Radium Topics, Observation of an Iridium Flare, & Some Miscellania

Main Menu - click above

Edison with Sprengel pump

Moissan & fluorine apparatus

nitrogen triiodide

Owen

An Iridium satellite

photo by ideonexus

The Iridium 96 satellite was launched from Vandenburg AFB at 17:43 (UTC) on the 11th of February 2002. The Delta 7920-10C launch vehicle inserted the satellite into a 776 x 779 km, 86.4° orbit.

On Saturday the 14th March 2015 at 20:03 (GMT) I was in my back garden and spotted the satellite orbiting 954 km away from me. Its near polar orbit took it down from the north and and I saw it travelling at 17000 miles an hour as it passed the Plough. At just after 20:04, the sun was reflected directly at me by one of the large communications antennas. The flare from the satellite was by far the brightest thing in the sky (magnitude -8.2) for a few moments.

The excellent website Heavens Above enables one to predict the exact time and position of an iridium flare, from your location. Below is the map provided by Heavens Above for the event -

Please help beat cancer - DONATE click above

Unrelated to this post, below is an example of

eclectic science esoterica 

A unique photograph. Collins took the photo, he's the only person not framed.

Main Menu - click above

WARNING - Many subjects outlined within this site are extremely dangerous and are provided here for information only. Please don`t experiment with high voltages or chemicals unless you are fully conversant with safe laboratory practices. No liability will be accepted for death, injury or damage arising from experimentation using any information or materials supplied.