Help with identifying a flasher

From: Geoff Nelson (gjnelson@absamail.co.za)
Date: Tue May 18 2004 - 02:24:51 EDT

  • Next message: Ted Molczan: "RE: Help with identifying a flasher"

    Hello
    
    I would like some help with identifying a flashing satellite I saw 
    this morning.
    
    Observing position 29.7 S 30.8 E
    Altitude 550 m
    Time 5:23 SAST ( south african standard time, I can never remember if 
    that is UT-2 or UT+2)
    
    Satellite observed at about AZ 250 alt 30 dir 190
    
    It came very close to theta lupus if I have my star id correct. It 
    had passed between alpha and tau scorpio. Please use this to confirm 
    my alt az and dir as I may have got it wrong. Still pretty mucha 
    beginner but getting better at astimating alt and az.
    
    I saw one bright -2 magnitude flash that's what caught my eye. then I 
    followed the sat visually for about 2 minutes and it brightened and 
    dimmed a couple of times before I lost it behind some trees. I 
    estimate the magnitude as vary from -4 to 0 during the subsequent obs 
    there was nothing as bright as the first flash. I was on  my way out 
    for a run so I was not planning to observe but the sky was really 
    nice and I looked up. I was initially really excited as I thought I 
    had seen my first iridium flare but I cannot find a match using 
    iridflar. I also cannot find a satellite using quicksat and 
    mccants.tle. My tle's are about a week old. 
    
    Can someone please help with the id for me.
    
    Kind regards
    
    Geoff
    
    
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