Rare astronomy moment

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Conn Buckley
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Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:28 am
Location: Crecora, Co. Limerick

Rare astronomy moment

Post by Conn Buckley » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:40 pm

I was on holiday in Sardinia at my sister -in- laws holiday home recently. The house is built on a hillside and is about 100 metres above sea level, looking towards the border of Spain and France. Each evening we had a magnificent uninterrupted view of a glorious sunset. The house has a section ,that looks more like a pulpit , built out from the house and we would eat out there. We had a 180 degree view of the sky, from Polaris in the North to Jupiter in the South. On the evening of 14th Aug. our hosts told me that they could easily identify the plough but could I clarify which was the Pole star.
I mentioned that if we were lucky we just might see the ISS ( I had details of the times with me but did not let on ) and it would be somewhere close to the Pole star. Right on cue the ISS appears and all are really impressed. Then just a few degrees south of the ISS there is a brilliant flash and I hear shouts of what was something like Jaaaaaaayzus! in Italian. They were visibly excited at what they had just seen and eagerly asked could I explain?
I calmly told them that they had just observed an Iridium flare and that this was so called because there was to be 77 communications satellites launched and 77 happened to be the atomic no. for Iridium and the flash was sunlight reflecting from one of these satellites.
I had hardly made this explanation when a meteor streaked across the sky (probably a Perseid straggler) and a few more Italian expletives. This led to the explanation that we are all familiar with. Were they impressed or what?
p.s. We only had one bottle of wine between 4 of us -- honest!
Just one of those rare moments -- you could never plan it.

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Dave Lillis
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Location: Limerick city

Post by Dave Lillis » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:21 am

A nice story Conn, its great to see people taking an interest in the sky.
Dave L. on facebook, See my images in flickr
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go. :)

Frank Ryan
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Location: Ballycasey, Co. Clare

Post by Frank Ryan » Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:18 am

Great story Con!
Sounds like it was a great night.

I have to say,
if it was an Iridium flare then you by accident saw what I have been trying to
predict for ages!
I set myself a challenge last year to take a long exposure shot of the ISS and to
also get an Iridium flare in the frame.
I usually check Heavens Above for both hoping to spot a crossover.
You'd be surprised how may close calls I've documented, but they have all
either been just that little bit too far apart by time or in distance from each other.

I have though heard reports of supply modules that follow the ISS flaring occasionally, maybe it was that?

You say it was the 14th of Aug?
If you give me the town name or co ordinates I could check it out for you?

also, only one bottle of wine between four is a disaster!

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