9 Aug
2011
9 Aug
'11
3:44 p.m.
On 8/9/11 4:56 AM, Alan P. Biddle wrote:
when the satellite is in daylight or eclipsed. A spacecraft is often illuminated when the ground track is in darkness, though the passes you mentioned would be in eclipse.
It's very easy to tell just by looking at a tracking map whether a spacecraft is in sunlight. If any part, even a tiny bit, of the satellite's range circle is lit, then the satellite itself is lit. Only if the satellite's range circle is completely dark will the satellite be in eclipse.
-Phil