Jim,

In the picture that you are describing, it looks like the shuttle is still coming towards us. Would this mean that the long streak is going down the right side of the shuttle? The reason I ask is that I saw several of these visually with my binoculars and they all appears to be on the left side when it was coming towards me and on the right side when it was going away.

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Gibson [mailto:xajax99@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 3:17 PM
To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com
Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] White flare

Patrick
Would you mind adding the enlarged photo to your web so otheres can see what we are talking about?
I have studied the photo for a while. Keeping in mind that my shutter was open for 8 seconds, that would correspond to the bright pink contrail. The gray contrail before that would have occured before the shutter was opened. I would intrupret the first jiggle in the pink contrail as my hand touching off photo. Then I see the the pink contrail stabalizing of a short time indicated by its straightness. Then I see a new bright pink line appear on the right side of the photo corresponding to the shuttles left side and immediately crossing over to the opposite side. The original contrail remains relatively stable while the new trail is pronounsly serpintine. That to me says that the camera was not jiggling because original contrail remains straight.
I would ask for insight form all who wish to express it. I am most intrested in an accurate interpretation of the photo, and Patrick, yours my well be the correct one. What do otheres think. If it's nothing, its nothing.
I had thought that the second pink line might be a blast form the course adjustment rocket, but on closer inspection I don't think we could see blue sky between the two contrails if it were and the shuttles course was not altered that I could tell.
Jim

Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> wrote:
As with my answer to your other post, I invite others to correct me if
necessary, but I'm pretty sure the multiple tracks and "flares" in your image
were caused by the camera being moved while the shuttle was open.

Patrick

Jim Gibson wrote:
>
> Attached is the enlarged section of the flair-out. I think the first giggle
> is me touching off the camera. The contrail Then stabilizes. Subsequently a
> flair-out begins on the right side and moves immideatly to the left side of
> the contrail. I read your post about the timing of the event that may coincide
> with the heating of the tires. I can not discount the possibility of a jet
> blast corresponding to a course correction. Of course, I am no expert in these
> things.t

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