I watched the pass from Sugarhouse and observed the brightening for about 4 to 5 seconds or so before it disappeared into the terminator. I'd estimate the flare at it's brightest to be magnitude -6 but possibly a bit brighter. The best pass I've ever seen. Thanks Patrick for the heads up. Dave Bennett On May 26, 2009, at 10:32 PM, Patrick Wiggins wrote:
Anyone see a flare during tonight's pass?
I couldn't say for sure because I was observing from a typically overlit parking lot but it looked like ISS brightened noticeably just before passing into the terminator.
patrick
On 26 May 2009, at 15:23, Patrick Wiggins wrote:
From SpaceWeather. Of possible interest for tonight's pass:
Space Weather News for May 26, 2009 http://spaceweather.com
SPACE STATION FLARES: Lately, a growing number of observers are reporting intense "flares" coming from the International Space Station (ISS). During some nighttime flybys, the luminosity of the space station surges 10-fold or more. Some people have witnessed flares of magnitude -8 or twenty-five times brighter than Venus. A movie featured on today's edition of http:// spaceweather.com shows what is happening: sunlight glints from the station's recently expanded solar arrays in a shadow-casting flash. Currently, the flares are unpredictable. You watch a flyby not knowing if one will happen or how bright it might be. That's what makes the hunt for "ISS flares" so much fun.
Sky watchers in North America should be alert for flares this week. The ISS is making a series of evening passes over many US and Canadian towns and cities. Flyby times are available from the Simple Satellite Tracker: http://spaceweather.com/flybys