Well, and aliens, of course.
I'm just a cook. So anything I say about sats is worth what it cost you.
/johnny
Without a doubt it comes from the satellite(s) reflecting the sun
Quite common, and almost as common, photographed, both
intentionally, and unintentionally, not to mention, unwanted.
The last thing you need to think about are satellites.
You need to start thinking about a new FR name.
#2 is correct. Satellites often have large, flat solar panels. Although they’re supposed to *absorb* sunlight and turn it into electricity, they are still shiny like glass, so the panels look like a big, if a bit dark, mirror. As the satellite flies overhead, the reflections from those mirrors might sweep over the ground. If you’re in the path, the satellite will look like it suddenly gets A LOT brighter. But then as the satellite either moves from over you, or rotates to put the reflections elsewhere, it fades again. The Iridium satellites have especially large panels and result in especially bright “flares” which can be considerably brighter than Venus and easily visible in broad daylight. Since the orientation of all those satellites is very well known, the flares are even predictable to the second, where they will appear in the sky and how bright they will be (for the Iridium satellites, not necessarily for the others). Type in your location and Heavens Above can predict the next few flares for you, and you can see just what they look like - and if that’s what you saw before that makes you ask here what it was.
I’ve seen that ...though not three at a time.
Your first thoughts...re sun light glint are correct. As a matter of fact there are web sites that will tell you , given your lat/long where and at what time to see an event !. A German site (I don’t have the web address at hand, lists this kind of data for Iridium birds for example.
A few years ago I amazed neighbors by pointing as to where to look and gave the time count down. I was the adult Mr. Wizard to the kids ;-)
If you know they were satellites, then the answer is probably a satellite flare. Iridium satellite flares can be very bright, three or four magnitues brighter than Venus. Very often they’re mistaken for UFOs. Seeing three of them closely together would be rare of course, but not impossible.
You need to start thinking about a new FR name.
I'll second that. You're obviously not.
And I note you got your query answered promptly.
Saw one close to midnight, the night before last, which took me aback for a moment. Most satellites are visible, naturally, before sunrise or after sunset when the Sun is still shinning brightly far overhead. Midnight seemed odd to see one in polar orbit, heading south, so close to midnight. Then I remembered the angle of the Sun, spilling over the pole. Even so, this particular spacecraft must have been in high orbit.
Lucky you...it beamed up a Ron Paul supporter instead.
I’ve seen satellites brighten up for a few seconds and then fade to pale white. I attribute it mainly to sunlight but does anyone know if the moon casts enough light to brighten a satellite?
Farrakhan supporters and RuPaul (er Ron) Paul supporters will claim it is the work of the “mother ship.” I actually heard Calypso Louie talk about his visit to it.
My response to his claim contained the word “mother” but I don’t recall the other one being “ship”. Might have sounded a little like it, though.
Usually, it’s sunlight reflecting off spacecraft/satellites as movement/angles change and can cause reflection of intermittent light or steady light while illuminated by the sun.
When ya see it fade, the object is generally moving into the earths shadow, where sunlight cannot be reflected off the satellites surface. Simply, the object passes into the earths shadow being cast from the sun.