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Topic Title: Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?
Topic Summary: How many UFO posts are we allowed per screen name here?
Created On: 01/26/2021 06:32 PM
Linear : Threading : Single : Branch
 Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?   - ponch - 01/26/2021 06:32 PM  
 Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?   - Cole - 01/27/2021 05:05 AM  
 Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?   - CurtisEflush - 01/27/2021 07:30 AM  
 Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?   - Greensleeves - 01/28/2021 07:12 AM  
 Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?   - ponch - 01/28/2021 04:12 PM  
 Anyone Else Like to Spot Satellites?   - Greensleeves - 01/29/2021 07:22 AM  
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 01/26/2021 06:32 PM
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ponch

Posts: 950
Joined Forum: 02/28/2006

Some people don't believe you can see satellites on clear nights for about an hour after sunset or before sunrise.
The satellites are so high that the sun is still shining on them and reflects the sun back to us.
It's fun and I look up when the timing and conditions are right every chance I get.

Every now and then I see blinking satellites moving at normal satellite speed. I call those tumblers. Their apparent blinking is due to their rotation. Sometimes you can make out the faint satellite between blinks.

Rarely you'll see a satellite cruising by then there is a very bright flash just before it enters the earth's shadow. I think they call this a "flare" and it's due to the different angles on the satellite.

Even more rarely, there are these satellites that seem stationary or move very slowly and blink every 8-10 seconds. I call these flashers or blinkers. They are very bright, almost like a camera flash in the sky. Every time I've noticed one, the first blink is the brightest and I'll see 2-3 blinks max, then gone. If you focus hard enough you can see the faint light in between blinks.

I was leaning toward they must be geostationary, geosynchronous, or defunct satellites. Could be space junk as well. I've researched these and heard people claim that if a satellite is tumbling or rotating (blinking), it's not doing its job and it's useless (abandoned or space junk). I've also heard that we shouldn't be able to see geosynchronous or geostationary satellites with a naked eye due to their distance and brightness. I'm definitely no expert and I don't know if the people who made the claims are either.

So these are stationary (or very slowly moving) blinking lights, but we supposedly can't see geostationary or geosynchronous sats with our naked eye?
I get the tumbling satellites, but the fact that these barely move confuses me.

Anyone else witnessed this? Any better explanations?

Here are some links to examples:

Blinker

Blinker 2

Geostationary Satellite Time Lapse 1

Geostationary Satellite Time Lapse 2

Geostationary Satellite Time Lapse 3

I'll try not to let the door hit my ass too hard on the way out...

Edited: 01/26/2021 at 06:35 PM by ponch
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