Am i seing a satellite with my bare eyes?

[pyoko]

I was in the Tasmanian outback in Australia, on a very clear night. Looking up at the sky, I saw a winking light (it was very small and dim, but quite visible). It was slowly winking on and off, appearing white in colour. Like a tiny star winking on and off. It was moving ever-so-slowly in a line ( I observed it for over 30 minutes before I got bored.)<br /><br />It appeared way too small/ high to be an airplane/ helicopter. Is what I saw a satellite? Maybe the light reflecting off the solar pannels?<br /><br />(please don't hit me. I'm new.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#ff9900" class="Apple-style-span">-pyoko</span> <span style="color:#333333" class="Apple-style-span">the</span> <span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span">duck </span></p><p><span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color:#808080;font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.</span></span></p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

If it was a low-earth-orbit satellite, it would go by quicker than 30 minutes. If it was in geo-synchronous orbit, it would probably be too faint to see and wouldn't move at all. This leaves something in between unless you're not accurate with your 30 minutes figure. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[frostbrewed]

30 minutes does seem a little long for it to be a visible satellite and satellites don't usually blink either. <br /><br />What direction was it moving; ie. south to north west to east?<br />Was it within 2 hours after sunset? <br />Was it within 2 hours before sunrise?<br /><br />I have observed as many as 6 satellites on extremely clear nights within about 2 hours. They look nothing like planes at all. They don't blink, they look like little stars moving in a straight line and usually appear to move faster than planes.<br />I wonder if it could have been a large chunk of spinning (blinking) space debris moving in a slow orbit?<br /><br />Frost

 

[pyoko]

Hmm thanks for the answers, guys. Although this happened several years ago (around 1994), I distinctly remember the light flashing on and off at a constant rate, and flashing in a fading/ slowly reappearing way. When I said 30 minutes - perhaps it was less. <br />Someone mentioned Irridium Flares and the website http://www.heavens-above.com/ to locate them. It doesn't describe them as flashing, though. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#ff9900" class="Apple-style-span">-pyoko</span> <span style="color:#333333" class="Apple-style-span">the</span> <span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span">duck </span></p><p><span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color:#808080;font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.</span></span></p> </div>

 

[frostbrewed]

Iridium satellites don't blink but they do flash(flare) once for about two seconds and they move extremely fast, you will rarely see them for more than a minute or two. <br /><br />I'll bet it was space junk......<br /><br />Frost

 

[frostbrewed]

shuttle wrote:<br /><font color="yellow">Dead satellites do since they loose attitude control and tumble.</font><br /><br />Thats why I said it was probably some kind of space junk. Something spinning and reflecting sunlight off the reflective parts as it spins. <br /><br />Frost

 

[tony873004]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><i>The movement is 360 degrees divided by 24 hours or 15 degrees a day or the diameter of the full moon in about 30 min. </i>,<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />15 degrees per hour. The diameter of the full moon every 2 minutes.

 

[pyoko]

I guess it could have been space junk. It wasnt bright enough to be Iridium, nor did it behave like one. Thanks for the answers =) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#ff9900" class="Apple-style-span">-pyoko</span> <span style="color:#333333" class="Apple-style-span">the</span> <span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span">duck </span></p><p><span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color:#808080;font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.</span></span></p> </div>