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wow-2 bright flaring satellites about 22:10

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  • 14-11-2014 11:18pm
    #1
    MeteoritesEire
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭


    anybody else see them.Never seen that before-brightest satellite ever seen and there were 2 of them almost following each other.Very cool lookin-ran inside for vid cam and couldn't locate it grr


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    #2
    shedweller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭shedweller


    MeteoritesEire wrote: »
    anybody else see them.Never seen that before-brightest satellite ever seen and there were 2 of them almost following each other.Very cool lookin-ran inside for vid cam and couldn't locate it grr
    Not a thing im afraid. Stuck in work. Did you look up any satellite apps for ID?


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    #3
    MeteoritesEire
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭MeteoritesEire


    I didn't but I'm reasonably confident they were satellites.At first because of the brightness I thought helicopters or planes but then the lack of sound,trajectory and fading brightness eliminated all but the obvious....I think. They were passing roughly southeast to northwest just below cassiopeia and thru big dipper.Spaceweathers sat tracker is down at min


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    #4
    shedweller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭shedweller


    Southeast to northwest is an unusual orbit for sure! And a closely orbiting pair only adds to the strangeness. Who launches satellites "the wrong way"??? Unless they were in a polar orbit??


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    #5
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,386 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Even though there was partial cloud cover last night the stars were spectacularly bright! There was a gap in the clouds that revealed Orion, which looked brilliant. Normally the light pollution reduces the brightness, but for some reason not last night.


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    #6
    shedweller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭shedweller


    looksee wrote: »
    Even though there was partial cloud cover last night the stars were spectacularly bright! There was a gap in the clouds that revealed Orion, which looked brilliant. Normally the light pollution reduces the brightness, but for some reason not last night.
    That would have been the epic rain that cleaned the atmosphere. Shows how much dirt is in our skies.
    I still dont know who launches satellites "the wong way". Really weird.


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    #7
    shedweller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭shedweller


    Could be the Future Imagery Architecture satellites, although its not clear if any fly in pairs.

    Or this:

    http://www.satobs.org/noss.html


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    #8
    shedweller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭shedweller


    Funnily enough the app Solar Walk has two satellites heading that way at that time but not very closely. I wouldnt call them a pair in any case. They are Daichi and Envisat.
    Worth a look?


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    #9
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    shedweller wrote: »
    That would have been the epic rain that cleaned the atmosphere. Shows how much dirt is in our skies.
    I still dont know who launches satellites "the wong way". Really weird.

    Don't quote me on this, but a vaguely remember reading somewhere that the Israelis have a least one Satellite up there orbiting the wrong way. I am far from sure however!


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    #10
    bogwalrus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,454 ✭✭✭bogwalrus


    The Russians launched a satellite recently that is supposed to be in an irregular orbit. This particular satellite has been maneuvering to other Russian satellites since its launch so it might have been what you saw. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/cdd0bdb6-6c27-11e4-990f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3JbI1udzM


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    #11
    MeteoritesEire
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭MeteoritesEire


    shedweller wrote: »
    Funnily enough the app Solar Walk has two satellites heading that way at that time but not very closely. I wouldnt call them a pair in any case. They are Daichi and Envisat.
    Worth a look?

    will check out solar walk
    the 2 weren't very close-just that they were both moving in sameish orbit and both flaring at same time--maybe 10 or 12 apparent full moon widths apart


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    #12
    Popoutman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,363 ✭✭✭Popoutman


    bogwalrus wrote: »
    The Russians launched a satellite recently that is supposed to be in an irregular orbit. This particular satellite has been maneuvering to other Russian satellites since its launch so it might have been what you saw. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/cdd0bdb6-6c27-11e4-990f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3JbI1udzM

    That object is quite small and (afaik) not visible at all from the ground.

    Heavens-above.com is the place to go for satellite visibility for me, and you can look at retrospective passes as well.


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