Satellite flare is caused when the sun reflects off the shiny material of a satellite and reflects it back to earth. If you are in the path of the reflection you will see a flare, much like the flash you would see if someone held a mirror and directed sunlight to you.
Iridium flares are flares created from the set of Iridium satellites. Because of their large solar panels they tend to really product some impressive flares. Some get bright enough to be visible in the daytime. The video below is a flare I captured on September 6, 2013 at around 7:15 PM.
For more information on Iridium flares see the Wiki article on Satellite Flares.
If you are interested in viewing upcoming flares visit the Heaven's Above site where after an initial setup for your location you can get future sightings (where to look, etc.).
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