Tips on tracking Iridium Flares

G'day all, the last few weeks I've been attempting to spot myself an Iridium Flare. I've been tracking ones nearby my location on HeavensAbove.com and plotting an idea spot along their path to see it best (Out of town, no trees etc) on Google earth.


So far I have had no luck, I just come back from trying to spot one, According to HeavensAbove it was going to be traveling parallel to the coast line from a WNW direction.

The sky is perfectly clear with no moon and the brightest star in that section of sky was +2 magnitude and this flare is supposed to be -7.


So, since I've never seen one before am I missing something? Do they travel like other satellites?

It's got me stumped!

So any tips/comments are welcome!




Cheers

Iridium satellites are a special variety of satellites, they do not move as a bright dot across the sky like other satellites and the space station as a, instead they only flash briefly leaving a trail of light as the antennas of the rotating satellite, reflect sunlight. So, you can see them if only the antenna reflects sunlight, and the magnitude data is just the indication of how bright it will be, and that does not gurantee that it will be visible. So, keep your fingers crossed, if you have the luck, you can spot it.

Take a look at this link,

antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov...

And this too,

antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov...

Hope that helps.

[edit on 30/12/08 by peacejet]

reply to post by peacejet



Cheers Peacejet, I didn't realise they streaked like that, I just thought in all the photos I've seen of them the photographer dialed in a long exposure.

Sounds like they'll be tricky to spot then.

thanks again!

I have to respectfully disagree with peacejet here. Iridiums are much like any other satellites, in that you can often track them before they flare with a clear enough sky. Yes, they are not any where near as bright as the ISS, but then neither are the majority of satellites.

Chadwickus - have you made sure you are reading the maps the right way? It's quite an easy mistake to make, and you'd be looking at completely the wrong part of the sky if you did make it.

Anyway, good luck , and keep trying - they aew well worth the effort to see!

Edit to add: Yes - Iridium satellite photos are always taken using long exposures.

You usually have about 5-10 seconds when the flare is bright enough to easily spot.

[edit on 30-12-2008 by C.H.U.D.]

reply to post by C.H.U.D.



I'm fairly certain I'm looking in the right direction, I guess I'm not looking at the right time, since I was expecting a continual bright light moving across the sky.

Cheers

I usually find myself looking too low but they are usually so bright that they jump out at you. And note the azimuth is given relative to true north, not magnetic.

A tip to getting the elevation right:
Your fist, held with the thumb up at an arm's length gives you about ten degrees. Count fists above the horizon to get in the right neighborhood a couple of minutes beforehand.


[edit on 12/31/2008 by Phage]

You wouldn't read about it, I was at a friends house celebrating new years when I spot what at first I thought was a normal satellite, then it got real bright, then faded away. So, after purposely trying to spot one for the last few weeks and failing I've managed to spot one accidentally.

Weird how things happen like that


Good tips too phage, cheers!