Iridium 59

 Download Full Resolution (1200x1200) 753KB 5,557

Iridium 59

[Public Domain] 10 Jul 2014 Dylan O'Donnell
CATEGORY : Astrophotography
5,558 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