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So where is my Iridium Flare?
I checked out Heavens-Above on Friday to see if there were any flares visible in my area in the next few days. I have never seen one and had never really looked at this site before. Anyway, it came up with one mag -8 at 7:12pm, altitude 37 degrees almost directly west. So my wife and I both went outside a couple of minutes early and stared intently at the broad region of the sky. By 7:15 we called it quits, thankfully it was dark enough that the neighbours wouldn't have seen us standing outside staring into space for 5 minutes.
So am I missing something (other than the flare). Is there a bit of leeway in the time estimate? How long to they last, a flash or a couple of seconds? I know some of you guys have a lot of experience with flares so, when in doubt, ask an expert....so I am asking!
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