Star Talk ☆ Let's Hang - All Are Welcome!!

[Kyndreth]

I meeaaan, there's loots of bright satellites

[Lemon Cheesecake]

That's something I never really thought about...the ability to see all the satellites moving around.

[Kyndreth]

From what I was told, it's not unlikely that a bunch of the "stars" I thought I saw were actually satellites.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

but satellites move, right? stars look like they are not moving

[galled]

Not all appear to move. Geostationary orbiting satellites don't move relative to global positioning.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

so I may be looking at what I think are stars but they are really satellites?

sounds like an idea for a science fiction story - fake stars in the sky.

[galled]

Satellites are really small and they usually don't light up, so if you do see them it'll only be when the sun hits them when the sky is darker (think dawn and dusk). The ones you might be able to see under ideal conditions are the ones that move, but it's the movement that'll catch your eye.

[Kyndreth]

Hoh, so maybe I really do get to see stars? Yaay!

[mdom]

Many people mistake satellites for UFOs.

[murmurlade]

oh do they? satellites glow?

[Polaris]

Sometimes they "glow" or appear as a brief, bright flare because, while moving in the sky, they reflect the light off the sun's rays (even at night) where some rays hit at a better angle than others off of the satellite's solar panels. You can actually track and see when the ISS will be in your sky!

ISS: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/

[Lemon Cheesecake]

There is no doubt where I am that I am seeing stars! And the airplanes lights are hard to distinguish until they get closer.

[Polaris]

If only I could see the stars tonight like you, Lemon T w T

It is FOGGY AS HECK where I am. And I mean deep fog, fog where you can barely see the many bright street lights that are barely even 0.4 miles away from your (my) window.

[Kyndreth]

I think it's cloudy where I'm at... yup.

[galled]

I watched the ISS fly over once. That had lights on it. Looked like a big big airplane, but was much faster than any airplane. If you get the chance, it's something worth the effort to catch.