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New supernova sighting 4:54 PM (PDT) 12-11-2005 in the NW sky???



 
 
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Old December 12th 05, 04:11 AM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
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Default New supernova sighting 4:54 PM (PDT) 12-11-2005 in the NW sky???

I believe my wife and I may have sighted a supernova at 4:52 to 4:54 pm
(PDT). We were watching the sunset in Carlsbad State Beach, Carlsbad,
CA when I saw a VERY bright star in the NW sky. I knew it couldn't be
a star because the sky was still too bright to see venus. I knew where
venus would appear - we've been watching venus and the sunset for a few
days now.

Well, this got me very curious so I started watching this "star". I
expected it would move and turn out to be just a plane. But after one
minute it hadn't moved at all. By this time my wife also saw it and
said "hey, there's Venus". I told her it couldn't be Venus so we
watched it together. It got much brighter for about 30 seconds and
then suddenly got dimmer and dimmer and then became too dim to see in
the still bright sky.

I kept looking at the spot where this "star" had been for another
minute to see if maybe it was a plane after all, but no - there was no
trace of a plane there. If it HAD been a plane there's no way it
would suddenly dim like that and vanish.

I excitedly called my son who's a student at CU. He told me it might
have been a satellite. But we watched it for two minutes, from 4:52 pm
to 4:54 pm. If it had been a satellite with a typical 90 min orbit, it
would have moved about 8 degrees - which should have been noticeable.
But this object had not moved visibly.

A few minutes later, venus became visible in the SW evening sky. I
estimate this "supernova" was about 90 degrees north of venus, in the
NW sky.

I googled for "new supernova" but apparently no one else observed it.

Was this a supernova or something else??

Perplexed

  #2  
Old December 12th 05, 07:28 AM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
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Default New supernova sighting 4:54 PM (PDT) 12-11-2005 in the NW sky???

wrote in news:1134357085.125964.66220
@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

I believe my wife and I may have sighted a supernova at 4:52 to 4:54 pm
(PDT).


Supernova (or even nova) light curves are far far longer than just two
minutes. Try weeks to months.


We were watching the sunset in Carlsbad State Beach, Carlsbad,
CA when I saw a VERY bright star in the NW sky. I knew it couldn't be
a star because the sky was still too bright to see venus.


Venus can indeed be seen during the day. I've done it several
times. It can be hard to spot though. But like you say, this
is the wrong direction to be Venus.

BTW, I've also observed Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn through my
telescope during the day.


I knew where
venus would appear - we've been watching venus and the sunset for a few
days now.


At first I thought Iridium flare, which can be seen in daylight.
But doing a cursory check on Heavens-Above.com turned up negative.


Well, this got me very curious so I started watching this "star". I
expected it would move and turn out to be just a plane. But after one
minute it hadn't moved at all.


Iridium don't last this long. But, it might have been another
satellite, but I'm doubtful.

Also, if it was high enough in the sky you may not have had sufficient
reference to see that it was indeed moving.

The eye/brain can play funny tricks at times. I've been an amateur
astronmer since I was a kid and to this day there are times when I'm
staring up at the sky and suddenly it looks like the star I'm staring
at is moving.

Conversely, staring at a point of light on a featureless background
gives no reference to be able to tell if it is indeed moving or not.
The object you saw could have been moving, and maybe not slowly.


By this time my wife also saw it and
said "hey, there's Venus". I told her it couldn't be Venus so we
watched it together. It got much brighter for about 30 seconds and
then suddenly got dimmer and dimmer and then became too dim to see in
the still bright sky.


Being an aviation nut as well I tend to watch planes. I routinely
see planes approaching directly towards me with their landing lights
on. They do not appear to be moving at all, or perhaps very slowly
if low enough to the horizon to get a reference from a tree or
building. Then, when they turn course the light dims slowly over
several seconds. These are planes landing at John Wayne airport
down here in Orange County.



I kept looking at the spot where this "star" had been for another
minute to see if maybe it was a plane after all, but no - there was no
trace of a plane there. If it HAD been a plane there's no way it
would suddenly dim like that and vanish.


It could still have been a plane. I have seen planes catch the
sun just right and appear very bright. If it were far enough away
it would not appear to move quickly and the flare would last
longer. I have observed planes far in the distance, probably in
excess of 100 miles or more. They were easy to spot because they
were putting out a chemtra....errr...vapor trail (heheheh) and
have on occassion seen them glint in the sun. Because they are
so far away, their apparent motion is very slow.

Your observation is sounding a lot like a plane to me based on
my own experiences. Could also have been a weather balloon, but
I've never seen one myself to know for comparison.

As an aside, I recently watched a plane from low on the horizon
coming in from the Pacific the other day. I was out walking and
on my way home. I was still a quarter mile from home when I saw
it and it took so long to approach and pass to my south that when
I got home I still had time to pull my scope out on the balcony
and follow the plane. I'd say I could see this plane for a good
20 minutes.


I excitedly called my son who's a student at CU. He told me it might
have been a satellite. But we watched it for two minutes, from 4:52 pm
to 4:54 pm. If it had been a satellite with a typical 90 min orbit, it
would have moved about 8 degrees - which should have been noticeable.
But this object had not moved visibly.

A few minutes later, venus became visible in the SW evening sky. I
estimate this "supernova" was about 90 degrees north of venus, in the
NW sky.

I googled for "new supernova" but apparently no one else observed it.

Was this a supernova or something else??


Almost certainly not. If there were a nova or supernova bright
enough to be seen in the day, it would almost certainly be
breaking news. Remember, these do not last mere seconds or minutes.


Perplexed


Understandable. My vote is for a plane glinting in the sun far in
the distance.

Brian
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  #3  
Old January 2nd 06, 07:31 PM posted to sci.astro.satellites.visual-observe
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Default New supernova sighting 4:54 PM (PDT) 12-11-2005 in the NW sky???

Airplane
 




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