Iridium - RIP

[Mike Maunder]

Seems we've just 2 more years to enjoy Iridium flares.

Today's BBC News.

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Mike

Today's thought

"The secret of all those who make discoveries is that they regard nothing as impossible" German Chemist Justus Freiherr von Liebig. Brexit/Trump?

[Roy Easto]

Very interesting Wiki page on Iridium at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation

I was looking to see if they would be de-orbited and it seems they will be soon. Instead I saw an interesting page on the hypervelocity collision between an Iridium and a Russian satellite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision

Which also ties in nicely with John B's talk on meteor detection and the GRAVES transmitter: http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/GRAVES_French_Radar_Surveillance_Facility.html

Roy

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[wool...@googlemail.com]

There are plenty of plans for larger constellations of mobile comms satellites on the horizon. They need advances in mass manufacturing of complex and cheap parts to be cost effective. Who knows if they will flare.

Peter

Sent from my iPhone

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<SpaceX rocket set to return to flight - BBC News.pdf>

[John Murrell]

It will be a pity to lose these as they were quite fun to watch.

 

There are other Satellites that flare of course but not so predictable – my Noctilucent Cloud Camera caught the flare on the attached image (near the tree) . After a lot of digging I think it was the defunct Russian ELINT satellite Cosmos 1603. From the few images on the internet it has large flat panels either solar cells or aerials so has something to reflect from.

 

If there are no flares we can always wait for the Mag 2 Nova predicted in Cygnus in 2021/22 !

 

John

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