Childhood me would like to know why every time I pointed to a star someone would tell me that one was in face man made.
In: Technology
If the sun is just below the horizon then there is a small timeframe (maybe an hour) where a satellite high above you is still in the sunlight even though you are in darkness on the ground. This makes the satellite shine brightly against the dark background of the sky.
If around that time of night you see a STEADY white light cruising across the sky, then you are probably seeing a satellite. If it is flashing other colors then it is probably an aircraft. If it is sitting still and not moving then it is probably a star or planet.
Satellites are bright from reflected light and pretty close to the Earth (compared to stars), so they are very noticeable. Some, like the ISS, are also very noticeably moving across the sky, which draws your attention. Lastly, since they are brighter, they are more likely to be visible in situations where you have light pollution or the sky isn’t pitch black.
Also, What you are seeing are Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites that orbit the earth about 2,000Km up.
The satellites that are used by DirectTV, Dish, Sirius/XM and the like are in a Geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and are 36,000Km above the equator.
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