A Strange Flare

[hukadarn]

On the morning of october 21 I use my WATEC Ultimate camera to film the Orionid shower but one thiny and fast event catch my attention.

One of the videos captured automatically by the software UFOCapture, register a curious flare that gradually increased the brightness up to mag -1.2. Discount the possibility of a satellite flare because a satellite emitting flare would have moved even in the short time interval of the growing brightness of the light in the movie.

It could be a meteor whose trajectory coincides exactly with my line of sight? Has anyone ever seen something like this ?

In the animation below look close to the top left side of the field:

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[hukadarn]

If the animation don´t run, move the mouse over it.

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[Pavel]

Is it a stationary meteor?

[Tim]

I dont think it would be a meteor, they are so high up in the atmosphere they wouldn't come right at your line of sight like that I shouldn't think.

I have seen plenty of slow moving satellites flare like that though, sometimes as they rotate, and that would still be my guess, or else a plane.

Cheers

Tim

[JB80]

I forget who but I remember reading on SGL that someone had said they have seen head on meteors before, it could very well be that. If so that's a great catch.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Very weird! It doesn't appear to move at all, so if it is a meteor the trajectory would have to be spot on. Lasts for approximately 1second... Very strange indeed.

[streaky1]

possible Roentgen Satellite bits??nice catch fab image.

[NHM]

Very nice. Right place at the right time.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Nice capture whatever it is. If it was a satellite flare i would expect it to move but it is stationary. I can only guess that it is indeed a head-on meteor.

[hukadarn]

After an effort to identify the origin of the flare with colleagues of Seesat-L list, Ted Molczan identified the source of the flash as the geostationary satellite THAICOM 3:

"Carlos Bella wrote:

> ... working with UFOanalyzer I found the coordinates

> of the flash:

>

> Ra: 53o 04' 18"

> Dec: 02o 35' 16"

The epoch 11295.23118736 TLE of Thaicom 3 (97016A / 24768) agrees with this position and the time 04:15:31 UTC, to within 0.03 s time, and 0.05 cross-track. This is excellent agreement, and since no other known object is as close, the identification is confirmed.

Ted Molczan"

Flares of geostationary satellites rare hence the difficulty in identifying it.

More about THAICOM 3:

- Thaicom 3, 5

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[Ender Of Days]

A geo Sat !

wowser,

I remember many years ago an article in Astronomy Now showing how to image Geo Sat's with a stationary scope,Because they don't move that much and the Stars trail past they are "easy" to capture :)

JJ..

[hukadarn]

A geo Sat !

wowser,

I remember many years ago an article in Astronomy Now showing how to image Geo Sat's with a stationary scope,Because they don't move that much and the Stars trail past they are "easy" to capture :)

JJ..

A image of a geostationary sat was the subject of the EPOD in 23/10/2011:

- Telescopic View of Geostationary Satellite - Earth Science Picture of the Day

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[LukeSkywatcher]

Cool. Never seen one................wouldnt know where to look for one.

Great image of a single point of light stationary while the stars rotate.

Quick question:

If a Geo stationary sat is in fixed orbit around the Earth and the Earth is rotating at a fixed rate around the Sun and the Sun is at a fixed position in the centre of our solar system.............

How is it possible for us to observe a "flare" on stationary satellite?

Surely it is always 100% visible as a point of light or never visible?

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Cool. Never seen one................wouldnt know where to look for one.

Great image of a single point of light stationary while the stars rotate.

Quick question:

If a Geo stationary sat is in fixed orbit around the Earth and the Earth is rotating at a fixed rate around the Sun and the Sun is at a fixed position in the centre of our solar system.............

How is it possible for us to observe a "flare" on stationary satellite?

Surely it is always 100% visible as a point of light or never visible?

Nope, the earth obviously rotates faster than it moves around the sun. Stick a lamp on one side of the room, then go stand in the middle with a small mirror held out infront of you and spin around, then you'l get the idea

The moon on the other hand, rotates and spins at such coincidental rates, that the same side of the moon is always facing earth, in the same way as if you were to hold hands with someone infront of you and spin, they'd always be facing you.

Also - the sun isn't at a fixed position in the centre of the solar system

[LukeSkywatcher]

Also - the sun isn't at a fixed position in the centre of the solar system

It isnt?

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Nope, it wobbles, as do all stars with planets. Similar to the effect you'd see if you were to swing a weight around above your head using a piece of string/rope - The weight would orbit your hand, but your hand would also wobble in its own slightly off center orbit.

Couple that with the fact that the entire solar system/galaxy is moving through space, and you end up with a slightly lopsided system, very slightly though

[LukeSkywatcher]

Colour me baffled.