XPost: alt.astronomy, nl.wetenschap   
   From: Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com   
      
   "F.Verbeek"  wrote in message news:isugtk$2nkv$1@nl-news.euro.net...   
      
   Op 10-6-2011 3:26, Skybuck Flying schreef:   
   > However I see a little issue with this explanation.   
   >   
   > Let's suppose it was a satellite, let's suppose it was stationary.   
   >   
   > Then this raises the following questions:   
   >   
   > 1. How fast does the earth rotate ?   
   >   
   > 2. How fast does the satellite rotate with it ?   
   >   
   > Would the speed be slow enough to reflect the sun light for about 2 to 3   
   > seconds ?   
   >   
   > Additional explanation could be rotating satellite, which lengthens the   
   > exposure.   
   >   
   > However if calculations would prove that this is impossible then the   
   > hypothesis of a satellite can be dismissed.   
   >   
   > Anybody care to do any calculations ? ;)   
   >   
   > Bye,   
   > Skybuck.   
   >   
   >   
      
   Geostationary satellites move at an altitude of some 36000 km, which   
   makes them very hard to see.   
      
      
   The earth rotates 360 degrees once every 24 hours.   
   The sun takes up about 0.5 degree on the sky.   
   The satellite stays aimed at the sun.   
   The angular velocity of the reflected beam (with respect to the earth)   
   is twice that of the relative rotation of earth and sat.   
   This means that in case of geostationary the max visibility time is   
   (24h x 60 min)/(2 x 360/0.5) = 1 minute.   
      
   "   
   As the phenomenon took only seconds, it must have been a low orbit   
   satellite.   
   "   
      
   I don't know how long the phenomenon in total was visible.   
      
   I was looking at the ground/door and lock, when I look up it was visible for   
   a couple of seconds or so.   
      
   I had the feeling it must have been up there for a minute or so... because   
   otherwise more people must have seen it and would be standing and watching   
   or so...   
   or perhaps not and they would think it's a planet or so.   
      
   Perhaps my subcontiousness did notice the blip of light appearing... or   
   being there... but I don't know.   
      
   I recently saw a video of IIS... it has pretty big solar panels... it was   
   near UK perhaps or perhaps not...  I have seen it fly over once... it moves   
   slowly... but still fast enough to notice the movement I think...  it was   
   also far less bright and further away from my location so it probably was   
   not IIS...   
      
   Anyway I think you on the right track... perhaps you could even figure out   
   which satelite it was... that could be interesting.   
      
   Any idea where to see "satelite" paths on the internet ?   
      
      
   "   
   Spotting the movement of a satellite can be rather difficult. Especially   
   when it is only visible for a few seconds. Some satellites take 10-30   
   minutes to cross the sky.   
      
   The lowest satellites have an altitude of some 150 km. They move pretty   
   fast across the sky.   
   The iridium satellites fly at an altitude of 780 km which makes them   
   barely visible slow movers in the sky.   
      
   I have seen hundreds of satellites in the sky, but only one iridium   
   flare so far. That one was pretty spectacular though.   
      
   --  Femme   
   "   
      
   Bye,   
     Skybuck.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)