Charlie Coyote's mom was sleeping outside and this happened.

"I was lying there looking up at the stars and saw what I thought was a satellite gliding across the sky.
I hate satellites so I was glaring at it (no logic there) and suddenly it flashed this HUGE bright light, much like a camera flash but slightly slower, and then it disappeared!
"

What Shreve saw was an Iridium Flare.



Because the orbits are well-known, and we have powerful computers at home, we can predict flashes for a known locality.

Using the free Orbitron 3.71, here are the predictions for this coming week for Mt Whitney. Should be good for about a 10-mile radius around the peak.

With an accurate watch, you should be able to do a Captain Cook on the natives.


Iridium flares / Orbitron 3.71 / www.stoff.pl

Location : Mt Whitney (118.2924° W, 36.5786° N)
Time zone : UTC -7:00
Search period : 2012-07-14 14:50:33 - 7 days
2012-07-21 14:50:33
Conditions : Maximum sun elevation = -5 deg
Minimum sat elevation = 10 deg
Illumination required
Minimum magnitude = 3.0

Time                Sat      Azm   Elv  Range A D  Mag S.Azm S.Elv
------------------------------------------------------------------
2012-07-15 04:00:01 007 111.9 24.2 1556 F A -4.4 44.0 -18.0
2012-07-15 04:00:40 035 114.9 28.0 1418 F A 1.4 44.1 -17.9
2012-07-15 04:05:21 034 111.8 26.7 1472 F A 1.1 45.0 -17.3
2012-07-15 04:55:22 914 T 080.7 12.4 2143 F A 1.9 54.1 -9.6
2012-07-15 22:35:27 073 T 258.8 15.4 1875 F A -2.3 323.6 -22.9
2012-07-15 23:04:07 014 ? 241.6 21.4 1539 F A -6.4 330.0 -26.1
2012-07-15 23:08:04 072 241.0 22.0 1640 F A 0.6 331.0 -26.5
2012-07-15 23:08:24 068 240.3 22.9 1608 F A 1.1 331.0 -26.5
2012-07-15 23:11:17 075 240.8 20.8 1697 F A -0.8 331.7 -26.8
2012-07-15 23:19:41 063 241.6 16.4 1915 F A -1.9 333.7 -27.5
2012-07-16 03:42:11 004 113.8 18.3 1814 F A 2.7 40.5 -20.6
2012-07-16 03:52:25 061 112.6 21.7 1663 F A -0.8 42.6 -19.2
2012-07-16 04:02:30 005 115.1 29.3 1383 F A 2.5 44.6 -17.8
2012-07-16 21:11:33 098 ? 343.4 15.2 1942 L A -1.1 307.2 -11.2
2012-07-16 23:05:44 067 243.4 20.4 1713 F A 0.0 330.3 -26.4
2012-07-16 23:11:05 074 243.2 17.9 1832 F A -4.4 331.6 -26.9
2012-07-16 23:17:30 062 243.5 14.5 2022 F A -1.8 333.1 -27.5
2012-07-16 23:17:58 065 243.3 14.5 2023 F A -1.8 333.2 -27.5
2012-07-17 03:38:43 019 117.3 20.5 1705 F A 1.5 39.9 -21.2
2012-07-17 03:48:45 036 116.9 24.6 1537 F A -6.2 41.9 -19.8
2012-07-17 03:54:36 037 115.7 26.3 1485 F A -0.1 43.1 -19.0
2012-07-17 22:42:02 073 T 265.7 10.0 2229 F A 0.4 324.8 -24.0
2012-07-17 22:54:24 014 ? 244.9 21.7 1528 F A -0.5 327.6 -25.4
2012-07-17 23:05:23 070 244.1 19.3 1763 F A -0.2 330.1 -26.5
2012-07-17 23:07:46 066 244.4 18.2 1822 F A -1.7 330.7 -26.7
2012-07-18 03:42:21 006 117.9 22.9 1604 F A -2.0 40.7 -20.8
2012-07-18 03:48:13 051 ? 120.4 28.5 1351 F A 0.5 41.9 -20.1
2012-07-18 04:46:22 914 T 87.2 15.0 1979 F A 0.8 52.9 -11.5
2012-07-18 05:13:30 921 T 224.3 73.6 577 L D 1.2 57.4 -7.0
2012-07-18 22:57:32 064 245.7 21.0 1686 F A 1.9 328.2 -25.8
2012-07-18 23:07:05 072 247.4 15.3 1974 F A -6.3 330.4 -26.8
2012-07-18 23:08:36 068 246.8 15.3 1978 F A -6.2 330.8 -27.0
2012-07-18 23:11:12 075 247.0 13.9 2061 F A -5.8 331.4 -27.2
2012-07-18 23:20:00 063 247.1 10.3 2304 F A -0.5 333.5 -28.0
2012-07-19 03:31:31 008 120.8 20.6 1700 F A 1.3 38.5 -22.4
2012-07-19 03:36:17 034 118.6 20.6 1713 F A 0.8 39.5 -21.8
2012-07-19 03:42:29 004 121.0 26.7 1465 F A -0.5 40.8 -21.0
2012-07-19 05:12:17 921 T 240.6 64.8 609 L D 1.1 57.3 -7.4
2012-07-19 20:50:09 098 ? 342.1 21.0 1645 L A -0.3 303.1 -8.0
2012-07-19 22:44:40 014 ? 247.9 21.8 1523 F A 1.5 325.1 -24.6
2012-07-19 23:04:41 067 249.5 14.1 2045 F A -5.2 329.8 -26.7
2012-07-19 23:10:02 074 249.4 12.3 2161 F A -4.4 331.0 -27.3
2012-07-19 23:16:47 062 250.9 10.0 2325 F A 0.0 332.7 -27.9
2012-07-19 23:18:14 065 251.8 10.0 2327 F A 1.5 333.0 -28.0
2012-07-20 03:27:29 005 121.3 18.9 1781 F A 2.1 37.8 -23.1
2012-07-20 03:36:20 019 124.7 27.8 1424 F A 0.5 39.6 -21.9
2012-07-20 03:39:12 097 ? 123.5 26.8 1272 F A -4.4 40.2 -21.6
2012-07-20 05:17:40 914 T 028.4 17.9 1821 R A 2.1 58.3 -6.6
2012-07-20 23:05:17 070 250.5 13.1 2114 F A -5.2 329.8 -27.0
2012-07-20 23:08:58 066 250.7 11.7 2210 F A -6.3 330.7 -27.3
2012-07-21 03:24:23 037 122.7 19.0 1786 F A 1.8 37.2 -23.6
2012-07-21 04:37:27 914 T 093.8 17.7 1826 F A 1.1 51.6 -13.3


Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII