What did I just see?

[Geoffteeth]

Hi all, just taking my telescope out to cool down and between polaris and ursa major I saw what I thought was a satellite travelling directly down/south which then flared very bright dimmed again and disapeared below the horizon. I cant find a satellite on that track on stellarium was it a meteor?

[LukeSkywatcher]

Try Heavens-Above Home Page

Search for Iridium flares:

this just went over a couple hours ago:

05:38:30 -0 21° 179° (S ) 39.7 km (E) -7 Iridium 61

[Geoffteeth]

Wow that sounds exactly like it. never seen anything like that before! I'm new to this, just being outside looking up for prolonged periods you see so much..

I love it.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Sorry thats not it. That went over at 5:38am.

Maybe it was the ISS?

http://stargazerslounge.com/astro-lounge/178113-what-did-we-just-see.html

[Peter Drew]

Sounds like a typical Iridium "flare" to me, the ISS travels West to East.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Sounds like a typical Iridium "flare" to me, the ISS travels West to East.

True.

[Peter Drew]

Hmmm, don't Iridiums always go South to North?, perhaps it was a meteor. How fast was it travelling?

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hmmm, don't Iridiums always go South to North?, perhaps it was a meteor. How fast was it travelling?

Only if the actual flare was caused by an actual "Iridium" satellite. They can go any direction. The generic term for a flare of ANY satellite in any direction is an "Iridium".

Least that is my take on things.....................if i see a "flare" in any direction.................i refer to it as an "Iridium".

Not strictly true..................but