<p>Iridium satellites are known for predictable flare events but are gradually <a href="https://www.heavens-above.com/IridiumDemise.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">being de-orbited</a> and replaced.
In particular, Iridium 66 would have <a href="https://www.heavens-above.com/flaredetails.aspx?fid=0&amp;lat=30.6333&amp;lng=-97.678&amp;loc=Georgetown&amp;alt=230&amp;tz=CST" rel="nofollow noreferrer">flared at 6:04</a> several degrees east of Orion,
but its orbit has almost certainly changed since its de-orbiting process <a href="http://www.rod.sladen.org.uk/iridium.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">started on August 2</a>.
Other Iridium satellites have taken 3 to 5 weeks to finish this process.</p>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_flare#Non-Iridium_flares" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Other satellites</a> can flare too if a shiny surface catches the Sun just right.
Heavens-Above shows two satellites passing south of Orion at 6:12 on the morning of August 19:
<a href="https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=30.6333&amp;lng=-97.678&amp;loc=Georgetown&amp;alt=230&amp;tz=CST&amp;satid=37162&amp;mjd=58349.4700950893" rel="nofollow noreferrer">USA 215</a>, an American spy satellite;
and <a href="https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=30.6333&amp;lng=-97.678&amp;loc=Georgetown&amp;alt=230&amp;tz=CST&amp;satid=20663&amp;mjd=58349.4651892621" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cosmos 2084</a>, a failed Russian early warning satellite.</p>

<p>Another possibility is a head-on sporadic meteor.</p>

<p><em>Update:</em> Iridium 66 finished de-orbiting on August 23.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-20T00:51:58.080Z
2018-08-30T14:34:56.810Z
2018-08-30T14:34:56.810Z
Mike G
<p>This morning at 6:12 am looking south from Georgetown, Texas, there was a brief very bright stationary object what appeared to be a star that once I saw it within the next few seconds quickly vanished.  Did not appear to be other than a stationary object.  What was it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-19T16:26:21.200Z
Should have said it was just below the right leg of Orion.
Jerry
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-19T23:18:02.627Z
I'd add this only as a comment, not an answer. Sure is that this wasn't an Iridium flare. I've checked them for the given location and time, there were none of them. Nevertheless, other satellites can easily give very short and bright flashes, too.
SergiusPro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T11:13:15.367Z
@Chappo The community tends to dislike unknown object identification posts. I my opinion, it may be correct in many cases, but not always. As a compromise, I suggested to create a single step-by-step tutorial for such identification requests (maybe as a CW post), and then close such posts as its dupe. This is what I tried to do also now, however I am in general for the lenient reviews and rare question closures. I retracted my close vote now and deleted my comment.
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-31T16:32:55.540Z
See https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/23656/bright-brief-light-in-sky-this-morning-daytime-satellite-flare
ProfRob
<artificial-satellite>
Bright star or flare near orion?
Jerry
# Bright star or flare near orion?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-19)

This morning at 6:12 am looking south from Georgetown, Texas, there was a brief very bright stationary object what appeared to be a star that once I saw it within the next few seconds quickly vanished. Did not appear to be other than a stationary object. What was it?

**Tags:** artificial-satellite

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Should have said it was just below the right leg of Orion.  
> **username_1**: I'd add this only as a comment, not an answer. Sure is that this wasn't an Iridium flare. I've checked them for the given location and time, there were none of them. Nevertheless, other satellites can easily give very short and bright flashes, too.  
> **username_2**: @Chappo The community tends to dislike unknown object identification posts. I my opinion, it may be correct in many cases, but not always. As a compromise, I suggested to create a single step-by-step tutorial for such identification requests (maybe as a CW post), and then close such posts as its dupe. This is what I tried to do also now, however I am in general for the lenient reviews and rare question closures. I retracted my close vote now and deleted my comment.  
> **username_3**: See https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/23656/bright-brief-light-in-sky-this-morning-daytime-satellite-flare  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-08-20. Score: 4

Iridium satellites are known for predictable flare events but are gradually [being de-orbited](https://www.heavens-above.com/IridiumDemise.aspx) and replaced.
In particular, Iridium 66 would have [flared at 6:04](https://www.heavens-above.com/flaredetails.aspx?fid=0&lat=30.6333&lng=-97.678&loc=Georgetown&alt=230&tz=CST) several degrees east of Orion,
but its orbit has almost certainly changed since its de-orbiting process [started on August 2](http://www.rod.sladen.org.uk/iridium.htm).
Other Iridium satellites have taken 3 to 5 weeks to finish this process.

[Other satellites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_flare#Non-Iridium_flares) can flare too if a shiny surface catches the Sun just right.
Heavens-Above shows two satellites passing south of Orion at 6:12 on the morning of August 19:
[USA 215](https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=30.6333&lng=-97.678&loc=Georgetown&alt=230&tz=CST&satid=37162&mjd=58349.4700950893), an American spy satellite;
and [Cosmos 2084](https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=30.6333&lng=-97.678&loc=Georgetown&alt=230&tz=CST&satid=20663&mjd=58349.4651892621), a failed Russian early warning satellite.

Another possibility is a head-on sporadic meteor.

*Update:* Iridium 66 finished de-orbiting on August 23.


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