Anomolously Bright MIR
Bruno Tilgner (Bruno_Tilgner@compuserve.com)
Sat, 18 Sep 1999 18:23:26 -0400
Wayne Hally wrote:
>Any ideas as to why it was so bright?
Very probably the effect of a favourable phase angle.
On 17 September, shortly after 19:00 UTC Mir has been
observed as bright as -5 mag from several places in
Belgium, France and The Netherlands. In all cases the
phase angle Sun-Mir-observer was in the order of 65
degrees and Mir was near culmination. At other places,
where the phase angle was about 108 degrees, it was
reported about as bright as Vega.
Bruno Tilgner