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Old 23-03-2019, 11:36 PM
alphamone
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I think I saw a flare from a retired Iridium satellite

Not sure if this is the right board for this.

Around 7:34pm yesterday (23rd march), I was waiting at a bus stop and just randomly looked up at the sky to see a flaring satellite. Heavens Above didn't have anything listed at negative magnitudes (and it was brighter than a recent -3 ISS flyover) for the entire night in my location, and the flare resembled previous Iridium flares I have watched.

So did I just get lucky and see one of the defunct, but not yet re-entered iridium satellites, or are there other satellites capable of producing similar, but unpredictable flares?
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Old 24-03-2019, 06:52 PM
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xelasnave
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Seems you are privileged to be the only one.
A decade ago I was taking a Milky Way widefield and wow there was an Iridium in it...but a I bagged another a week later.
Had a interesting one up North a month ago..I had my back to it (it was Easterly south) but I noticed a shadow on the desk such that I though a car was coming up the drive..I turned to see it dieing but I thought it would be on the news or mentioned here...but it wasnt and I only now remembered it.
Alex
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Old 24-03-2019, 08:49 PM
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astroron (Ron)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alphamone View Post
Not sure if this is the right board for this.

Around 7:34pm yesterday (23rd march), I was waiting at a bus stop and just randomly looked up at the sky to see a flaring satellite. Heavens Above didn't have anything listed at negative magnitudes (and it was brighter than a recent -3 ISS flyover) for the entire night in my location, and the flare resembled previous Iridium flares I have watched.

So did I just get lucky and see one of the defunct, but not yet re-entered iridium satellites, or are there other satellites capable of producing similar, but unpredictable flares?
You're right on the second count.
HST,ISSand many other satellites flair to various brightnesses.
Cant vouch if it was an Iridium as you live a long way away from me.
Good spotting anyway.
Cheers
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