Message posted by Gimbal on July 01, 2011 at 3:02:30 PST:

It is called an Iridium Flare not because the Satellite or it's panels are made actually of Iridium but goes back to when the first comms sats were planned there were to be 77 the Element number for Iridium. There are 66 working so should be called Dyprosium Flares. Lol. These were made up of 3 Iridium panels though.

Solar Panels on Satellites will reflect Sunlight and if you are at the correct angle to the passing Satellite and its position with the Sun it will Flare even though it is not made of Iridium. Basically any flat shiney surface will reflect sunlight and as it hits the terminal point it Flares and that is now commonly called an Iridium Flare despite not having that material. The brightest I have seen is the ISS which can be brighter than the Moon well worth a look.

In Reply to: Re: high altitude flyover? posted by anonymous on June 30, 2011 at 22:48:41 PST:

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