The number one rule is simple: satellites don't blink. If the light is flashing or blinking with red and white lights, it's a plane. If it's a steady, silent light gliding smoothly across the sky, it's a satellite.
Still not sure? Our "What Was That?" identifier scans 400+ satellites in real time and matches what you describe to actual objects in orbit.
🔍 IDENTIFY WHAT YOU SAWA fast streak lasting 1-2 seconds, often with a visible trail. Much faster than a satellite. Appears and vanishes quickly.
A very bright "star" that doesn't move across the sky. Venus and Jupiter are the most commonly mistaken for satellites. If it's bright, steady, and staying in one spot, it's a planet.
A line of dots moving together in formation — a group of recently launched Starlink satellites. Looks like a "string of pearls" and typically visible 1-5 days after a SpaceX launch.
A sudden bright flash lasting a few seconds — sunlight reflecting off a flat surface on a satellite. Can be very bright then quickly fades.
Usually lower and slower than a satellite, with coloured lights. Drones can hover, change direction, and produce a faint buzzing sound.
Yes — tumbling or rotating satellites can flash as their surfaces catch sunlight at different angles. Iridium satellites were famous for bright predictable flares. Dead or uncontrolled satellites often tumble and produce irregular flashes. A steady, non-blinking light moving smoothly is a controlled operational satellite.
Much faster. A satellite at 400km altitude moves at roughly 7.8 km/s and crosses the sky in 4–6 minutes. A commercial airliner cruises at around 250 m/s and takes 10–15 minutes to cross the same sky. If something crosses the sky in under 6 minutes with no blinking lights, it's a satellite.
Space mirrors move faster and brighter than planes — unique steerable objects. EARENDIL-1: a space mirror, not a satellite — OrbitalSolar.ai →