What was it?

[farunj]

I live in India and yesterday we had some pretty clear skies. So was up star gazing. Was trying to find M13 when I saw something moving across the sky from west to east at around 11pm. It was initially faint and then it started becoming brighter and then became really bright and yellow and then disappeared. The whole lasted for around 2-3 seconds. Any ideas what I saw??

[sanmatt]

An iridium flare. Did it look like a moving star to begin with? Then get brighter...the have a peak brightness, then fade? Sometimes they carry on moving like a moving star after they flare.

Have a look on heavens above website, plonk in your area etc and it will tell you when they are due, but also you can look to see that it was a flare you saw and to which satellite it was.

[farunj]

Yes. Initially it looked like a moving star then it grew in brightness and became very bright (a little bit more brighter than vega which was nearby) and then instantly faded. Will check the site you mentioned. I initially thought it was a comet! Lol!

[sanmatt]

Definitely sounds like an Iridium Flare then. Arent they just brilliant?? I love them!

That site is pretty good, you can plan to go out and catch one, and then image it

And you'll notice moving stars a lot now! They are satellites

[farunj]

Definitely sounds like an Iridium Flare then. Arent they just brilliant?? I love them!

That site is pretty good, you can plan to go out and catch one, and then image it

And you'll notice moving stars a lot now! They are satellites

Yes they are simple brilliant!! My eyes popped out when i saw it!!

[jgs001]

There are other satellites, apart from the Iridium network, that flare up like this. The ISS can, and one I found a month or so back.. GOCE, an interesting one from the description, and has a much shorter flare time than an Iridium. From the duration you mention, it might well have been GOCE.

[sanmatt]

Ah apologies there then :0 Thanks John

[farunj]

Might have been. Whatever it was was really awesome!!

[jgs001]

Use the prediction sites, and keep an eye out for a magnitude -8 Iridium Flare... really bright, and will burn through a thinish layer of cloud without too much problem. Worth trying for, even if it's a bit cloudy.

[Pete Presland]

they certainly are a spectacular sight, especially if your not expecting one.