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Questions tagged [satellite-flare]

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3 votes
2 answers
263 views

What did I see? Multiple "satellite" flares

I came across this page this evening after witnessing around 15 what looked to be satellite flares in the same region of sky within about ten minutes. All of the objects flared multiple times with a ...
OllyR's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Are Starlink satellites flaring?

The "Old and Busted" Iridium satellites flared like crazy because they had big flat metal surfaces for their phased array antennas (that were certainly so shiny completely by accident and ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 149k
6 votes
1 answer
286 views

Has a satellite or spacecraft orbiting the Moon or Mars been spotted from the surface of that body?

In reading this question (Lowest possible lunar orbit and has any spacecraft achieved it?), it prompts the question if any orbiting satellite/spacecraft around the Moon or Mars (the only heavenly ...
Milwrdfan's user avatar
  • 2,808
16 votes
1 answer
773 views

What does the [-] symbol mean in satellite names?

Some satellites in the databases have this "[-]" mark at the end. For example "IRIDIUM 39 [-]" and "GLOBALSTAR M038 [-]", which in databases like www.space-track.org or ...
Swike's user avatar
  • 2,501
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Which flashing satellite did I see?

While sitting on the balcony of my home in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) this evening a bright flash high in the sky attracted my eye. After a few (~6? seconds) again a flare, now a bit higher and ...
DeltaLima's user avatar
  • 211
3 votes
0 answers
3k views

How to see Iridium Flares (if possible) in 2020 and beyond?

On December 27th, 2019, Iridium 97 burned up in the atmosphere and there was a "#Flarewell" celebration. However, according to this website which seems to be VERY detailed, there are still 5 ...
user34786's user avatar
  • 131
6 votes
0 answers
547 views

What attitudes will Starlink satellites have in different orbits?

update 3: Guest Post: Modelling of Starlink trail brightness and comparison to observations update 2: Teslarati's SpaceX’s Starlink “VisorSat” launch plans revealed by Elon Musk explains Open Book ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 149k
13 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why is one Starlink satellite not following the adjacent one in this image?

The following image shows trails of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites as seen in the sky above the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile: Image Source: SpaceX’s Newly Launched Starlink ...
Vishnu's user avatar
  • 3,296
2 votes
0 answers
133 views

Predicting non-Iridium flares and Why NOSS satellites flare?

I just saw two point-like sources flaring in the sky in perfect sync. It was spectacular and a big surprise to me. The full event lasted at most 4 seconds. My position is in the Usera district in the ...
Swike's user avatar
  • 2,501
1 vote
1 answer
145 views

Can a satellite flare multiple times in a row in two different colors, white and red?

I was observing what I thought was a typical satellite flare. It was moving west to east so it was not an iridium. It flared a beautiful white, maybe -9 then as soon as it diminished it flared again ...
Anna Moss's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
916 views

Why no Iridium-level flares from other satellites?

Wikipedia explains Iridium and other satellite flares very well. The Iridium reflective surfaces are at very particular angles and can flare up to magnitude -9.5, however other satellites don't ...
Dave Gremlin's user avatar
  • 3,083
2 votes
0 answers
58 views

Are there any pictures of Iridium flares from the ISS?

As the title states, are there any pictures of Iridium flares from the ISS? Related: How much longer will we be able to see Iridium satellite flares?
DrSheldon's user avatar
  • 48.1k
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

How will several thousand Low Earth Orbit satellites affect the night sky?

SpaceX has unveiled its plans to launch a bunch of satellites into the Low Earth Orbit, and according to Wikipedia, the number is either 4500 or 7500 (not sure, could be the sum of both). The ...
user1306322's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
401 views

What goes into an Iridium Flare prediction model besides the ephemerides?

Empirical Answer Considered! (see the end of the question for details) Iridium satellite flares are a class of Satellite Flares that originate from satellites in the current Iridium constellation. ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 149k
5 votes
2 answers
708 views

How much longer will we be able to see Iridium satellite flares?

I've literally just heard here that the days of observing Iridium satellite flares are numbered. Of course it's common sense, but I never thought about it. Roughly how soon are these going to start ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 149k

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