What was this?

[long_arms]

Hi, I'm a newbie so excuse my ignorance if the answer is obvious.

I was just setting up the telescope around 18:10 ish GMT and looked up towards hercules and saw a satellite.

It was flashing on and off, and passed through hercules/draco towards the north/north east. I've never seen a satellite flash before? Is this what is known as an iridium?

[nytecam]

Hi, I'm a newbie so excuse my ignorance if the answer is obvious.

I was just setting up the telescope around 18:10 ish GMT and looked up towards hercules and saw a satellite.

It was flashing on and off, and passed through hercules/draco towards the north/north east. I've never seen a satellite flash before? Is this what is known as an iridium?

Unlikely - Iridium appears, brightens rapidly to max [often very bright] and faded again quickly. It doesn't 'flash' on and off. Check date/time/location/direction for your sat on HeavensAbove.com

[Moonshane]

sounds like a tumbling satellite

[VigdisVZ]

Yeah as it rotates, it reflects a variable amount of sunlight.

[long_arms]

Thanks for the replies!

I don't want people to think I saw a plane aha, it was definitely a satellite.

"flashing" was probably the wrong way to describe it. It didn't flare up once either it dimmed up and down predictably.