'Iridium 59'

Iridium 59

[Public Domain] 10 Jul 2014 Dylan O'Donnell
CATEGORY : Astrophotography
5,382 others viewed this post.

My first iridium flare!

Which is a fancy word for the quick little glint of light that comes off satellite solar panels as they turn in the sky. They look like mini shooting stars. Trippy right?

It takes split second precision to catch them, especially when the sky is still quite bright so exposures are short. This one was a 4 second shot. Thank god for smartphones, which can predict and time them accurately wherever you are.

It is a little obscured by the branches, but I was thrilled to see Mars, Spica and Saturn all in frame when I looked closely later at home.

 Download Full Resolution (1200x1200) 753KB


More Astrophotography ...

LDN1622 - Bogeyman Nebula
Astrophotography
Sunrise on Clavius Crater
Astrophotography
Helix Nebula
Astrophotography
IC 4685 - Bow and Arrow Nebula
Astrophotography
M20 Trifid Nebula
Astrophotography
The Dragon's Egg NGC 6164
Astrophotography
Lavender NGC 3324 "Gabriela Mistral" Nebula
Astrophotography
6% Moon with Earthshine.
Astrophotography
TWO GALAXIES KISSING - NGC 4038 & 4039
Astrophotography
M42 Orion's Misty Peaks
Astrophotography
M78 Dark Nebula
Astrophotography
NGC3576 - "Statue of Liberty" Nebula
Astrophotography
Henize N70 Superbubble Nebula
Astrophotography
Thor's Helmet - NGC 2359
Astrophotography
SH2-279 - Orion's Little Brother
Astrophotography
Lunar Eclipse Totality (HDR) November 2022
Astrophotography
M16 - Eagle Nebula
Astrophotography
M20 Trifid Nebula
Astrophotography
NGC6188 - The Krakken (Nebula)
Astrophotography
Thackeray's Globules in IC2944
Astrophotography
The Jaguar in the Rose (NGC 2238 Detail)
Astrophotography
Horsehead Nebula (IC434) & VdB 52
Astrophotography
The Horsehead Nebula (B33, IC434 & Alnitak)
Astrophotography
NGC 2070 - Tarantula Nebula
Astrophotography
Astrophotography Archives ...