iridium flares

[ken rigg]

Hi all, her comes another noobie question, what are the iridium flares you guys somtimes talk about?.Hope this is not a naff question:confused:

[martin_h]

Its the reflection from a light panel on The Iridium communication satellites - seen as a bright flash or streak across the night sky.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The flare starts out as a single point of light and grows in brightness for a few seconds before fading out again.

They are amazing to watch.

[martin_h]

If you check out the heavens above Heavens-Above Home Page web site and enter your co-ords you can get times and positions for them (and other satellites and the ISS)

[ken rigg]

Thanks for all your replies,the Heavens site is now in favorites and very intresting.Thanks again

[Capricorn]

The "path" can be a little misleading.

The path is where you have to be for the flare to be a maximum. It is not where to look.

Imagine someone high up on you right shining a laser pointer down to a position on your left.

The bright point is on your left but to see the source you have to look to your right.

You have to get the track of the satellite out of heavens above to know where to look up to.

If I remember, doubtful, get/remember the date and time of the flare, click on the satellite number link.

This gives a list of passes of that satellite.

Click on the date/time link matching the one you want.

This gives a track of the satellite through the constellations.

At the top is another link to the passage of the satellite over the ground centered on the coordinates you supplied.

That is where to look.

[jgs001]

Iridium's all travel North/South (trans polar orbits), if you see something flaring in the same way, and the path isn't North or South, it wasn't an Iridium... I've seen a number of others flaring.

The question has been answered, but there's nothing like a picture to paint a feel for what you're looking for and how long it lasts.. I hope you don't mine

This is a shot of a really bright one, and is a 30 second exposure. The flare itself lasts about 15 to 20 seconds.

[ken rigg]

WOW! great photo, so what is it if it is not on a trans polar orbit ?.

And thanks Capricorn i will follow your tips on the Heaven site.

[jgs001]

It could be any satellite... many of them flare up during a pass... but the iridiums always seem to give the brightest...

[Capricorn]

I like the picture!!

If the flare had been a little more symetrical then it could easily have been submitted for UFO of the month.