Bright Space Station ??

[Tiger-G]

Hi,

Hope someone can help with my sighting last night ??

Around 10.30pm last night (11th Aug) I was out in the garden and looked up at the brightest thing I've ever seen moving across the night sky. It was that bright that it looked like a star but you could see the "points" on it. Thinking it was the ISS I went the Heavens-Above sight and yes, it was due across at the time and on the correct trajectory. It also had it down as a bright magnitude.

I've watched the ISS many times and have never seen it like that !! Was it the ISS or do you think it was something else ?? I've got to be honest, I thought I saw some navigation lights on it, but due to the intensity of the light, this may not have been the case.

Thanks,

Graeme.

[Ludd]

Hmm, I watched the ISS come over south London at about 22.15 so I suspect it might have been something else, particularly if it seemed to have nav lights on it.

[allcart]

I captured an Iridium flare at 10.46 ish, it might have been that. Not sure what satellite it was. What was the trajectory of ISS last night.?

[Ludd]

From where I was sitting, the ISS appeared in the west at about 22.13 and went within a few degrees of the zenith before blinking out just next to Algenib (bottom left of the sqaure of Pegasus). Total time visible would have been about 5 minutes, I think.

[Tiger-G]

Thanks for the replys so far.

I've watched loads of iridium flares and this was much brighter for much longer. It was so bright, I thought it was the second coming !! It literally was a pointed star !!

I missed the ISS tonight, so can't confirm it was that. Ok, back to pondering, but thanks for your help

G.

[allcart]

This is what I got. According to heavens above website it was Iridium 47. It was exceptionally bright.

Iridium flare 11-8-13 by allcart2, on Flickr