Question Regarding Something in Night Sky

Okay, I am no expert, that is why I am asking this question. A couple of nights this week I have sat out on the patio and gazed at the stars... I see what appears to be a star, but it is moving slowly across the sky, all of a sudden, it gets very bright and seems bigger, then disappears... it was probably about midnight last night when I saw one and maybe 10pm the night before... do satellites do that?

Have any of you seen this before? I truly am curious, because I think its neat whatever it is... I jokingly told my husband, (he saw them too), that they were using the warp drive!

Yes, satellites do do this. It is called an Iridium Flare. They are quite a sight are they not? I too have mistaken them for something unearthly, though technically I guess they ARE unearthly.

en.wikipedia.org...-1

Thank you! I really like to see them! I am a little disappointed though that it wasn't the SS Enterprise warping over to some alien planet!