Any other satellite watchers around?

[awellis3]

With clearer nights and earlier sunsets, I love this time of year to sit out and watch the satellites going over. Anyone else doing this?

[bob213]

I do. I use this tool for alerts either on your phone or computer.
http://www.n2yo.com/info/?a=22

[Teamfour]

Yes. I use Dish. [emoji12]

[RangeMaggotBob]

We don't sit around waiting for satellites, but we do go out and look at the International Space Station when it flies over. Now that's an awesome sight!

[benagi]

Originally Posted by tdst51

We don't sit around waiting for satellites, but we do go out and look at the International Space Station when it flies over. Now that's an awesome sight!

Same here. Back when the shuttle was flying we got to see the shuttle and the space station chasing each other in the same sighting .

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by tdst51

We don't sit around waiting for satellites, but we do go out and look at the International Space Station when it flies over. Now that's an awesome sight!

Same here.

[Sagecoachdriver]

We go out and watch the ISS fly over on occasion. Missed a fly-by last night, 6 minutes long. Will try again tomorrow for a 3 minute. Neighbors wonder what we are looking at and are amazed.

[SKnight]

I love doing that, I also have a big telescope that I like getting out, but local authorities have told me that's unsavory behavior despite it being pointed straight up and usually in a well lit area.

Have y'all heard of iridium flares? Satellites that have iridium costed panels that reflect the sun like a mirror. They look like a regular satellite until they suddenly get brighter. I use this site for those and more.

Heavens-Above

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by SKnight

I love doing that, I also have a big telescope that I like getting out, but local authorities have told me that's unsavory behavior despite it being pointed straight up and usually in a well lit area.

Have y'all heard of iridium flares? Satellites that have iridium costed panels that reflect the sun like a mirror. They look like a regular satellite until they suddenly get brighter. I use this site for those and more.

Heavens-Above

Give this a try, its an awesome app for Iridium flares in addition to the ISS.
ISS Detector

Can you elaborate more on the telescope and the local authorities? Sounds like a good story. Reflector, Refractor or Cassegrain? Do they have some type of ordinance against it? Did you get accused of checking out the neighbors wife or something?

[Cowracer]

I live in the Suburbs of St. Louis. I am lucky if I can see Orion from all the light pollution. I never know how bad it was till I stayed up in way deep rural Illinois once. I just stood there, marveling at the milky-way until my neck cramped.


Tim

[hbjoe3]

We like watching them too. This time of the year it is to cold to be star gazing. When I was 10 or so I would stand out on the frozen lake with my toy telescope and scan the sky for hours. Now I know why I could not get my parents out there with me.

[DaveSchwartz]

I've been an amateur astronomer for most of my life. Back in the day it used to be the exception to see a satellite go through your telescope field of view once in a night. Now it is the rule that it will happen multiple times per night. So much junk up there!

BTW: Iridium flares have nothing to do with the element Iridium. They're called that because that's the name of the satellite telephone service (originally created by Motorola, then bought out of what was then the largest bankruptcy in history). The 'flares' are caused by direct reflection of the sun off the flat-panel antenna arrays as it sweeps across your location. They look like ordinary dim satellites as the sun reflects off their rest of the structure until their orbit causes just the correct alignment between your location and the sun when they become hundreds of times brighter for a few seconds. Lots of sites give times and even track predictions. I use CalSky because it does so much more.

[Nurek]

If you have a smartphone and want to see what is above you (or below) in the sky (day or night) go get Skyview Free!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FE9Acu1mec

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...viewfree&hl=en

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/skyv...413936865?mt=8

[rvrobocop]

Mostly the ISS. As others have stated, when there is a full 6 minute window on a clear night it is awesome. A good part of the excitement is being the first one to find it while camping with a group.

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Give this a try, its an awesome app for Iridium flares in addition to the ISS.
ISS Detector

Can you elaborate more on the telescope and the local authorities? Sounds like a good story. Reflector, Refractor or Cassegrain? Do they have some type of ordinance against it? Did you get accused of checking out the neighbors wife or something?

Thanks for the app! I've wanted something for my phone for awhile now.

I've got a 14" Discovery reflector on a Dobsonian mount. I've had that poor scope for 15 years now and it's got more miles traveling that most campers!

A couple of years ago while Saturn was at opposition I was camping at my local state park, since I had the scope with me I decided to get it out. First two nights was no problem, night three was different.

I set up next to the bathhouse, mainly because they had a light going so people could see what I was doing, plus I invited people over to take a look. I had a crowd of about 10 people gathered, very quietly I might add. We were talking, but not above a normal conversation. I was hitting other objects in the sky when at 10:00 on the dot a guy whose site was next to the bathhouse came bounding out of his door with a zillion candlepower flashlight demanding to know what I was doing there.

Me-"We're looking at Saturn and other celestial sites, care for a look?"

Him-"No, you know it's quiet time, don't you?"

Me-"Are we being too loud? Am I doing something against the rules?"

Him-"No, but you shouldn't be out here after quiet time."

Then, quickly as he appeared, he slid back into his camper. I checked, he wasn't the host, so I don't know what his deal was. My crowd decided to go anyway, so I packed it up.

I posted about it here and wouldn't you know it, the usual suspects started in about how discourteous I was for being out late or how I was setup next to the bathhouse (Not only was it deserted that night, and had the typical no unfrosted windows, and I was pointed straight up.) and peeping or how I was looking in other campers, again, looking up plus my scope won't focus on anything less than a mile away.

I got defensive, the bad side of me reared up and the thread was closed. I'll link it if you'd like to see it.

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by DaveSchwartz

BTW: Iridium flares have nothing to do with the element Iridium.

What? I was always told that the panels were iridium coated to enhance their heat reflecting quality. Harrumph, I've been lying to countless people for years!

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by SKnight

What? I was always told that the panels were iridium coated to enhance their heat reflecting quality. Harrumph, I've been lying to countless people for years!

Well I'll be, I have been lying all these years. Learn something new every day!

The original concept was to have 77 satellites, which is where the name Iridium came from, being the element with the atomic number 77 and the satellites evoking the Bohr model image of electrons orbiting around the Earth as its nucleus. This reduced set of 6 planes is sufficient to cover the entire Earth's surface at every moment.

Because of the shape of the Iridium satellites' reflective antennas, the satellites focus sunlight on a small area of the Earth's surface in an incidental manner. This results in an effect called Iridium flares, where the satellite momentarily appears as one of the brightest objects in the night sky and can even be seen during daylight.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by SKnight

Then, quickly as he appeared, he slid back into his camper. I checked, he wasn't the host, so I don't know what his deal was. My crowd decided to go anyway, so I packed it up.

I know what his deal was, or what he was.

By all means link it, Thanks

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

I know what his deal was, or what he was.

By all means link it, Thanks

Here ya go.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...his-63060.html

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by SKnight

I posted about it here and wouldn't you know it, the usual suspects started in about how discourteous I was for being out late or how I was setup next to the bathhouse (Not only was it deserted that night, and had the typical no unfrosted windows, and I was pointed straight up.) and peeping or how I was looking in other campers, again, looking up plus my scope won't focus on anything less than a mile away.

I got defensive, the bad side of me reared up and the thread was closed. I'll link it if you'd like to see it.

I remember that thread - a unfortunate circumstance (BTW I was on your side Steve

Here is another great iPhone App (I am sure it is available for the android as well):

Skywalk.

It is a paid app but the cool thing is you can hold it up to the sky and it will *show* you what is in the sky (visible and not) based on where you are pointing your iPhone. VERY Cool!