11–20 of 68 posts
The launch of more Iridium Next sats is actually in progress over at Spacex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_0GgKfwCSk
I used to have a cron job that ran a little perl script that screen scraped heavens-above once a day and then set up 'at' jobs to send me an SMS when a visible pass of the ISS or an Iridium flare was going to show up over me in the next 5 minutes. Was a great party trick at times and I got to see some great flares and also saw the ISS and a space shuttle a few miles from each other.
The launch of more Iridium Next sats is actually in progress over at Spacex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_0GgKfwCSk
Which will not flare.
(I always thought flares were sunlight reflections off solar panels. Is it that the new ones have less panels? Or is it about positioning?)
I used to have a cron job that ran a little perl script that screen scraped heavens-above once a day and then set up 'at' jobs to send me an SMS when a visible pass of the ISS or an Iridium flare was going to show up over me in the next 5 minutes. Was a great party trick at times and I got to see some great flares and also saw the ISS and a space shuttle a few miles from each other.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which will not flare.
Whats the reason for this? What is it about a satellite that causes it to produce flares that the new ones don't have. (I always thought flares were sunlight reflections off solar panels. Is it that the new ones have less panels? Or is it about positioning?)
I used to have a cron job that ran a little perl script that screen scraped heavens-above once a day and then set up 'at' jobs to send me an SMS when a visible pass of the ISS or an Iridium flare was going to show up over me in the next 5 minutes. Was a great party trick at times and I got to see some great flares and also saw the ISS and a space shuttle a few miles from each other.
I’d love to subscribe to this!
I've been telling people for a while that this year might be their last chance to see an Iridium flare. Just today I had a predicted daytime flare but it did not show up. Seems like maybe the chance has already gone. You can still see other satellites and the ISS, but the Iridium flares were special. I'm glad I showed my wife a good one last year.
I didn't know these were a thing until reading this, and now wonder if I'll ever get to see one. Ohai, wistfulness. Thank you, HN, for expanding my world yet again.