Blinking satellite?

[Superdavo]

Hi everyone! I was out observing last night (without my scope), and I saw two satellites. The first one, when it reached Cassiopeia, faded out, but then it reappeared briefly, before disappearing once more. Does anyone know why that would happen?

Also, I saw my first ever confirmed iridium flare, at mag -5.

David

[Tinker1947]

Most likely the Sats solar panels catching the Sun and the angle aligned with you........

[Bart]

Flares are a recent thing for me. I have an App and the kids and I are running out these evenings spotting them. Its fun, especially the mag -8 ones, spectacular

Barry

[ollypenrice]

While dropping out of the sun's rays it may have briefly passed behind a small streak of cloud? These can be hard to see but any imager will tell you the blighters exist!

Olly

[Superdavo]

While dropping out of the sun's rays it may have briefly passed behind a small streak of cloud? These can be hard to see but any imager will tell you the blighters exist!

Olly

I was thinking that too. Also, does this effect happen very often?

David

[Tinker1947]

I was thinking that too. Also, does this effect happen very often?

David

There are many thousands of Sats passing overhead, i see many just looking through a EP at a DSO as they pass bye, as for the blinking effect just depends if your looking in the right place at the right time....

[firstscope]

yeh you just have to look up for a couple of mins and you will see loads of sats .flares are ace whats the app called barry?

[Philk_80]

Most likely the Sats solar panels catching the Sun and the angle aligned with you........

I think this is most likely. Before I got my scope I did a lot of sky watching unaided and the amount of satellites I saw was unbelievable. There were lots which disappeared then reappeared and when I did some research I found that they are only visible when they reflect the sunlight so if they turn enough to shine the light elsewhere then move again they appear to disappear/reappear.

[Cath]

At the rate we're going, it'll be 'spot the star through the satellite haze' after another 50 years of satellite launches. Although the cascade will happen long before then, at which point we'll have real problems!

[Pig]

This picture never ceases to amaze me, it is staggering the amount of equipment we have put up there

[Bart]

yeh you just have to look up for a couple of mins and you will see loads of sats .flares are ace whats the app called barry?

One is iridium flare, oddly, but it has a bug and is faulty now. The other is called Sputnik

Barry

[jam1e1]

Someone once wrote on here there are rotating cylinder shaped sats that blink...... Saw a blinking satellite tonight was odd sight very rare I've seen one.... Saw the odd repeated flash.

Saw lots of flares and 2 meteors, only was out in garden without scope for 15m