I saw the WEIRDEST thing in tonght's sky...

I have no idea what it was. It was about 21:30-21:45 local time, looking southeast in the constellation of Cetus about 30 degrees in altitude. All of a sudden, where no star should be, something brightened up to about second magnitude. I quickly swung a scope around on it. It was in view naked eye for a good three minutes, followed by scope viewing for about five more minutes before
it faded away into nothingness. Well, not really nothingness, but well below 9-10th magnitude.

I've ruled out Leonids, it was definitely extrasolar. No, it wasn't a UFO. My first thought, though, was the it was a UV Ceti star (a type of binary, for the non-astronomers), but to the best of my knowledge none ever get that bright. I honestly and completely stumped about what this object is or was. Did anyone see this or have any other idea of what I may have seen?

So far nothing on Space.com, SpaceWeather.com, or anything from the AAVSO...

[edit on 11/2/2005 by cmdrkeenkid]

I don't know where you were viewing from, but on the East coast, the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury were in the South-East at that time of the morning.
I've once seen Mercury at sunset, on the Western horizon, appear to flare up, and look like a falling helicopter. Although it wasn't moving at all. And this was with a telescope to view it with. It lasted long enough to make it onto the evening news.

Sorry, wasn't thinking... Should have specified PM or put it in military time!

Ok, I looked in my PDA program, and that's about where HR 1231 would be, magnitude 2.95. I don't see anything else around. Mars, of course, much higher up above the horizon, maybe 50-55 degrees.

A little to the East (ESE), is Rigel, magnitude 1.60.

Still doesn't sound like what you were seeing, unless there was an atmospheric disturbance. Something to make it appear brighter or bigger for a while.

Pretty far out of the orbital plane, so not a planet. Perhaps a satellite?

Originally posted by ZPE StarPilot
Ok, I looked in my PDA program, and that's about where HR 1231 would be, magnitude 2.95. I don't see anything else around. Mars, of course, much higher up above the horizon, maybe 50-55 degrees.

It was only magnitude 2 for about 40 seconds. It rapidly dimmed over the next 8 minutes and faded from view.

A little to the East (ESE), is Rigel, magnitude 1.60.

Too low and east. It was definitely in Cetus. Plus, that would have been in the glare of Detroit. Damn light pollution!

Still doesn't sound like what you were seeing, unless there was an atmospheric disturbance. Something to make it appear brighter or bigger for a while.

Never heard of ANY atmospheric distrubance that would do such a thing.

Pretty far out of the orbital plane, so not a planet. Perhaps a satellite?

Definitely not a satellite. It was stationary. If it were in a geosynchronus orbit it would have been much further south, and be so far away there'd still be no way we could see it.

[edit on 11/2/2005 by cmdrkeenkid]

It could be a Taurid meteor.. they're spotted around this time

The Northern Taurids are active from October 12 to December 2. Maximum is also of long duration and extends over November 4-7 (solar longitude=221 deg-224 deg) from an average radiant of RA=54 deg, DEC=+21 deg. The radiant's daily motion is +0.78 deg in RA and +0.19 deg in DEC. The Southern Taurids are active during September 17 to November 27. They reach maximum during October 30 to November 7 (solar longitude=216 deg-224 deg) from an average radiant of RA=53 deg, DEC=+12 deg. This radiant's daily motion is +0.99 deg in RA and +0.28 deg in DEC. Both showers possess maximum hourly rates near 7.

I have very little knowledge to this stuff, I just overheard our local weatherman mention the taurids.. don't know if this will help

I also found this:

The Anthelion radiant is now centered at 03:28 (052) +19. This area of the sky is located on the Aries/Taurus border, seven degrees southwest of the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) open star cluster. Since this radiant is large and diffuse, any slow to medium speed meteor from Aries, northeastern Cetus, or western Taurus could be a candidate for this shower. The center of this area is best placed near 0200 local daylight time when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the sky. At this time of year the normal anthelion activity is combined with material from comet 2P Encke, producing the highest anthelion activity of the year. Rates should be near four per hour from the Northern Hemisphere and three per hour for observers south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the average anthelion meteor would be of medium-slow speed.

www.amsmeteors.org...

[edit on 11/2/2005 by QuietSoul]

Can I just say at this point I respect Commanders Astronomical knowledge which I have seen displayed many a time on this forum and I think he would know and discount most of the usual causes.

next....... Commander, I have seen something similiar to what you speak of but not for years now. 1993 in fact. I think it was not long after a huge eruption in Indonesia or new guinea.

Thanks, Mayet.

It was not, in any way, resembling a meteor. It was stationary and the brightness lasted for far too long.

