Bright, flashing fast moving ???

[gaa_ian]

Now I am not normally one to post a strange lights in the sky post, but this one has me more than a little puzzled ?
Last night in far western Qld (Roma District) what appeared to be a satellite moving aprox SW to NE around aprox 7:30 pm around Mag 1 . Except that it covered perhaps 40 degrees of sky in about 6 to 10 seconds. Flashing every 2 to 3 seconds.
I am looking for a rational explanation & yes I have checked the Heavens above Satellite passes & it is way too quick for any of these.
It is well known that there are undocumented satellites up there.
Has anyone experienced anything similar ?

[PeterEde]

I saw something at 640 last night just left of Tuc. Magnitude of Venus? Didn't flash. Was dim then got real bright the gone. No fade. Just gone

[gaa_ian]

Hi Peter, that sounds typical of an Iridium Flare. You will get these most places, most nights. We have one where I am that will be Magnitude -8 this coming Wednesday night !

[gaa_ian]

This link was helpful (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=25998.0), but does not fully explain this object as it was moving at perhaps 5 degrees of Arc/ Second !

[astroron]

Ian,if it was a tumbling piece of space junk or Satellite in very low earth orbit or even on it's way into the earths atmosphere it would move much faster than the normal Iridium or other satellites in their higher stable orbits of a few hundred kilometers.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[gaa_ian]

Thanks Ron, that is probably the best explanation. I should probably check the JPL site for objects in the process of being de-orbited ! The dark & dry (circa 20% Humidity) skies out here make quite the difference in what can be seen

[astroron]

:thumbsup: Ian. :)
What are you doing down that neck of the woods. :question:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[gaa_ian]

Working ... fortunately/unfortunately :shrug:
However I have managed to start my own little astronomy group out here for the workers & will be going out to do an astronomy night tomorrow with a 4" wide field scope I have just bought out with me (one of my Kson Scopes). It's great to see the Milky way painted from Horizon to Horizon :D

[cometcatcher]

Rocket launch?