Flare of Light

[mickyjd]

Hi all I have just been looking at Jupiter and at about 18:19 between Jupiter and Orion practically dead centre of the two.

There was a sudden flare of brilliant white light which then slowly faded away. Now i am familiar with most things in the night sky but I have to say this has me stumpted it was not a military or distress flare as it did not move. Did anyone else see this and if anyone has an explanation I would like hear your thoughts.

Ps i am in Sunderland.

[toshapetriji]

Interesting I saw something yesterday evening, sounds similiar, down in the South though.

[george7378]

It was probably an Iridium flare. I was planning to observe the same one, but the clouds prevented it.

[Hypernova]

Heavens Above shows that there was a bright, magnitude -8, Iridium flare in the SSE at 18:21 at an altitude of 37 degrees. It sounds just about right to me and the description you gave resembles quite closely a flare. They tend to move relatively slowly so you might not have detected it's movement.

Iridium flares

Satellite flare - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[kev i]

hi there this could of been a iridium flare with the sun just setting ?

[mickyjd]

Hi George

Thanks for that i can honestly say i have never witnessed anything like this it was really briliantly white and was worth seeing it's a shame its cloudy where you are.

The clouds are starting to roll in up here to now. Do these happen very often?

[mickyjd]

Thanks all seems you have cleared that little mystery up for me cheers.

[Psychobilly]

. Do these happen very often?

Create yourself an account on Hevans Above with your lat and long and it will give you a prediction list...

You can also get Apps for Android and Iphones...

Billy...

[Capricorn]

Iridium 36 or 94. Both at 18:14.

36 was the higher so I suspect that one.

Visit heavens-above and enter you lat + long + time zone the click the Iridium flare link. Should list a weeks worth.

Be aware that the centre of the path is NOT where you look.

To find out where the satellite is you need to select the iridium satellite, then the relevant time. Think this gives a path through the heavens. On that page is a like to a diagram showing the path over the land with your position as the centre.

That show the satellite path, and so where to look.

Damn confusing.

[crabbiT Scot]

I saw something very similar tonight (i'm in NE Scotland), but is was approx 7:30pm, right next to Jupiter. It could have been an iridiam flare too?

[nightfisher]

i saw one a few weeks back it really puzzled me for a few seconds as i have not seen one before but sort of guessed it might be a flare

[george7378]

There's going to be a fantastic flare tonight for me (in Lincolnshire). 18:17 in Cetus.