Do some satellites blink?

[Fossiker]

The International space station can be seen at times on a clear night

 

[Guest]

Just how I like it,a fast and furious thread that burns out on re entry :bomb: arty: :Y: cheers

 

[Mr Magoo]

A question for the star gazers,I was walking the pooches tonight and decided to take a breather and gazed skyward.
There was no moon yet,so no light pollution.
I spotted a very small ?satellite and about every 10 seconds would do a double blink/flash,it was travelling from south to north.
Then I spotted another satellite travelling west to east that was not flashing[the common type]
So the question is do some satellite blink [no alcohol consumed]yet

Been done before. https://www.space.com/19564-japanese-satellite-morse-code-stargazing.html

 

[Guest]

wow,thanks for that,i'm also impressed that my eyeballs are still working ok :lol:

 

[Sandbagger]

Look up iridium flares. You'll find it interesting.

Also, if you want the timetable of visible passes of the international space station and other satelites, look at heavens above dot com.

You're welcome.

Baz.

 

[LONEWOLF]

For those interested,

6.30AM EST Tomorrow, History will be made... Again... First launch of Humans from USA soil since the Shuttle days....

Go SpaceX........ Go Crew Dragon.... You Show them Proud... :Y: ower:

60% chance of favourable Weather.... Next launch Window is 2 days later, Same time, if they don't launch tomorrow..

LW...

 

[CreviceSucker]

I have seen a satellite do a 90 degree turn, not sure they are supposed to do that........

Regards,
Tote

Yup

I saw one do that when I was about 10 years old and it then covered the distance across the night sky in a split second.

My teenage neighbour standing next to me said ;

Did you see that ! ! ! ....It just... It went from .....It ummm , it ummm , it went ahhh , ummm..... then he just went quiet and looked at me.

He was trying to rationalise how it turned in a circle and then split at Mach 10,000.

 

[Tathradj]

I used to wonder what the sudden quick green flash was sometimes at Sunset.
Only a few years ago I found out about an "iridium Flash."

Turns out it is the Sun reflecting momentarily of the solar panels of an Iridium Satellite.

When Musk said he was going to launch a skynet of satellites, I wondered what it would do to
our telescope gazers.

I was right, They show up ruining some shots.