Double stellar fare up or satellites?

[Westmoorland]

About 2hours ago --(4.40ish am GMT ,to the west; about 60 degrees above the horizon--I saw what looked like a pair of bright stars suddenly flare up as bright as Jupiter then slowly die down over 20 seconds. I remember years ago seeing something similar and discovering it was satellite activity, but there was two lights and they appeared to shimmer and flared down together. I can't name the tight constellation they were in but does anybody think they know what I saw? I think I need a quick access spotting scope for these events.

[Steve Ward]

Not sure which Suffolk border you're on but here just east of Newmarket I regularly see similar lights which are invariably turning aircraft to the south in the Stansted holding pattern .

I also get numerous military helicopters but they tend to be much closer to the horizon.

[Westmoorland]

5 hours ago, Steve Ward said:

Not sure which Suffolk border you're on but here just east of Newmarket I regularly see similar lights which are invariably turning aircraft to the south in the Stansted holding pattern .

I also get numerous military helicopters but they tend to be much closer to the horizon.

I didn't hear anything, though. I'd be surprised if it wasn't something in orbit. I'm near RAF Lakenheath.

[PeterW]

Likely to be starlink. Many travel on similar orbits. I have watched a slow procession of flaring satellites one after the other, even though nothing was predicted, as the flares come from glinting reflections off of flat shiny bits of the satellites, like the Iridium flares of old. Twilight will likely be full of such stuff

Peter

[Westmoorland]

2 hours ago, PeterW said:

Likely to be starlink. Many travel on similar orbits. I have watched a slow procession of flaring satellites one after the other, even though nothing was predicted, as the flares come from glinting reflections off of flat shiny bits of the satellites, like the Iridium flares of old. Twilight will likely be full of such stuff

Peter

I'll look into 'Starlink'... Doubtful I discovered a new sort of double super nova lasting around 20 seconds. They really did appear to be part of the constellation I saw them in.

[PeterW]

Satellite flares are always slowly moving.

 

peter