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The iridium satellite is normally very faint, as it is tiny. But every now and then one of its three aluminium antennae catches the sunlight and projects a beam of sunlight down on us. This flare lasts just a couple of seconds and can be brighter than Venus before it fades back to its usual dim level, usually right on the limit of visibility to the naked eye.
The ISS is huge in comparison, and reflects enough light off its many surfaces to stay bright for the 2.5 minutes of that shot.
Ludd
Great stuff as always. How come the top one's trail seems to brighten and fade but the lower trail is more consistent?