I want to let you all know about something else I saw with witnesses.

One time I got to camp a night out by Cougar Hot Springs in Oregon, in July 1997, when me and others saw what looked like a star but if you just stepped over a little to the left, I think is was or vice-versa, and that star would disappear. Is it possible we saw the affects of a Black hole? We made sure the star was definitely above the ridgeline of the mountain below. Please help me understand what it could have been.

I have no idea what you saw but Cougar is a great place to hang, at least it used to be.
I was camping up there around 97 also, I didn't see anything weird, except the hippies...LOL
It was probably in August though, sometime after the national rainbow gathering in Ochoco Oregon, via the 1st High Times festival.

You ever camp at Bagby HS? Awesome place, even better than Cougar IMHO. Off the beaten track and a couple of miles hike from the parking lot.
And less weird stuff...hehe

bagbyhotsprings.netfirms.com...

You are right about it being in August. I went to the Annual Gahtering of the Tribes in Ochoco National Forest. I also got in to the First Annual Hemp Festival for free, but it wasn't sponsored by High Times until next year when it was called W.H.E.E. (World Hemp Expo Extravaganja). Wish I still had all the free posters I got, that I gave away. I actually met Conde, the owner of the land where both of those hemp festivals were held at, right by I-5. Thanks.

Wow cool, I got in free too...LOL

Me and a buddy had driven from a local gathering in Michigan to the national, then we hit the Hemp festival thing.
We camped in the parking lot and sneaked in through the vender's entrance all three days...
We did it by accident, I went to throw some trash in a dumpster by the vender's entrance and suddenly I realized I was inside the fence and nobody stopped me. We just kept on walking...
I don't think security was very tight. We even sold cans of beer out of a cooler one day, doubled our cash...lol (my only capitalist venture...hehe)
We needed gas money.
I then ended up in Eugene for a year. Lived on the river bank for awhile...lol
I haven't left the west coast since...
I miss traveling though, might have to give all this up next this year and get back on the road.

Maybe it was a meteor or something like that in front of the stars light.

I actually ended up in Eugene after what we saw at Cougar. What a coincidence. Peace

I doubt it was a meteor, but many stars do flicker. Other stars passing in front of them or cosmicy dusty stuff. Sometimes the atmosphere of the Earth is to blame as well. It is not the best for viewing things. What was the weather like on the night of your camping? If it was humid, then it is most likely clouds or water vapor in the air blocking it out. As for a black hole.... it wouldnt disappear all of a sudden. The black hole would most likely suck off the atmosphere of the star, and then continue on with the elements present in it. The matter would form of those cool discs that you see all the time in movies or the discovery channel.

I remember it was a clear night. no clouds in sight. The moon made the sky that dark blue color when the moon is out. Thanks.

The star wasn't flickering. It was only visible until you stepped just a little to the left (side step) and then if you stepped back to the right it would re-appear.

Hmmm....maybe you were just timing it really really good, so that when you stepped it would flicker and step back it would show again. Ha....


I don't think a black hole would cause that kind of disturbance however, and I don't see how stepping to the left a few feet could change the perspective of a heavenly body enough to make it do that. I dunno.

And it can still be clear and flicker...just depends on if water vapor is present, clouds or not. Or, smoke from a fire, you were camping....lots of times there are fires at campsites.

There were no plumes of smoke on that side rising up to cover the star. If it was smoke it would have to be so black and dense. The night sky was lit by the moon so we would have seen the smoke rising up. It wasn.t a flicker. it was a star. a sun. It wasn't flickering out of sight. It was as if a black shroud covered it covered it when you moved to the left. We didn't time our steps either.

Damn....well I don't know then, but it was most likely not a black hole causing that phenomanae.

Stars (suns sparkle/flicker) but I have never seen one become invisible in the night sky like that night.

thanks for the help. hopefully I can hear from more people to help explain the night me and others experienced.

Try sticking a thread in the space exploration forum; there may be some astronomer types who can help.

Also, if you know the location and date and time, try sticking it into a starchart on heavens-above