Satellite Orbits

[EagleEyes (Andy)]

I have been following Asteroid Vesta & the Dwarf Planet Ceres for the last 2 weeks making their way through the mighty bull Taurus. While observing these 2 giant space rocks I have always been treated to lots of satellites traversing the FOV, including a nice bright deep red coloured one, usually they are white or whitish yellow.
This made me raise the question. Why am I seeing many satellites while observing these space rocks?

Is it because there are approximately 17500 satellites orbiting our planet? So maybe just sheer numbers & luck?

Or is it because many of these satellites are launched into an ecliptic orbit?

Or maybe because of both these reasons?

[koputai (Jason)]

Hi Andy,

As you alluded to, there is just so much stuff up there that you can't help but see it.

In this situation though, you're probably noticing more because the current position in the sky of the objects you are looking at puts them in quite a good spot for reflecting sunlight back at you at the times you are looking at them. In a month or so your observing targets will have moved farther West, and the reflections won't be so strong.

Cheers,
Jason.