Perseids, Satellite or Something else..........?

[blueranger]

Hi all,

I don't want to get on a big UFO conversation as we know they don't exist.....

But when I was looking for Perseid's last night between 11.05pm and 11.45pm, which I see about 8 of, I notice a light the size of a star roughly equivalent of mag 4 move slowly from west to N/E through the plough but when it reach North direct the way I was facing it suddenly got a lot brighter then dimmed back down again whilst it carried on its journey not slowing or speeding. I first thought it was a slow Perseid burning up but it just continued till out of site.

I am sure it was a satellite but which one? or did anyone else see it?

[jgs001]

Sounds like it might have been an Iridium flare. They are pretty dim, then flare up as the sunlight hits the solar panels at just the right angle, then fade away again. I've taken a quick look for my location, and I'd say probably Iridium 15. Sign up at heavens above and you can then move backwards to yesterday and check the predictions for last night.

[scotastro]

Heavens-above also list other satellites visible each night. Sometimes a relatively faint ordinary satellite can act like and Iridium if it happens to reflect a lot of sunlight off a solar panel.

Mike

[blueranger]

Sounds like it might have been an Iridium flare. They are pretty dim, then flare up as the sunlight hits the solar panels at just the right angle, then fade away again. I've taken a quick look for my location, and I'd say probably Iridium 15. Sign up at heavens above and you can then move backwards to yesterday and check the predictions for last night.

Thanks,

Sounds like just what I saw.

Being new to this I didn't realize satellites was so easy to find, makes stargazing interesting even if you haven't got your scope.

Also thanks for the Heavens Above tip, looks interesting.

[Wobbly Bob]

Yes I saw it. Sitting behind my shed to avoid the moon looking for Perseids, saw a good one THEN moving in the direction you mentioned, I spotted the satellite moving at a steady pace when its brightness increased dramaticaly and then dimmed just as quickly continuing NE untill it finaly faded away. Yes it was an Iridium Flare.

After that the clouds started to roll in, so of to bed.

[trevboyd]

I saw it too on Tuesday night, around 2320 or so - looked like a satellite, but got markedly brighter for a few seconds as it passed the plough and continued on below Polaris. Looked it up on heavens above, and I think it was the Terra satellite -

http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDetails.asp?Size=600&SatID=25994&lat=51.605&lng=-0.664&alt=0&loc=Holtspur&TZ=GMT&Date=39672.9314989746

HA predicts it to only be mag 4.2, but I can only guess that it must have caught the sun at a particular angle to become much much brighter.

I don't believe it was an Iridium flare - none predicted for that time, and they only last a matter of seconds, not the several minutes this was visible for. Also, can anyone confirm that Iridium flares are always moving N-S or S-N?

Trev

[jgs001]

Trev, given the timing it doesn't sound like an Iridium, and I believe they move N-S and S-N only. Although HA appears to not have all the Iridiums listed. I've got hold of some software called Orbitron and the predictions from there match precisely with those listed on HA but also include predictions for additional Iridium satellites. I have seen and imaged a couple of these extra predictions.

[trevboyd]

Thanks, jgs - I thought that was the case with Iridium tracks. The track of Terra from HA matches pretty exactly what I saw, and it sounds identical to blueranger's report.

Trev

[jollyjack]

When I see satellites its usually within 60-90 mins of twilight, something to do with the reflection of sunllight off solar panels etc being maximised for the satellite altitude at this time.

Its usual to see the thing moving steadily (faster than the lights of a jet at 35000ft), and silently. The light tends to suddenly brighten then dim right away at about 15-20 degrees above horizon.

saw one on 22 July (possibly the ISS?) moving NW/SE and it held a steady brightness right down to about 5 degrees above the horizon.

[blueranger]

From Jollyjacks reply,

I now realize this is exactly what I am seeing as the other night I must have seen 4 or 5 and 2 appeared to brighten and dim.

I must admit I never new you could see satellites until I started "stargazing" and find it quite and interesting alternative for a "Quick fix" when I don't have time to set up scope!!