Recent astronomical event

Mike Painter wrote:
Two or three nights ago about 9:15 PM in Northern California I saw a bright
light in the sky.
It was about the same elevation of the moon at the time but was almost due
north.
I did not see any motion during the two or three seconds I observed it. I
don't know if I saw it at full brightness but it was far brighter than I've
ever seen Venus and it seemed bigger.
It faded rapidly over about a second to nothing.
I've seen a couple of very bright meteors almost every night the last week
or so and maybe it was just one heading right towards me.

Any ideas?

I cross-posted this to s.a.a. They get this sort of question all the
time, and they are pretty good about getting the right answer.

Good luck!

On 8/2/06 7:21 PM, in article
, "Tom McDonald"
wrote:


Mike Painter wrote:
Two or three nights ago about 9:15 PM in Northern California I saw a bright
light in the sky.
It was about the same elevation of the moon at the time but was almost due
north.
I did not see any motion during the two or three seconds I observed it. I
don't know if I saw it at full brightness but it was far brighter than I've
ever seen Venus and it seemed bigger.
It faded rapidly over about a second to nothing.
I've seen a couple of very bright meteors almost every night the last week
or so and maybe it was just one heading right towards me.

Any ideas?

I cross-posted this to s.a.a. They get this sort of question all the
time, and they are pretty good about getting the right answer.

Good luck!

Tom

Sounds like he saw an Iridium Flare. The time fits the profile.

Crazy Ed

Edward Erbeck wrote:
Sounds like he saw an Iridium Flare. The time fits the profile.

About iridium flares
http://www.satobs.org/iridium.html

Predicting iridium flares
http://www.heavens-above.com/

- Canopus56