Satellite memories and Iridium flares

When I was young, my family would sit on the front porch or in the yard of my grandfather and grandmother's house on warm summer evenings and talk. Since I was a youngster, I mostly listened to the adults.

Every so often we would notice a bright star-like object -- a satellite -- pass overhead and I would remark that a satellite was currently viewable. Since at that age I was already a space nut (or was that space case?) we would talk about what was flying overhead. Often as not I could name the satellite and tell about it.

Today that would be difficult as at present count there are more than 2,200 man-made satellites in orbit around the Earth, more than 10,000 if you count the pieces of space junk and left over debris from decades of space exploration that is up there too.

I still enjoy watching a satellite go overhead, especially if it is the International Space Station or one of the space shuttles when they are in orbit.

One special satellite that gets my attention these days is known as Iridium. Not so much because of its brightness as it goes over, in fact they are very difficult to see, they hold my attention because of what they do, they flare, or reflect sunlight off of their antenna panels.

These flares appear as very bright, short-term events, that last only a few seconds, but their brightness is an image that will last a long time in the memory.

The Iridium satellite "constellation" consists of 66 small communication satellites in low earth orbit. Their original intent was to enable cellphone-like communication on a world-wide basis. While it was a grand idea it didn't work out financially and the original company went bankrupt. Afterwards a second company purchased the satellites and is making an effort to get satellite communication off the ground, so to speak. The biggest user of the service currently is the U.S. military.

Iridium flares can be seen from anywhere on Earth, if you are in the right place at the right time. The real trick is knowing where to look for the next flare. Fortunately there is an on-line Internet link that will give the time and location for Iridium flares. The link is http://www.heavens-above.com/

There are some hoops you need to jump through and you will need to establish your location (latitude and longitude), but they have a very large database with a lot of places listed with that information.

For example, according to Heavens Above the next Iridium flare for McCook will be on Thursday, March 8, at 7:36 p.m. looking north, or on Friday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. also looking north. There are several others but they are in the early morning hours, check Heavens Above for the next evening listing. Keep in mind that Iridium flares are very brief, only a few seconds long, and very bright. Once you see one it will be something you will always remember.

SKY WATCH: Third quarter Moon on March 11, also an hour before sunrise on the 11th look for a conjunction of Jupiter, Antares, and the Moon in the southwest. Venus is still brightly shining in the west after sunset and Saturn is in the east. In the morning sky, Jupiter is the bright object in the southeast near reddish Antares just before sunrise. Don't forget, Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, March 11. Turn your clocks ahead an hour before going to bed.

Next time, the constellations of spring.