> three-sided shape (three sides of a trapezoid) of the panels: > ... of a hexagon ? > http://www.hsc.com/hsc_pressreleases/photogallery/xm1/xm1c.html ... > > What you are see in in addition to the solar cell, is the angled solar > reflector panels which concentrate the suns rays on the solar cells. It is > stardard on the Boeing HS702 series of spacecraft. > If they are angled 60 degrees, and same width as the solar panel or wider, the light reflected to the solar panel AND off it would be directed back towards the Sun. But if they are smaller (0.5<w<1), light from an area fraction = (1-w)/2 will "spill over" (after being reflected by the solar panel) 60 degrees off the Sun direction (to each side). If they were smaller than half the panel width, w/2 would be reflected 60 degrees. (All 60 deg rays to be reduced by the absorbtion of the reflector AND the solar panel!) Note that the image seems to imply that there is sunlight on the solar panels, but we also see a reflection near the Mexican coast, which seems to come from behind the satellite ! -- bjorn.gimle@tietotech.se (office) -- -- b_gimle@algonet.se (home) http://www.algonet.se/~b_gimle -- -- COSPAR 5919, MALMA, 59.2576 N, 18.6172 E, 23 m -- -- COSPAR 5918, HAMMARBY, 59.2985 N, 18.1045 E, 44 m -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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