--- Patrice Gambaro <gambaro@citenet.net> wrote: > About Iridium flares, I understand how they work but why do some of > them flare onces and some others flare 5 to 10 times in a row before > they disapear? > Thanks > > Pat Gambaro > Some iridium satellites such as iridium 48 produce more than one flare, because they are not in a stable position. A normal iridium satellite doesn't spin or tumble, where as iridium 48 and others are tumbling. It you watch a iridium flare the satellite increase's in brightness, because the angle between you, the sun and the satellite, is changing. When the angle is small, the satellite produces a very bright flare. Iridium 48 is tumbling so that the angle needed to cause a flare is produced more often, then in a stable satellite. I have seen iridium 48 produce at least three flare's in a row,here as a stable iridium satellite produces one flare. Kevin Fetter Brockville, On 44.6062 N 75.6910 W __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com