alt/az terminology, paths of Iridium glints, etc.

Walter Nissen (dk058@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Mon, 20 Oct 1997 20:24:44 -0400 (EDT)

The term "paranoia" slipped in and out of my mind when I read Phil Chien 
humorously saying he thought people might post *just* to annoy him.  8-> 
(He was writing about how Atlantis trails Mir on the way up and Atlantis 
leads Mir on the way down).  But now: 
 
paul.d.maley1@jsc.nasa.gov writes: 
 
> Paul D. Maley 
> phone: 281-244-0208 
> fax: 281-244-7622 
> latitude 29.5378 north; longitude 95.0868 west; altitude 6 m 
                                                  ^^^^^^^^ 
and njb@pavilion.co.uk, Nick Budd, writes: 
 
> Subject: Finding location for brightest Iridium flare 
 
> The next logical step to that would be a 
> range of mags, say anything brighter than -3, and come out with a list 
> of coorinates that could be plotted on a surface map. I guess there might be 
> a problem with different altitudes in hilly terrain areas but to a first 
                           ^^^^^^^^ 
> approximation it would do the trick. 
 
You guys really ARE doing this just to tweak my nose.  8->  Aren't you?? 
8-> 
 
Even in the upstart aerospace literature of this Century, they don't 
confuse altitudes [sic] of craft with elevations of topography.  Do they? 
8->  Or do they? 
 
You guys really ARE doing this just to tweak my nose.  8->  Aren't you?? 
8-> 
 
Or are you just trying to point out the inevitability of my (reluctant, 
but clear) position that alt/az will be the survivor?  8-> 
 
 
I know Jay and Paul know (Paul and I conducted the first intercontinental 
asteroidal occultation expedition, on which Paul obtained the first 
photograph ever made of an asteroidal occultation), but I hope the rest of 
you realize as well that the people at IOTA 
(http://www.sky.net/~robinson/iotandx.htm and 
http://www.anomalies.com/iota/splash.htm) are well ahead in the subject of 
drawing paths on maps and mounting expeditions to reach them.  There are 
numerous paths published in Sky&Telescope magazine every year (typically 
the Jan and Feb issues) and the house organ is "Occultation Newsletter". 
Probably a lot to learn there in forecasting Irdm glints. 
 
Cheers. 
 
Walter Nissen                   dk058@cleveland.freenet.edu 
-81.8637, 41.3735, 256m elevation 
 
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