Bright Light in the sky???
- Thread starter *stRgrL*
- Start date
Sounds to me like an Iridium Flare. The Iridium satellites were launched in the 90s to create a global satellite phone network. They tend to be very variable in brightness, and can get VERY bright. There is a website that predicts these flares....http://www.heavens-above.com/
*stRgrL* said:
So did you visit that website that I and others mentioned? I am 99% sure these are Iridium Flares that you are seeing. It is great fun to go to that website, get the predictions, and go see the show. You just have to register with the website, and put in your location as precisely as possible. Then the website predicts the flares according to location, and it estimates the position, timing, and brightness. As far as brightness goes, the lower the number the better. For example, a -8 would be better than -6.
Hey P. Boom! Thanks for all of that info. I did register on that one site that you provided. The thing is, I googled 'iridium flares' and the pics that popped up looked more like streaks across the sky, not like stars. But! I'm going to check upcoming flares and see if it is indeed what I've been seeing. I'll keep ya posted
Hey did you know you can see those flares in the daylight too? Neato!
Thanks again!!!
Hey did you know you can see those flares in the daylight too? Neato!Thanks again!!!
Maybe it's ball lightning?
The photos of iridium flares you find online are long exposures. They photograph as streaks becuse thye move during exposure. When you see them, they look like stars.*stRgrL* said:Hey P. Boom! Thanks for all of that info. I did register on that one site that you provided. The thing is, I googled 'iridium flares' and the pics that popped up looked more like streaks across the sky, not like stars. But! I'm going to check upcoming flares and see if it is indeed what I've been seeing. I'll keep ya posted
Thanks again!!!
Basic facts can sometimes be crucial.
Satelites perform a STRAIGHT path across the sky. Do your lights curve at all?
Satelites perform extremely uniform speed in their traverse of the sky. Do your lights seem to vary their speed?
I have observed satelites which varied in brightness. I have assumed that it was ( partly ) due to a rotating satelite having a dark side and a bright side.
Satelites perform a STRAIGHT path across the sky. Do your lights curve at all?
Satelites perform extremely uniform speed in their traverse of the sky. Do your lights seem to vary their speed?
I have observed satelites which varied in brightness. I have assumed that it was ( partly ) due to a rotating satelite having a dark side and a bright side.
Look up 'iridium satellites' then please try and find something more exciting to discuss... yawn....
Pete:
You know I was thinking the same thing after I typed my last post.
Gangas:
The majority of them have been straight which leads me to believe they are satellites but a few of them curved.... wierd....
Megabrain:
Noone is making you read my posts. If your so bored, don't read it! DOI! YAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
You know I was thinking the same thing after I typed my last post.
Gangas:
The majority of them have been straight which leads me to believe they are satellites but a few of them curved.... wierd....
Megabrain:
Noone is making you read my posts. If your so bored, don't read it! DOI! YAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Those exhibiting curved paths have made it through the first cut. Do any of the curved sightings show up on any kind of regular basis: every night, every tenth night, every 38th night, or any repeating interval? Place no significance on the numbers I used as examples of intervals.
And, is there any repetition in the direction of their curve? Do they repeat going West then curving to the North, or some such?
Do they first go straight then curve? Or first go curved then straighten up?
One of the important first steps to analyze any problem is to try to discover a pattern if there is one. And it can be important also to discover that there is not a pattern.
britepixel
Registered Member
I saw it as well
I don't know if this is the same thing, but what I saw last night REALLY freaked me out. it was up in the sky and i thought it was Jupiter.. and it would get really bright and then dim almost completely.. it did this for more than an hour. I woke up around 4 am last night and looked out my window facing east. I saw the "object" and thought that looks really bright then watched in amazement as it dimmed again completely. It kept coming back and then going away. At one point i thought i saw it move, not in a straight line but down like it was coming to earth then it would stop. I think it moving was just my mind playing tricks on me because everytime I walked away and came back it was in the same spot. What is this mysterious object!
I don't know if this is the same thing, but what I saw last night REALLY freaked me out. it was up in the sky and i thought it was Jupiter.. and it would get really bright and then dim almost completely.. it did this for more than an hour. I woke up around 4 am last night and looked out my window facing east. I saw the "object" and thought that looks really bright then watched in amazement as it dimmed again completely. It kept coming back and then going away. At one point i thought i saw it move, not in a straight line but down like it was coming to earth then it would stop. I think it moving was just my mind playing tricks on me because everytime I walked away and came back it was in the same spot. What is this mysterious object!
What is your approximate location and the date and times you observed the object. How many degrees above the horizon was the object and in which direction were you observing (S, SW, etc).
britepixel
Registered Member
Aug 1. approx between 40 and 50 degrees above horizon. facing east, LAT/LONG = 35.475171,-120.651951 and I was seeing it from about 3:30 am to at least 4:30am it was still there when i would look i just got freaked out so i stopped looking at it.
britepixel
Registered Member
No i was laying in bed when i first saw it, I eventually got up and was standing looking out my window. It would take about 30 seconds for it to go from extremely bright to completely dim and vice versa. At one point I went outside that's when I thought i saw it move, it was probably my mind playing tricks on me because when i went back to my room it appeared to be in the exact same spot. I was also freaking out a little bit so i think my mind was a little bit crazy. But I know that it was for sure dimming and getting bright like i said and it was like nothing I've ever seen (btw I don't do drugs lol) It did this for about an hour and at that point i stopped looking at it, it didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon.
britepixel
Registered Member
also I have google sky map on my phone and it was showing up as jupiter i think... but it was hard to tell.... it was definently the biggest and brightest light in the night sky. It was also completely clear out with great visibility
britepixel
Registered Member
nothing?
It was problaby Jupiter as you said that is about in the right position. Even on clear nights there can be alot of atmospheric turbulence and temperature changes. These cause the so called twinkling. Looking at a star and planet with the naked eyes for any length of time can result in the objects apprearing to move around, vibrate, and dissapear (only to reapear when your eyes are diverted).
So that would be my best guess at what you saw.