Recognizing other autistics

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I have had these really surreal moments in my life where I "sense" that someone is autistic. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I feel closer to them than I would a NT. I kinda get the same feeling around siblings to autistics as well.
I had a friend, who graduated last year, but met him in a study and we were both artists, but I could make complete eye contact and found it easy to communicate. Later, he revealed to me that he was diagnosed with autism when he was in middle school and I was kind of shocked that I had "known" the entire time.
I also remember someone from elementary school and middle school, whom I could at least make partial sometimes full eye contact with. She was pretty relatable, and I soon met her sister. We barely looked at each other, but I still talked to each other. I later learned from my friend that she has Aspergers (but at the time, I didn't know what it was) but I found it strange that I could still "sense" that she has this feeling.
Can you recognize other autistic?

Yes, I think so, for the most part.. visually I pick up on clues like foot stimming etc when a group of people are sitting around a table, gaze clues, and I notice the style of speech, the same reluctance that I have to make social chitchat on inconsequential topics, etc. etc. But as you say, I suspect there is another more intuitive layer to this.

Gay friends have told me that their gaydar operates reliably and instintively when they are amongst a group of strangers, and perhaps it's something similar for us.. perhaps more reliably and acutely for us, given the pattern detection skills a significant proportion of us seem to use without thinking about it, the well-identified Asperger skill of pattern detection may operate largely from a subconscious level...

"It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it"(Sherlock Holmes). I notice human behavior a lot, it fascinates me. And I can tell when someone is Autistic a lot of the time. Be it through their use of social skills, stimming, or just their general behavior. Patterns in social behavior attract me. That being said, people with Autism present a ripple in this pattern in a way that draws my attention. These deductions of course are subject to error and mistakes, but as is oft times said, it takes one to know one. The quote "It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it" captures this phenomenon perfectly, at least in my mind.

A friend who passed away in March of 2013 had a really incredible memory. Besides song lyrics, he could quote entire movie scripts, and he never acted that I knew of. He also seemed to have an uncanny sense of direction, avoided small talk as I do, and was a champion wrestler despite avoiding ball sports much like myself. Due to various health issues he faced, including liver cancer that finally took him, I never brought up the subjects of PDD or ASD with him, although I discussed his abilities with other long-term friends of his and they agreed he was likely on the spectrum.

I have a feeling of peace when I'm around other ones. It's not something I can really explain.

I understand that. I've experienced it too

It's like that subconscious voice that's constantly reminding me not to 'sperg out shuts up and lets me do my thing without stressing

There are some people around me that make me wonder. I'm newly diagnosed, so it's hard to say without confirmation, which would be a bit difficult since I haven't told many people that I have it yet. As GreenPandaLord might say, "Data, data, data! I cannot make bricks without clay!"

For me, there is no doubt. I can spot them a mile away now.

When I look back at all my years working, the times I loved my job and my team, without a doubt, most were on the spectrum. In fact, the 3 of us who had kids, eventually had kids on the spectrum. A couple of them who were autistic, but with no kids, were gay...thus no kids. One who was my best buddy at work rocked in his chair ALL DAY LONG, had Star Trek figurines on top of his desk, had a world map in his office and every day would make a little drawing of a tornado, hurricane or whatever and place it somewhere on that map, wherever it had occurred the day before or that day ...jeje

PS I find myself incredibly at peace with other autistics...never had an argument with a single one of them