbroek via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org> wrote:
 

>
>
>
>90007 90 097E   8438 G 20140610092410472 17 75 1724138-207956 56
>90007 90 097E   8438 G 20140610092420419 17 75 1724242-208011 56
>90007 90 097E   8438 G 20140610092450419 17 75 1724549-208150 56
>90007 90 097E   8438 G 20140610092500041 17 75 1725055-208193 56
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>0.61-meter F/10 Cassegrain + CCD + Astrometrica software + UCAC4
>Sierra Stars Obs. (MPC G68), Markleeberg, California, USA,
>38.8108 N, 119.7750 W, 1545 m
>What these numbers mean: http://www.satobs.org/position/IODformat.html
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>Prowler flared in the 3rd of 3 images, the first time I have seen her do that.
>
>Approximate positions of this flare:
>
>begin    RA 17 25 24.73  DEC -20 49 41.7
>maximum  RA 17 25 26.15  DEC -20 49 45.2
>end      RA 17 25 27.36  DEC -20 49 45.6
>
>Extrapolation from the measured timed positions above, gives the following 
>approximate times for the flare:
>
>begin      09:25:23.9  (UT, 10 June)
>maximum    09:25:25.3  (UT, 10 June)
>end        09:25:26.5  (UT, 10 June)
>
>So about 2.5 seconds duration.
>
>Will post images later.
>
>- Marco
>
>
>-----
>Dr Marco Langbroek  -  SatTrackCam Leiden, the Netherlands.
>e-mail: sattrackcam_at_langbroek.org
>
>Cospar 4353 (Leiden):   52.15412 N, 4.49081 E (WGS84), +0 m ASL
>Cospar 4354 (De Wilck): 52.11685 N, 4.56016 E (WGS84), -2 m ASL
>SatTrackCam: http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek/satcam.html
>Station (b)log: http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com
>Twitter: @Marco_Langbroek
>PGP key: http://tinyurl.com/kur7xm8
>-----
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Received on Fri Jun 13 2014 - 09:44:01 UTC

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