A Space & astronomy forum. SpaceBanter.com

Go Back   Home » SpaceBanter.com forum » Others » UK Astronomy
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Flashing light in sky



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old September 25th 03, 06:55 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Flashing light in sky

Out in the garden last night at about 21:15. Looking just below Lyra there
was a pulsating light I had not seen before. It went from nothing to about
Mag 4-5 (at least to the naked eye) every 2-3 seconds. It did not appear to
be moving during the 15 or so seconds I observed it - if it was it was very
slow. By the time I had gone inside to get the scope out (about 1 minute
later) I couldn't see it any more.

Anyone any ideas what this was?

Thanks,
Pete


  #2  
Old September 25th 03, 08:44 AM
Michael A. Covington
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Flashing light in sky


@ wrote in message ...
Out in the garden last night at about 21:15. Looking just below Lyra

there
was a pulsating light I had not seen before. It went from nothing to

about
Mag 4-5 (at least to the naked eye) every 2-3 seconds. It did not appear

to
be moving during the 15 or so seconds I observed it - if it was it was

very
slow. By the time I had gone inside to get the scope out (about 1 minute
later) I couldn't see it any more.

Anyone any ideas what this was?



Obviously the space aliens coming to get us

Seriously, it could be anything from a tumbling satellite (positioned so
that sun reflects off it) to an aircraft moving directly toward or away from
you.


  #3  
Old September 25th 03, 05:37 PM
Dr John Stockton
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Flashing light in sky

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, ?@?.? posted at Thu, 25 Sep 2003 06:55:33 :-
Out in the garden last night at about 21:15. Looking just below Lyra there
was a pulsating light I had not seen before. It went from nothing to about
Mag 4-5 (at least to the naked eye) every 2-3 seconds. It did not appear to
be moving during the 15 or so seconds I observed it - if it was it was very
slow. By the time I had gone inside to get the scope out (about 1 minute
later) I couldn't see it any more.


For "just below Lyra" to be a useful indication of the absolute position
of an object, one really needs to know the observer's whereabouts to
within a fraction of the assumed distance of the object.

An aircraft at that angle will not be much more than 10-15 miles away; a
LEO satellite say 500 miles, ...

Given the number of active observers here, if anyone else says they saw
it just below Lyra at that time, it must have been well above LEO and
possibly astronomical.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Light year distance question Tony Sims Technology 7 April 29th 05 04:41 PM
Light pollution. Was: Exterior House Lighting N9WOS Amateur Astronomy 26 February 10th 04 05:03 AM
Milky Way's Big Bang Giovanni Astronomy Misc 30 January 6th 04 11:32 AM
NEW DARK SKY Legislation may pass, LIPA Announces Light Pollution Reduction Gordon Gekko IDCC on the Nasdaq Amateur Astronomy 1 October 3rd 03 01:23 PM
Hypothetical astrophysics question Matthew F Funke Astronomy Misc 39 August 11th 03 03:21 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SpaceBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.