AST 113: Modern Astronomy: September 2015

Hi class - One of our students pointed out the following:

I checked heavens above for the upcoming schedule of iridium flares in our area (http://www.heavens-above.com/IridiumFlares.aspx?lat=37.0486&lng=-93.7738&loc=Springfield&alt=375&tz=CST). We have at least 7 straight days where there will be a very bright (mag -7 or better) flare occurring between 8 and 9pm, and all of them are from satellites traveling almost directly overhead, with the flare occurring at anywhere from 30 to 40 degrees altitude in the north. The link above has the schedule for springfield and here is a link that quickly explains what iridium flares are: http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/astronomy-facts/exploration/iridium-flares

AST 113: Modern Astronomy