# Look Up At 12am Tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 17, 2000, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967 "2000-03-17T22:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/1 "2000-03-17T22:32:00Z")
Iridium (a cell phone co.) is set to let 66 satellites drop out of their orbit tonight. Should be quite a show! Hope we can see it from my house! > [@](#): > > Motorola Inc., Iridium’s creator and biggest investor, was set to disconnect Iridium’s 55,000 mobile customers at 11:59 p.m. EST Friday and let the venture’s satellites burn up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere Here’s the link to the article from MSNBC: [http://www.msnbc.com/news/377576.asp](http://www.msnbc.com/news/377576.asp) * * * Carpe Jugulum ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/2 "2000-03-17T22:54:00Z")
Well. That’s what the link says, but I wouldn’t count on it happening. Satellites don’t simultaneously reenter just because their owner goes out of business. Damn! We can’t pay this month’s antigravity invoice! All our satellites are doomed! ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/3 "2000-03-17T22:54:00Z")
So in what parts of the world is this “meteor shower” visible? This seems like such a waste! Why don’t they try selling their satellitse in eBay? ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/4 "2000-03-17T23:00:00Z")
I hate when that happens. Remember when the Donald had to declare bankruptcy and Trump Tower collapsed in a pile of rubble? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/5 "2000-03-17T23:05:00Z")
If you know anything about science it would be obvious that the 66 Iridium satellites will come to a halt in space while a low pitched humming sounds drops in pitch and fades out. ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/6 "2000-03-17T23:51:00Z")
Actually, the last command given to the sattelites will be to drop them out of orbit. They all have small manuevering engines, which will be used to drop them into reentry rather than letting them stay up as space junk. ---
**Author:** ![EnigmaOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EnigmaOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnigmaOne)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/7 "2000-03-18T01:42:00Z")
{{{Actually, the last command given to the sattelites will be to drop them out of orbit. They all have small manuevering engines, which will be used to drop them into reentry rather than letting them stay up as space junk.}}}—TheNerd Jinkies! Where’s my catcher’s mitt? * * * – **Kalél** [TheHungerSite.com](http://www.thehungersite.com) “If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.” “Well, there was that thing with the Cheese-Wiz…but I’m feeling **much** better now!” – John Astin, Night Court ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/8 "2000-03-18T02:14:00Z")
This site [http://www.heavens-above.com](http://www.heavens-above.com) lists 3 Iridium flares (in my area) over the next seven days. A flare is when the sun reflects off the satellite and illuminates the observer. NPR reported that if no buyer was found that the Iridium service would be shut off Fri night. I didn’t catch when they would decay the orbits. It was also stated that the satellites would probably be ditched in a remote area like the Indian ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/9 "2000-03-18T02:32:00Z")
From [http://www.iridium.com/docs/urgent.html](http://www.iridium.com/docs/urgent.html) > [@](#): > > On Monday, March 6, 2000, Iridium LLC was granted a funding extension to continue operations through Friday March 17, 2000 by the U.S Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Iridium is actively seeking a qualified buyer for the system. However, in the event that no qualified buyer comes forward and provides additional funding by Wednesday, March 15, 2000, Iridium expects to terminate its service at 11:59 pm (EST) on March 17, 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/10 "2000-03-18T03:27:00Z")
I listened to the news announcer describe this coming denouement of the skies and thought, really? I’ll not attempt to second guess the previous posters who seem to know of which they speak. Geez, without even knowing numbers, that seems like an awesome evaporation of capital assets. What’d it cost to build and launch those 66 satellites? Are they that far down the obsolesence trail that nobody thought them worth keeping in place (apparently the case)? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/11 "2000-03-18T06:43:00Z")
They would have been great targets for that laser targeting system we don’t have. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/12 "2000-03-18T06:54:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Phobia: > They would have been great targets for that laser targeting system we don’t have. Oh yeah? What about Tea Clipper? Huh? Huh?? * * * – From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion” _the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable_ O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/13 "2000-03-18T06:56:00Z")
