A chance to spot a satellite flashing LED lights

FITSAT-1 Flashing Satellite

This small Japanese satellite which was recently released from the ISS is equipped with powerful LEDs which will flash Morse code messages and should be visible from the ground. You can find the times this satellite passes over your location at www.heavens-above.com...

Article about the satellite: www.gizmag.com...

More details can be found on the satellite's web site www.fit.ac.jp...

Also, a very useful site (with maps) that I bookmarked a few days ago is this one...
satflare


Edit - it says the next activation of LEDS will be over the middle of the USA, in 12 and half hours from now.
It only goes for 4 minutes, so plan ahead.

Way too cool.
Especially the part about using a permanent magnet to hold ground alignment.

Thanks for the heads-up wildespace

I'll be keeping an eye out for this one over the coming days. There are a few quite promising passes over my location.

reply to post by wildespace


Excellent thanks for the links and the heads up.

This is pretty cool for geeks like me but it makes me think of The Big Bang Theory episode when theyre on the roof bouncing lasers off the mirror on the moon. Exciting stuff for the nerds but maybe not so much for joe public.

Prepare for an influx of UFO reports then. "OMG THE ALIENS ARE COMMUNICATING WITH US"

I'd like to see this!

Thanks OP for the info and to all who contributed to supplying good websites to bookmark.
It is amazing how much free sites allow the average person to know if we look.