Photographing geosats this weekend and came across a regular flashing object identified as a NORAD 33491 which looks to be a R/B from a Delta IV Heavy launch in 2009. The object is in the high orbit around 36-38,000km. The flash period is very regular at ~8.2 minutes with a brightness low estimated as mag <10.5, brightening to around mag 6.2 or brighter. Flashing was easily monitored at object phase angles of between 36-65 deg but could not be observed at phase angles between 30-36 deg or between 65-78 deg, these being the conditions in which observations were made. I'd be interested if anyone had any information regarding flashing in 33491 or occurrences of flashing/tumbling in similar R/Bs from Delta IV missions, and on the influence of phase angle on monitoring flashing orbiting objects. Regards, Jeremy Ollerenshaw Atlanta, USA _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-lReceived on Sun Oct 02 2016 - 16:43:38 UTC
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