Just be thankful if you don’t have any Iridium stock or didn’t buy a phone at the initial price. My company has one we used for Y2K contingency which became a $3,000 paperweight some time this evening. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/14 "2000-03-18T08:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Oblio: > **This site [http://www.heavens-above.com](http://www.heavens-above.com) lists 3 Iridium flares (in my area) over the next seven days. A flare is when the sun reflects off the satellite and illuminates the observer. NPR reported that if no buyer was found that the Iridium service would be shut off Fri night. I didn’t catch when they would decay the orbits. It was also stated that the satellites would probably be ditched in a remote area like the Indian ocean.** Could you explain this in a little more detail? I couldn’t get into that site. What Iridium service? Why is there one? What observer? Seriously, I’m interested. * * * “His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad, His hair is as dark as a blackboard, I wish he was mine, he’s really divine, The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/15 "2000-03-18T09:48:00Z")
Rilchiam, Iridium is - er, was - a satellite phone system. Apparently it was too expensive and went belly up, and nobody wanted to buy the satellites. It’s a shame, I guess. The interesting thing is the satellites, and the flares. It was named Iridium because the plan was a global network of satellites. Iridium was chosen as the name because the plan was putting 77 satellites up - 77 being the atomic number (from chemistry, the identifying number for an element) of the element Iridium. Neat, huh? One aspect of the satellites was the large flat face (dish) that worked like a large mirror. As the satellites orbited Earth, they would create angles between the face of the dish and the sun - causing light flashes in the sky from reflected sunlight. These flares would be very bright - some as strong as Magnitude -9. The brightness scale for lights in the sky is funky - a negative number is brighter than a positive number. The larger negative, the brighter. It’s an exponential curve. The brightest stars are magnitude 1. The moon is, IIRC, mag -7. The flares are so bright, they are often visible in daylight - if you’re in the right location. Geometry is critical to see the sun flash. Off by even a mile and the brightness is affected. The heavens above web site is a site that tracks satellites and their orbits, and calculates viewing times for any location on Earth. You plug in your coordinates and it crunches out a list of visible satellites. Includes Mir, ISS, shuttle, and Iridium flares. I used it a while back pretty often, then got busy and forgot about it. I meant to try looking for daytime Iridium flares again - they were cool. I guess I missed out. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![The\_LION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_LION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_LION)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/16 "2000-03-18T10:08:00Z")
Here is a link to more info on whats going to happen to the Iridium satelites. [http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000318/bs/tech\_iridium\_1.html](http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000318/bs/tech_iridium_1.html) According to the link it is going to take at least a week to start deorbiting the sats and months till they all re-enter and burn up. They can’t just drop them all at once,the risk of orbital collisions and uncontroled re-entry is too great. The plan is to bring them down in a controled manner over remote areas of the ocean to prevent damage on the ground. Peace t lion * * * 32 Bit Operating System 02 Bit Operator ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/17 "2000-03-18T10:12:00Z")
Iridium is a totally expensive metal ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/18 "2000-03-18T16:45:00Z")
Iridium satellite [![](http://www.heavens-above.com/images/iridium.gif) ](http://www.heavens-above.com/images/iridium.gif) The Main Mission Antenna is what reflects the sun to produce the flare. [http://www.heavens-above.com/iridiumhelp.asp?](http://www.heavens-above.com/iridiumhelp.asp?) has more details. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/19 "2000-03-20T01:05:00Z")
Okay, I understand most of that, but what was the purpose of casting a flare? * * * “His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad, His hair is as dark as a blackboard, I wish he was mine, he’s really divine, The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.” ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967/20 "2000-03-20T01:09:00Z")
The flare is wholly incidental-- just a neat thing that happens to occur when the highly reflective main mission antenna bounces the sunlight just right. I’ll miss them flares. But I won’t miss having to hear about this thing from every analyst on the Street. Sheesh! And now I’m hearing it about GlobalStar. “No, really, it’s different this time.” Feh * * * [Change Your Password, Please](http://204.95.48.199/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ubbmisc.cgi?action=getannounce&ForumNumber=3&Start=2451545.99&End=2451911&Session=2451598.1854) and don’t use HTML, as it has been disabled, but you can learn about superscripts [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000795.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/look-up-at-12am-tonight/14967.md?page=2)