65 lines
3.3 KiB
Plaintext
65 lines
3.3 KiB
Plaintext
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The 'OGRE' has been identified!
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On the morning of August 6th at 4:05 am EDT Norman W. McLeod III
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and Robert Reifer were out observing the Aquarid/Perseid meteor
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showers when they noticed a 3rd magnitude flash near RA 22:55,
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DEC +10. The flash lasted approximately 5 seconds and showed little
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motion to the naked eye. On the morning of the 7th at 4:25 am they
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again saw the flash in the same area.
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On the morning of the 8th they were prepared with a telescope and at
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4:45 am they again saw the flash. Robert proceeded to get the object
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in the telescope and watched as the object faded to about 10th
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magnitude. He then followed it in a southernly direction. With
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Robert following it in the scope Norman saw it brighten again to 3rd
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magnitude and Robert verified that it did. The object proceeded to
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fade again to about 10th magnitude. This pattern was repeated 4 more
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times with the object being lost at about RA 23:10, DEC -8. At this
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time I do not know how long a period there was between flashes.
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The brightest flash was about 2nd magnitude with the rest of the
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flashes peaking at about 3rd magnitude and lasting approximately 5
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seconds.
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The object producing these flashes appears to be a polar orbit
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satellite in a period of 24 hours and 20 minutes.
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Norman predicts that they will see the flashes again at 5:05 am EDT
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on the morning of the 9th and at 5:25 am EDT on the morning of the
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10th. If anyone else is able to check for these flashes from
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other parts of the country it would be greatly appreciated.
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The observing location is located at LAT 26 deg 32 min and
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LONG 81 deg 30 min south of Lehigh Acres, Fla.
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Please send any reports to:
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Norman W. McLeod
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4232 Scott Ave.
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Ft. Myers, FL 33905
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This may finally settle the identity of the "OGRE".
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We couldn't identify it as being a satellite because the only
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previous flashing satellites we had seen were known to be
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geo-synchronous satellites. They had followed the 24 hour 20
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minute period however but they varied in intensity with one
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bright flash followed by a half dozen or so naked eye flashes
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with each one being a magnitude or so fainter. They were then
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followed in the scope for another half dozen or so flashes until
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they leveled off at 9th or 10th magnitude. They were definitely
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geo-synchronous because the scope had to be locked in position
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with the motors off and they could be followed for an hour or so.
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We are still wondering what is causing the flash on the satellite.
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I have been told that lasers are used for position verification
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but I would like someone to either support or deny that positively.
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Sunlight could also be doing it but why for only a short period?
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In response to anyone saying that what they saw had only one flash
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and as such couldn't have been a satellite like this take note of
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the first two nights of sightings, Norman and Robert only saw it once.
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On the third night when they were able to see where it was going
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did they finally see it more than once.
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From personal experience observing many hours with these two observers
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for them to have missed the secondary flashes means that a lot of
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others could also have missed them. Norman can spot anything out of the
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ordinary faster than anyone else I know.
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I will update this with Norman's report for the 9th and 10th.
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Brian Risley
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