Things you need:
1. a computer
2. a clear dark sky with as little light pollution as possible
3. a decent sense of direction ie which way is north, south, east and west. A knowledge of constellations is helpful but not necessary
4. a digital watch is also helpful but not necessary
Steps
1. go to http://www.heavens-above.com/ At the top right click on Location. In the next page enter your latitude and longitude if you know it or the nearest city and click update
2. go back to the main page, and under "Satellites" click Iridium flares. This will give you the dates and times(Note: time is in 24h military time format) of the Iridium satellite passes for your area. (For more info on what an Iridium satellite is go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation) Note the magnitude, the more negative numbers indicate a brighter flare. Write down the time of the flare and the altitude and azimuth
3. clicking on the date and time will show you the path that the satellite will be taking. You will only be able to see it for a small portion of this, indicated by the star. A flare only lasts 2-3 seconds.
4. update the time on your computer so it is synced with the exact time. Sync your watch so it matches your computer time and if possible set an alarm for the time of the flare
5. Use a compass or zoom in on your house on google earth to orient yourself as to the cardinal directions.
6. Locate the portion of the sky where the flare will be appearing. recall the azimuth from step 2. 0 is due north, 90 is due east, 180 is due south and 270 is due west. recall the altitude from step 2. An astronomers trick is to extend your arm and make a fist; your fist will be roughly 10 degrees. If you are familiar with star constellations and it's dark enough, the star map from step 3 is very helpful
7. A few minutes before the flare is scheduled go out and get your eyes accustomed to the darkness. As the time of the flare approaches, slowly scan the general area in the sky where the flare is scheduled to appear
8. With any luck, you will see the flare appear, get gradually brighter then fade back to dark. Many people mistake them for UFO's
Once you get good at spotting Iridium flares, you can move on to regular satellites. These are generally much dimmer so a clear, moonless sky well away from light pollution is more important. On the upside the time 'window' for viewing regular satellites is much greater. Even faint satellites can be seen for approximately 2 MINUTES, covering at least 1/3 of the satellite's arc
How to do it: From the Heavens above main page, click 'Daily predictions for brighter satellites' and follow the same procedure for spotting Iridium flares. Pay particular attention to the satellite's magnitude. Recall that the higher the magnitude is, the dimmer the satellite will be. From the pass details map page, click on "Info." if you're curious about the life story of what you're looking at
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
1. a computer
2. a clear dark sky with as little light pollution as possible
3. a decent sense of direction ie which way is north, south, east and west. A knowledge of constellations is helpful but not necessary
4. a digital watch is also helpful but not necessary
Steps
1. go to http://www.heavens-above.com/ At the top right click on Location. In the next page enter your latitude and longitude if you know it or the nearest city and click update
2. go back to the main page, and under "Satellites" click Iridium flares. This will give you the dates and times(Note: time is in 24h military time format) of the Iridium satellite passes for your area. (For more info on what an Iridium satellite is go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation) Note the magnitude, the more negative numbers indicate a brighter flare. Write down the time of the flare and the altitude and azimuth
3. clicking on the date and time will show you the path that the satellite will be taking. You will only be able to see it for a small portion of this, indicated by the star. A flare only lasts 2-3 seconds.
4. update the time on your computer so it is synced with the exact time. Sync your watch so it matches your computer time and if possible set an alarm for the time of the flare
5. Use a compass or zoom in on your house on google earth to orient yourself as to the cardinal directions.
6. Locate the portion of the sky where the flare will be appearing. recall the azimuth from step 2. 0 is due north, 90 is due east, 180 is due south and 270 is due west. recall the altitude from step 2. An astronomers trick is to extend your arm and make a fist; your fist will be roughly 10 degrees. If you are familiar with star constellations and it's dark enough, the star map from step 3 is very helpful
7. A few minutes before the flare is scheduled go out and get your eyes accustomed to the darkness. As the time of the flare approaches, slowly scan the general area in the sky where the flare is scheduled to appear
8. With any luck, you will see the flare appear, get gradually brighter then fade back to dark. Many people mistake them for UFO's
Once you get good at spotting Iridium flares, you can move on to regular satellites. These are generally much dimmer so a clear, moonless sky well away from light pollution is more important. On the upside the time 'window' for viewing regular satellites is much greater. Even faint satellites can be seen for approximately 2 MINUTES, covering at least 1/3 of the satellite's arc
How to do it: From the Heavens above main page, click 'Daily predictions for brighter satellites' and follow the same procedure for spotting Iridium flares. Pay particular attention to the satellite's magnitude. Recall that the higher the magnitude is, the dimmer the satellite will be. From the pass details map page, click on "Info." if you're curious about the life story of what you're looking at
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
