Nanosail flashes (Re: Updated elements)

From: Marco Langbroek (marco.langbroek@wanadoo.nl)
Date: Thu May 26 2011 - 10:53:47 UTC

  • Next message: Marco Langbroek: "SATOBS ML (4353), 24 May 2011 (Pt. II): USA 161, USA 224"

    Op 25-5-2011 19:00, Ted Molczan schreef:
    
    > Bram, Marco, Ralf Vandebergh and Russell observed it on the same pass last night (May 24) between 23:21 and 23:24 UTC.
    > Marco reported that it initially flashed 1 to 3 times per second, but later in the pass it had a period of about 1.6 s:
    [...]
    > That is close to the 1.73 s that Bram reported.
    
    More exactly, in the later part of the pass (image 7, 23:23:42 - 23:23:52 UTC) 
    the flares were on average separated by 1.57s +/- 0.19s. This value is highly 
    influenced however by the first flash interval determination though which 
    appears somewhat anomalous to the rest of the series.
    
    If I drop the first one (marked * below) in that series which might be somewhat 
    spurious because it is very close to the image start, I get 1.65s +/- 0.09 which 
    is close to Bram's 1.73s.
    
    image 7, 23:23:42.30 - 23:23:52.35 UTC (May 24)
    delta T between flashes (s):
    1.19 *
    1.68
    1.62
    1.63
    1.51
    1.79
    
     From the earlier part of the pass (image 4, 23:22:22 - 23:22:32 UTC), I get an 
    average flash separation time of 0.57s +/- 0.15s (see below).
    
    However, the flash rate was clearly variable over that time span. In fact, 
    determined flash intervals appear to be all multitudes of ~0.3s, with most near 
    ~0.6s but a few ~0.3s (marked < ) and one ~0.9s (marked +):
    
    image 4
    23:22:22.30 - 23:22:32.35 UTC (May 24)
    delta T between flashes (s):
    0.66
    0.33  <
    0.61
    0.67
    0.37  <
    0.63
    0.61
    0.33  <
    0.63
    0.67
    0.94  +
    0.62
    0.38  <
    0.58
    0.62
    0.50
    0.52
    
    Also note that Bram's 1.73s is very close to a multitude 3 of my 0.57s (0.57s x 
    3 = 1.71s) from this earlier part of the pass.
    
    As a note: I did not manage to observe Nanosail last night, cirrus here in 
    Leiden was too thick, alas.
    
    - Marco
    (who has still obs from USA 161 and USA 224 from Tuesday night to reduce)
    
    
    -----
    Dr Marco Langbroek  -  SatTrackCam Leiden, the Netherlands.
    e-mail: sattrackcam@wanadoo.nl
    
    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
    -----
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