Last updated June 13, 2019
Why don’t I see Iridium flares predictions as frequently as before?
Sadly this is because most of the flare producing Iridium satellites are now no longer active and have been replaced with the Iridium NEXT generation satellites which do not produce flares. The flare producing satellites are still in orbit and will still produce flares as before but because the orientation of the reflecting antennas are no longer maintained, the flares can no longer be calculated. Most of the flare producing satellites are still in orbit but they will eventually be de-orbited.
What are Iridium flares?
Iridium flares are caused by the sun’s
refection from the antennas of Iridium satellites. Iridium flares can be
much brighter than stars. Because the antennas are flat, highly
reflective with a known orientation it is possible to calculate when
they will reflect the sun’s light to the observer’s location.
I hear a new generation of Iridium satellites are being launched, will they produce flares?
Sorry No. The Iridium NEXT generation of
satellites have a different antenna design that will not be able to
reflect sunlight at flare producing angles. Also the flare producing
satellites over the next few years will become inactive and eventually
de-orbited so enjoy the unique spectacle of Iridium flares while you
still can!
Why did I see an Iridium flare but others in the same city didn’t?
Iridium flares are highly directional
localized events. The peak flare path is typically only a kilometre
wide. While you might see the flare, someone only a few kilometres away
might not see the flare at all. For accurate predictions ensure the
location is set as accurately as possible using either auto location or
manually entering your GPS coordinates.
The Iridium flare was brighter or not as bright at predicted?
The brightness depends on how accurately
the Iridium satellite antenna is oriented. While the antenna is
normally maintained within a few degrees of it’s optimal orientation,
this is still enough to make a significant difference in the brightness
of the flare.
Notifications no longer work after updating to iOS 5?
Notifications changed slightly with iOS 5
in that they are configured through the device settings. By default
they are now turned off after doing the iOS 5 update. From the device
home screen go to Settings -> Notifications -> GoSatWatch and turn
them back on and select the type of notification you’d like to see.
I want to track the NanoSail-D satellite but I don’t see it in the visible satellite list?
You can add a satellite by adding link
to a web page with the satellite data. Use the following URL for the
NanaSail-D satellite:
http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=90027
See the User’s Guide for more information on how to do this.
Does GoSatWatch require an internet connection?
Yes GoSatWatch requires either data
network access or a WiFi network connection to download satellite
orbital information updates. This only needs to be done periodically as
requested. GoSatWatch does not require constant network access to be
used. Once the orbital information has been updated GoSatWatch no longer
needs a network connection for satellite tracking and pass predictions.
How much network bandwidth is used?
GoSatWatch downloads the minimal amount
of data to track satellites and make pass predictions. GoSatWatch
downloads 0.1 MBytes per update for the 260 satellites that comes
pre-configured with GoSatWatch. You can reduce the amount of data used
by deleting satellite sets that are not of interest to you.
How often should I do satellite updates?
For best accuracy we recommend you
update before you head outside or make pass predictions. The more recent
the update the better the accuracy. For most satellites you can go a
week before doing an orbital data update. Orbital data updates are
generally released once a day so there is no need to update more
frequently than that.
Why don’t you use Apple’s push notifications?
Push notifications are not 100% reliable
as you need an active enabled network connection to set and get the
alerts. This is especially a problem for people travelling in remote
areas and those using iPod touches. Push notifications were designed for
things like news and email alerts where time is not as critical as with
satellite passes. We’d hate for anyone to miss a pass or get a delayed
alert after the fact because they were relying on push notifications.
Why don’t I hear alert sounds on the iPod touch?
iPod touch devices don’t have a built in
speaker to play the audio alert sounds. They can be heard through the
headphones or by docking to a speaker accessory.
Why didn’t I see the satellite pass as predicted?
Most
satellites are faint with a few exceptions like the space shuttle,
international space station and large satellites like the Hubble space
telescope. GoSatWatch provides brightness estimates as a guide as to how
likely you will be able to see a satellite.
The
brightness is shown as an astronomical magnitude. The smaller the number
the brighter the object appears. The unaided human eye can see down to a
magnitude of 6.5 under ideal viewing conditions. However typically
visibility is limited to a magnitude of 3 in cities due to light
pollution. Sirius the brightest star has a magnitude of -1.5. Venus can
be as bright as magnitude -4.5. The space station can often be seen with
a magnitude brighter than -2.
Why didn’t the satellite appear as bright or brighter than predicted?
There
are many factors that determine how bright a satellite will appear.
GoSatWatch uses algorithms to make estimates based on the distance to
the satellite and angle with the sun however there are other factors
such as the shape, orientation and reflectiveness of a satellite which
is extremely complex to accurately factor in. We included magnitude
estimates to give you some idea as to how likely you will be able to see
a satellite.
I saw a satellite that GoSatWatch didn’t show.
GoSatWatch
can only track satellites that it knows about. There are thousands of
satellites in earth orbit. GoSatWatch comes with satellites which are of
most interest including a set of visible satellites that can be seen at
times. Also only orbit data for unclassified satellites are made
available to the public.
Sometimes GoSatWatch shows multiple or blurred images of the international space station?
This
happens when the orbital data for the same satellite appears in more
than one satellite data set and the orbit data varies between sets. The
orbital data can vary at times as the data gets released by different
sources at different times. You can disable individual satellites from
being displayed or used in pass predictions. By default the
international space station is disabled in the visible satellites set.
We recommend you use the International Space Station set as it uses
multi orbit data from NASA for best tracking and pass predictions.
Why is North shown at the bottom of the screen?
This is done so when you look up at the sky the display reflects what you actually see in the sky.
Is there a problem with the Sirius satellite orbit display?
No. The orbit just looks strange because
the Sirius satellites are in a geo-synchronous orbit. There are three
satellites so that at least one is above north America at any point in
time. The XM satellites are in a geo-stationary orbit at fixed points in
the sky.
What does the “Low Memory Warning” mean?
After
installing and using apps from both 3rd party or from Apple there may
be times when there is not enough working memory for GoSatWatch to start
or function properly. GoSatWatch is a graphics intensive application
and requires more working memory to operate than some other apps. The
“Low Memory Warning” is displayed when the device is running low on
memory for GoSatWatch to function properly. Often enough memory can be
recovered by resetting the device. You can reset the device by holding
down the power button for a few seconds and sliding the slider to power
off, then turning the device back on again.
GoSatWatch fails to start
Apple has reported
cases of apps not installing correctly in which case the app appears on
the home screen but fails to start. If this is happening with
GoSatWatch try resetting the device or uninstalling and re-installing the application. See the Apple support Troubleshooting applications purchased from the App Store for more information.
GoSatWatch crashes
There have been several reports of
applications crashing including applications from Apple. While the exact
cause has not been identified by Apple, the crashes commonly result
from memory usage. See iPhone Atlas: iPhone application crashes for suggestions on how to recover from and avoid crashes.
Why doesn’t [Current Location] find my location?
For the first generation iPhone it needs
to be within cell range and within an area that supports cell location.
Check under the Settings icon on your home screen that you have
Airplane mode off and an active WiFi connection. Both the iPhone and
iPod touch can also use WiFi to determine it’s position. For WiFi
location to work you must have an active WiFi connection to a
transmitter which has a known location. Note that not all transmitters
may have a location configured.
If you are unable to automatically find your location you can still manually configure your location from a list of cities or by entering your latitude and longitude by tapping the [Location] button on the settings screen.