Observed Iridium 26 tonight at 0328 UT to look for a predicted mag -6 flare. A few minutes before the predicted time a fast-moving layer of stratocumulus made the sky at least 90% overcast. These clouds were thick enough to make Regulus invisible. Even with the clouds I thought I would stick with it. Glad I did. The flare was very brief -- no more than 2 seconds -- but was surprisingly bright considering it pierced the cloud layer. I judged the flare to reach mag -1 or so. I did not see any trace of halo or other scattering; just a moving blue-white point of light embedded in the cloud. _____________________________________________________________ Jim Varney 121.398 W, 38.458 N, 8m Sacramento, Calif. Member, Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society