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issatree
2nd January 2012, 07:50 PM
Hi to everybody,

Happy New Year To You All.

When going outside last week, & the Stars are shining brightly, with no cloud,
I got to thinking, all those years ago, laying on the Cliffs at The Bay Of Islands, just west of Peterborough, Vic. trying to catch a couple of Crayfish, we would have to wait approx. 15/ 20 mins. then pull the net like crazy to see or hear if there was anything there.

During that wait we would have seen at least 2 SATELLITES mostly travelling at a great rate of knots, through " The Pot ".
More than likely going from roughly East to North.

Now I've gone out & rather late at night, lay on the grass & you see absolutly nothing, in the same conditions.
Why is this so?. It has got me beat, as it shouldn't be all that hard.

snowyskiesau
2nd January 2012, 08:16 PM
The brightest ones tend to be Iriduim satellites.

Check out Heavens-Above Home Page (http://www.heavens-above.com/).
If it's a satellite, it will be listed there.
You can enter your location and get predictions of what you can see and in which direction.

FenceFurniture
2nd January 2012, 08:21 PM
Issa, maybe you need "The Pot" again to see them:D

issatree
2nd January 2012, 08:56 PM
Thank you Geoff, FF,
I had a look Geoff, but it was about as clear as mud too me.
It says, " Local Time " where. Can't be sure if he means Oz or US. or where.

FF, the "Pot " is in the sky every night. If I face Westerly, the pot is up on my right at about 4 O'clock & of course it or we move.

So it says at 8.35pm. & I have just missed it, as it is almost 9pm.
I should have been able to see it.
It is still very light here anyway, may not have been able to see it .

jchappo
3rd January 2012, 07:46 AM
Satellites are generally best viewed just after sun set, when the sun is still able to be reflected by the satellites.
Late at night, the sun is the other side of the earth, and the satellites are eclipsed.

_fly_
3rd January 2012, 07:50 AM
I like to use heavens above to find out when they are going past. Good fun at BBQ's to look up in the right direction and then ask people to look up, tell them its a UFO. Most people then think it is and it becomes the talk of the night about the UFO they all saw.

issatree
3rd January 2012, 10:49 AM
Hi John, Fly,
John when we use to see them, it was well into the night, say between 11 / 12 pm.

Fly, you would want to be careful with those comments about UFO's,
Somebody might Swat you, Ha Ha, & I bet that has been said before.

Thanks for your input.