View Full Version : Between Cassiopeia & Lacerta
snash22
12-10-07, 07:28 PM
What is up there in between Cassiopeia & Lacerta?
It is like a comet, no nucleous visible, 4x bigger and much brighter than Holmes was last month. "Pointed" at the Sun.
It wasn't moving. It was at my zenith (7:00pm EST). It is cloudy here now.
snash22
snash22
12-10-07, 07:32 PM
A Ufo ?
It is until I find out what it is!
It is until I find out what it is!
Yup ;)
Can you take pictures of it with your telescope ?
Welcome to SciForums btw :)
snash22
12-10-07, 07:36 PM
No, can't take pictures with telescope, havent had the telescope out in years. If the clouds break maybe I can take a picture with my camera if I can hold it still enough. Not likely though.
It is quite bright.
No, can't take pictures with telescope, havent had the telescope out in years. If the clouds break maybe I can take a picture with my camera if I can hold it still enough. Not likely though.
It is quite bright.
Interesting, keep us posted :)
snash22
12-10-07, 07:51 PM
Interesting, keep us posted :)
Will do, clouds look they'll be around for a while.
Thanks for the "welcome".
I checked out Holmes, it is still visible to the naked eye if you know where to look..
MetaKron
12-10-07, 08:05 PM
What is up there in between Cassiopeia & Lacerta?
It is like a comet, no nucleous visible, 4x bigger and much brighter than Holmes was last month. "Pointed" at the Sun.
It wasn't moving. It was at my zenith (7:00pm EST). It is cloudy here now.
snash22
That kind of sighting is usually a contrail from a jet.
leopold99
12-10-07, 08:08 PM
No, can't take pictures with telescope, havent had the telescope out in years. If the clouds break maybe I can take a picture with my camera if I can hold it still enough. Not likely though.
It is quite bright.
a simple solution to your camera woes would be to mount a screw to the hour spindle of an electric clock.
solder a nut in a hinge where the hasp passes through.
thread screw through nut a couple of turns then mount hinge in a suitable place.
there will be details you need to figure out but the basic drive will be there.
blobrana
12-10-07, 08:24 PM
Hum,
if it was a `small bright cloud ` it could be a fuel dump from a classified satellite that was launched at 2205 UT today.
It would have been visible from northern America after 23:30 UT (6:30 pm EST)
or it could be something else....
snash22
12-10-07, 08:39 PM
That kind of sighting is usually a contrail from a jet.
Well, it is gone. So much for the comet theory. Some better details about what it looked like:
It was round and fuzzy, within the center it had a more compact/less fuzzy area in the center, that was like a line pointed toward where the sun was, over the horizon. It was not lit from the ground, it looked like it was either back-lit, or luminous itself. It had a bluish tint, as if it was from a long exposure shot of a nebula.
The sun was down a long time when I saw it, and it was not moving in relation to the stars, although the clouds were.
As far as being a contrail, its roundness, and it being so late leads me away from that idea. But I have no better idea, unless there was some sort of outgassing of a rocket out there. Any launches lately?
I'm sure you all think I'm a crank now, I'd think so too.
So I guess this is my first UFO. Good thing it didn't involve any probes.
snash22
12-10-07, 08:41 PM
Hum,
if it was a `small bright cloud ` it could be a fuel dump from a classified satellite that was launched at 2205 UT today.
It would have been visible from northern America after 23:30 UT (6:30 pm EST)
or it could be something else....
Well, if it is classified, how do you know about it? :D
Sounds like it could be it.
Got a link?
snash22
12-10-07, 09:02 PM
I guess "classified" means that the payload/sattelite is classified, not the launch.
Would it have been "Atlas 5 • NROL-24"?
What website did you use to determine that the fuel dump would have been visible over North America?
MetaKron
12-10-07, 09:24 PM
Snash, you are very much not a crank, because you ask for and consider alternative explanations.
blobrana
12-10-07, 10:04 PM
Hum,
Yeah, details about the payload are classified, but it is suspected that it will replace an aging SDS communications satellite; therefore a Molniya orbit can be plotted. And it was suspected that there would be a `standard` practice fuel purge about 1 hour 30 minutes before it enters a transfer orbit (to final station orbit).
IMAGE (http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/333/nrol24uo1.jpg) (68kb, 630 x 390)
IMAGE (http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/7941/nrol24age18oq6.jpg) (12kb, 560 x 382)
blobrana
12-10-07, 10:47 PM
According to spaceweather.com the predicted fuel dump from the upper stage of the Atlas rocket (ie single-engine Centaur upper stage) was indeed spotted by many observers.
It seems the blue luminous `cloud` lasted for about 50 minutes and was even spotted from the UK (See the previous orbit 68kb IMAGE).
According to spaceweather.com the predicted fuel dump from the upper stage of the Atlas rocket (ie single-engine Centaur upper stage) was indeed spotted by many observers.
It seems the blue luminous `cloud` lasted for about 50 minutes and was even spotted from the UK (See the previous orbit 68kb IMAGE).
Seems like a probable explanation.
blobrana
12-11-07, 07:57 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuAh78befA0
blobrana
12-11-07, 10:18 AM
ATLAS V LAUNCH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrghNBgOpUI
snash22
12-11-07, 05:09 PM
According to spaceweather.com the predicted fuel dump from the upper stage of the Atlas rocket (ie single-engine Centaur upper stage) was indeed spotted by many observers.
It seems the blue luminous `cloud` lasted for about 50 minutes and was even spotted from the UK (See the previous orbit 68kb IMAGE).
That was it!
I've spent quite a few years stargazing and that was the best unexpected event I've seen.
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