[AstroNet] Reporting an observation

[Hannes Pieterse]

(Revised email)

Hallo Vic

Like Willie said - It is not always an iridium satellite. Sometimes you are lucky if you have binoculars ready. You wil see the satellite which is not visible with the naked eye after the reflection.

The more you go outside to observe the sky, the more you will see these
unexplainable explainables

My guess is a satellite and the sun reflected from the body or a solar
pannel. I have seen it many time at strange hours of the night. Depending on how high above the earth the satellite is and also the position of the sun.

Next time: write down the exact time it happens. Make a rough drawing of the
brightest stars. Then use a star map or free softtware like Orbitron to plot the
satellites like Hubble, ISS and many others. Orbitron will tell you in which constellation the satellite was at a specific time.

The free software - Stelarium, will also show a number of visible satellites in real time. Google stelarium and download. Look in the different menus - you must download the satelellite info seperately.

The website www.heavens-above.com wil also help to plot satellites. For iridium satellites you must select the town/city where you are observing from.

It is big family fun to watch how the iridium satellites flair. Sometimes
magnitude -8.

The above website and software will also help you with the predictions of
the iridium satellites.

(Last night we followed Iridium 6 from Reebok. It flaired to mag 1. Not very bright, but we could see the difference. - 6 Jan)

Hannes Pieterse
assabfn.blogspot.com

Hannes Pieterse

On 07 Jan 2012, at 0:46, Willie Koorts <wpk at saao.ac.za> wrote:

> Hi Vic
> 
> If I may dare a reply, this could of course have been a number of things (apart from an explosion).  Although you say it was not moving, the fact that it was of short duration is probably most likely a glint off a flat surface of a high altitude satellite which is otherwise invisible, being too faint.  I have seen similar events before.  Even geostationary satellites can produce naked eye flashes if the circumstances are good.
> 
> Regards
> Willie
> 
> From: "Vic Viviers" <vicviviers at telkomsa.net>
> To: astronet at mail.saasta.ac.za
> Sent: Thursday, 5 January, 2012 8:09:29 PM
> Subject: [AstroNet] Reporting an observation
> 
> Good day all
> 
> As a new member I wish to report something extraordinary that I have seen during the night on 2 January 2012 at +- 3:00:
> 
> While I was lying awake looking at the stars as usual through my window towards the south-western sky there was a bright flash [not moving] that lasted for a split second at the point I was looking at. I have never seen anything like this before and was wondering whether I have observed an explosion of some heavenly object.
> 
> Is there perhaps an explanation for this?
> 
> I would like to hear from you.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Vic Viviers 
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> 
> -- 
>                        Mr. W.P. Koorts ( wpk at saao.ac.za )
>                     South African Astronomical Observatory
>                  P.O. Box 9, Observatory, 7935, South Africa
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