I did some poking around (always learn so much from your posts ) and the only explanation I can come up with is, like you considered, a UV Ceti.. but from what I've read, they've never reached past 7 magnitude.. maybe it blew up ;p

To find UV Ceti first locate tau Ceti, then the binary h 2067 (see above). UV Ceti is in the same viewing area, just half a degree to the southwest of h 2067. Burnham (p. 642) has a finder's chart.

www.dibonsmith.com...

Was it anywhere near that location?

[edit on 11/3/2005 by QuietSoul]

Originally posted by QuietSoul
...the only explanation I can come up with is, like you considered, a UV Ceti.. but from what I've read, they've never reached past 7 magnitude.

Okay, so I wasn't insane for thinking they didn't get that bright!

Was it anywhere near that location?

Honestly, I can't get more specific than just in Cetus for right now. We're having "Mars Week" at the observatory, so things were a bit hectic. I'll figure out where it was with more accuracy tomorrow night, as I'm in light pollution hell now and it's semi-clouded over.

Jan. 27, 1999. For the first time, scientists have witnessed the visible light emitted at the same time as a gamma-ray burst. The optical counterpart was so bright that it could have been seen in the night sky with a simple pair of binoculars.

Possible? Maybe? Cant find anything yet either. Have you reported it to any appropriate authority?

Originally posted by The Block
Possible? Maybe? Cant find anything yet either. Have you reported it to any appropriate authority?

Well, I'll add a possible GRB to the list then! I never knew one had been seen in visible light. My only other guess is that it was a dwarf novae, but those generally have longer durations of brightness.

I didn't report it to anyone. I figured why bother, since I have no idea what it is I'm seeing.

There is a whole constellation of communications satellites called Iridium that have huge solar panels and as they swing aroung in their orbits, they catch the sun momentarily in the panels and get very bright , then they dim down to nothing again.

Originally posted by groingrinder
There is a whole constellation of communications satellites called Iridium that have huge solar panels and as they swing aroung in their orbits, they catch the sun momentarily in the panels and get very bright , then they dim down to nothing again.

Good call, I just did a Google search and they are metioned on the main page for "Heavens-above"
www.heavens-above.com...

Used detroit as a locationand Iridium 56 recently had a flare about 18 miles west of detroit. no idea if this was it, or was another flare

it was the space station .REad the papers

Wasn't an Iridium or an ISS fly-over. I watched them both last night around 7:15 last night. If I knew it were that, which I would have, I wouldn't have bothered with this post.

Both were well in the northern sky... The ISS started off due west, climbed through the sky and went behind the Earth's shadow a few degrees below Polaris. The Iridium went from south to north, and only lasted about 10 seconds. The brightest it got was about a -2 magnitude.

[edit on 11/3/2005 by cmdrkeenkid]

Could it be this??

Fireball Sightings

from above articleNovember 3, 2005: "I thought some wise guy was shining a spotlight at me," says Josh Bowers of New Germany, Pennsylvania. "Then I realized what it was: a fireball in the southern sky. I was doing some backyard astronomy around 9 p.m. on Halloween (Oct. 31, 2005), and this meteor was so bright it made me lose my night vision."

Bowers wasn't the only one who saw the fireball. Lots of people were outdoors Trick or Treating. They saw what Bowers saw ... and more. Before the night was over, reports of meteors "brighter than a full moon" were streaming in from coast to coast.

There is a picture on that page of what they saw.

jm

Sounds like an iridium flare, but since you already checked that, maybe the Tuarsids [sic]? as the person above mentioned...

For the third time, it was a stationary point source.

just fyi not 2 be a jerk or anything

But first you say you saw an object brighten up in outerspace then dim off greatly within a few minute time span

ok then u state that you "Have no idea what it is"

then you go so far as to say "No its not a UFO"

OK so pls allow me to explain why it is actually a UFO

UFO does NOT mean Alien Spaceship lol
It means you saw something in the sky; and were unable 2 identify it

Therefore by pure definition you witnessed a UFO
by pure definition

now; i would think what you saw was a Star expierancing some phenomena that caused it to get really bright and then dim off

its still a UFO tho until we have conclusivly defined exactly what this object was

It was in the sky; it was an object; and it was unidentified by the witness *you*
therefore you saw a UFO

if we wanna get really really technical you probably actually saw a
UCO *Unidentified Celestial Object*
hehe

same thing tho

Pls do not attach a stigma to the word" UFO " and act like it refers to alien spaceships because it doesnt
it only refers to an unknown visable incident in the sky
nothing more nothing less

the moon can be a UFO to someone who forgot to put their glasses on hehe
but when we identify it; as the Moon; its an IFO now, identified

dont take it personally its just im trying to provide insight as to why this incident was a UFO until you have conclusivly identified exactly what it was you saw