Loading…

Am I the only one who thinks people are way too quick to call any light in the sky a 'satellite'? | Astronomy Photos - Free To Speak

drew_mitchell•5mo ago

Am I the only one who thinks people are way too quick to call any light in the sky a 'satellite'?

I was out last night in my backyard in Phoenix, just looking up, and a guy next to me pointed at a steady light moving fast and said 'cool satellite.' Thing is, it was clearly an airplane. The steady light had that faint red blink if you watched long enough, and the path was all wrong for a polar orbit. People see any moving dot and just guess. It matters because it muddies the water for actual satellite spotting, like when the Starlink train goes over. I've been tracking passes for about six months now with the Heavens-Above app, and you learn the real paths and speeds. A real satellite doesn't blink, and it fades out when it hits the Earth's shadow. How do you all tell the difference when you're just looking with your eyes?

4 comments

4 Comments

ivanbell5mo ago

Used to think that until I got the app too.

diana_kim665mo ago

Got the app" doesn't mean it's a big deal though.

max_hernandez272mo ago

The first time I got an invite for something like that I honestly didn't think much of it either. I remember just clicking through the setup, no big deal. But then a week later I was using features I didn't even know existed and it changed how I do things. Here's the thing though, it's not about the app itself, it's about the access to the community and the tools that come with it. Once you're in, you start noticing all the little shortcuts and tricks that were hidden before. So yeah, getting the app is just the first step, but what you can do with it after that is where the real value shows up.

aaron7405mo ago

Funny how getting the app changes the whole game. It's not about bragging rights, it's about the actual stuff you can do now that was locked before. That shift from outsider to user is a real experience, not just an opinion.