Flashing satellites illuminate evening sky

Hawaii can expect some bright satellite flashes this week if the weather cooperates.

These will look like exploding stars but are actually sunlight bouncing off satellite antennas.

At 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Iridium 10 satellite will flare low in the southern sky. The best vantage point will be looking out over the ocean on the south shore. That will have a minus 5 magnitude, a bit brighter than Venus.

Just before 6:11 p.m. Thursday, the Iridium 96 satellite will flare above the south-southwest horizon with a brightness of minus 4.

And at 6:09 a.m. Friday, the Iridium 97 satellite will flash about halfway up the northern sky, just above the pointer stars of the Big Dipper. That will be the brightest flare by far, at minus 8.

Jupiter will be near a last quarter moon, and Venus will be in the left claw of Scorpius in the southeast at that hour.