Satellites

just wondering, there are satellites in geo-stationary orbits? Now i know they would only be visible if the sun is reflecting off thier shiny surfaces - but are any of these sats visible ... ever.....or am i completly mad??? would they appear to move.. slowly or at all

I have always wondered that myself Declan. I think the geostationary ones are in a higher altitude orbit, as they need to cover quite a considerable 2-way distance. Therefore, either we can't see them as they are so far away (and small), or we can, and are nothing more than a very faint extra star up there.

Seanie.

I would assume that the ones in syncronous orbit around the planet appear stationary..............if they are vissible.

Hi all,

Geostationary satellites drift a little from their parked orbits but are visible in even binoculars. As Seanie mentioned, they are faint but are well within the reach of small instruments and are spread along the celestial equator. More details at www.satobs.org/geosats.html

My most memorable sight a couple of times were a trio of closely spaced faint satellites speeding across the sky. A little research revealed they are members of the American NOSS spy satellite network. No predictions of when they are visible however but read more about them at www.satobs.org/noss.html

Time of year is crucial for satellite observers. During the Summer months the Sun never dips very far below the horizon so the shadow of the Earth cast in space is quite low in your local sky. It means more satellites catch the sun right throughout the night as they orbit high above the Earth. The converse is true during the Winter -- our shadow is quite high in the sky during the night these evenings which means fewer satellite passes outside the cloak of darkness cast by the Earth in space.

Speaking of the Earth's shadow, look east on a clear evening and you'll notice a pale grey band along the eastern horizon just after sunset. This is the Earth's shadow beginning to rise. The top of the shadow is often tinged with a pinkish-red hue -- sometimes quite vividly -- and this is due to sunlight from the set Sun continuing to illuminate the upper atmosphere. The reddish band is nicknamed The Belt of Venus. A sight people have probably seen before but might not have been aware.

atb,

John

PJ, keep an eye out for Iridium Satellite flares also,
The Iridium network of satellites is huge and every now and again
one of them catches the sun at a particular angle and a bright flare
is reflected off the solar panels.
It's a curiosity but interesting none the less.
Nice to photograph too...

(I photographed a few seen on the bottom of this page)
www.frankryanjr.com/satellites.htm

Heavens Above is great for checking out whats gonna be passing over and when.
Although I've seen shed loads of them at this stage they are
still fascinating to observe..especially when you know exactly when to look.
Starry Night Pro also gives you an idea of how many objects are up there.

PJ, keep an eye out for Iridium Satellite flares also,
The Iridium network of satellites is huge and every now and again
one of them catches the sun at a particular angle and a bright flare
is reflected off the solar panels.
It's a curiosity but interesting none the less.
Nice to photograph too...


I was reading about them a few days ago and it does sound like something to keep an eye out for.

LOL..............knowing me i'd see a flash of light and come in here and report that i've just seen a super nova.