PV Gap

Ricky Said:

Is it okay to shoot someone with paint ball guns/rifles?

We Answered:

From what I can tell he is tearing up your solar lights. He is committing criminal mischief.
Sec. 28.03. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner:
(1) he intentionally or knowingly damages or destroys the tangible property of the owner
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/do…

Under Texas law You can use force on someone to stop them from committing criminal mischief.
Sec. 9.41. PROTECTION OF ONE'S OWN PROPERTY. (a) A person in lawful possession of land or tangible, movable property is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful INTERFERENCE with the property.

You can also use deadly force to stop criminal mischief if it is at night.
Sec. 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property:
(2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary:
(A) to prevent the other's imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or CRIMINAL MISCHIEF DURING NIGHT TIME.
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/do…

But to answer your question can use use a paint ball gun to stop someone from committing criminal mischief? No one knows. Sorry, but one County Prosecutor may think the force is reasonable while another may not think it is reasonable. I believe it is reasonable, because if it happens at night then you are justified in using deadly force. Wouldn't it be better to not use deadly force and use a paint ball gun instead? More than likely large counties would prosecute while smaller ones probably would not.
I do not recommend using deadly force to protect your property. Even though you are justified the consequences may be much worse than the cost of several solar lights.

Joanne Said:

Is it possible to see satellites reflect bright light for just a few seconds while is directly over head?

We Answered:

The magnitude scale used by astronomers ranks the brightness of stars from 1 to 6. The brightest stars are in first place and get ranked as magnitude 1 (mag 1, for short). The dimmest stars that can be seen without a telescope are mag 6. The planet Venus is often a standout as the morning or evening "star" when its reflected sunlight outshines any true star. Artificial satellites can also be very bright depending on how much sunlight they reflect. Going up in brightness on the scale the numbers are 0, -1, -2, -3, and so on. Venus can reach -4 at its brightest and the Iridium communication satellites can reflect brief flares of sunlight as bright as mag -8. The brightness of the International Space Station usually ranges from mag 2 (dim) to mag -1 (bright).

What is an Iridium flare?

Iridium communication satellites have polished panels that act like mirrors to reflect bright flares of sunlight. The satellites in the Iridium group have their orbits arranged to provide continuous coverage. Original plans called for a "constellation" or group of 77 satellites, which is also the atomic number of the chemical element Iridium. Currently, there are 66 active satellites in orbit and 6 more as backups. The orbits are polar and 780 km (485 miles) in altitude. Each satellite orbits once around the Earth in a little over 100 minutes.

Where should I look?

A clear, open view of the sky is important and so is a location that is free from the glare of streetlights. The light from a bright moon can also be troubling. Azimuth refers to the compass points around the horizon (north = 0 degrees, east = 90 degrees, south = 180 degrees, and west = 270 degrees). Altitude describes how high up the object will appear. Measuring in degrees, altitude is 0 degrees at the horizon and ninety degrees at the zenith (straight up). Near the horizon (from 0 to 20 degrees) the sky is often dusky and objects are hard to see.

Your hand can serve as a guide for estimating angles. Close one eye, stretch your arm straight out and your fist will span about 10 degrees. With your hand wide open, looking from the tip of your little finger to the tip of your thumb, you will see a span of about 20 degrees.

When should I look?

Timing is important since the satellite will be visible for only a few minutes. The bright flares of sunlight reflected from Iridium communication satellites last only for a few seconds - but they are spectacular! Check your watch for the correct time and get outside a couple of minutes before the scheduled appearance of the satellite. Since the timing depends on your location, this web site has links with preset latitude and longitude for several locations in Brevard County. Good predictions for Iridium flares are very dependent on accurate coordinates for your location.