Re: Double Iridium Flares at the South Pole

From: Ed Cannon (ecannon@mail.utexas.edu)
Date: Sun May 15 2005 - 23:11:16 EDT

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    Tom Wagner quoted Dana from the South Pole:
    
    >I am seeing double flares. In fact I have been seeing 
    >double flares all day while walking my 3 miles to my 
    >outer buildings. There is the initial flare that looks 
    >like they usually do and then the satellite almost 
    >disappears for about 15 seconds and then it flares 
    >again, but slightly less intense.
    
    I definitely recommend that Dana get Iridflar if possible!
    
    I just made an Iridflar run for May 14-16 (three days,
    inclusive) for the South Pole, using -90 latitude, 
    longitude 0 (zero), and 3500 meters for its altitude.  
    I got more than 1000 flare predictions brighter than -1.  
    Many (if not most, if not all) of them are double flares, 
    with a right MMA flare being followed seconds later by a 
    solar panel flare (which Iridflar will predict if desired.)  
    The solar panel flares should be qualitatively different 
    from the MMA flare, due to the difference in the surfaces.
    
    This would be a sight to see, without a doubt!  Maybe 
    Dana and friends could make six-hour videotape for me to
    play in my VCR -- since I'm not qualified nor can afford
    to spend a winter (or even 24 hours) at the South Pole....
    
    Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexas.edu - Austin, Texas, USA
    
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