Saw my first Iridium Flare!

[OzDave]

Last night I decided I would try to see an iridium flare for the first time, so I looked up Heavens Above to see if any were likely to happen and found that there was to be one of magnitude -5 at around 22:40 local time in a direction that would be easily viewable from my balcony!

I got out Stellarium on the Mac and Sky Safari on the iPhone to start tracking Iridium 75 as the time approached. From the sky maps, it looked like the satellite would flare just as it passed between Vega and Deneb.

I went out to the balcony at the appropriate time, knowing that the satellite was racing across the sky and sure enough I managed to spot a faint dot tracing its way between Deneb and Vega. Over the course of maybe 10 seconds, it flared very brightly and then dimmed as it flew by. Although it probably seems not a big deal, I found it quite exciting!

As it happened, there was another trailing satellite in the Iridium set which passed by the same location minutes later causing another flare of similar brightness.

Thinking this was pretty cool, I went onto the roof a bit later to see if I could see any more satellites. This time I was looking in the direction of Spica and Saturn, and managed to spot several more flares over the course of 15 minutes, the best of which was a flare that seemed to happen almost exactly as a satellite passed over Saturn, so that it looked very much like a piece of the planet had exploded away!

These were all observed with the naked eye and so now I want to get my scope out and try to track some of these satellites and see if I can get any images or videos of a flare. I guess that will be pretty hard due to speed with which they move.

David

[carldr]

I have to say, until I read your report, I didn't really have much interest in looking out for an Iridium flare. Now I have though, I'll be checking Calsky and Heavens Above out for flares local to me!

[Glen]

Great eh! Thanks for the report too.

Maybe next time ask someone to wish upon a star , then point...

edit Corny, must admit do apologise .. taxi..

[Ursa Major]

Thanks also for the report. You have just inspired me to see one for the first time.

[OzDave]

Cool! I normally don't observe and instead do imaging, but so glad I've inspired at least 2 others to check out the phenomenon!

D