Bright flashing "star" in sky

The star is called Fomalhaut
www.earthsky.org...

It is not on my star chart, but it just showed up one day so I went to the above website and they just happened to have it listed.

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


I live in Baton Rouge, LA. and saw this last year. It is not "twinkling" like a star, nor does it track from east to west like the other stars. It rises up from the Northeast and seems to go East/Southeast. Also it seems there is more than one. Tonight, I checked it with a telescope, the lights are obviously synchronise. I need a better eyepiece to get a closer view.

Thanks

This is the second or third time I've seen this "star". I live in town and this start is still extremely bright! The first time I saw it I swore it was a plane and watched for 10 minutes to see if it was moving, it wasn't.

It appears that it has a distinctive flashes of red, blue, and white.

I live in Lafayette, IN and it is East South East in arrangement. I would estimate it is 15* (degrees) off East alignment. Less accurate is my estimate of its distance above the horizon, but I would say 25-30* above horizon.

Currently it is underneath the Orion Constellation. Pretty much right under his belt and Beatlejuice. Can't miss it.

I'm thinking possible planet reflecting, star exploding/dieing, being born possibly? Someone has to know what exactly this is.

I live in Southern Illinois near St. Louis. I've been watching it for the last month or so, and from my perspective, it never moves. Every time I go outside after midnight, it is in the same exact place. I've never seen anything like it, and i'm dying to know what it is. I'm thinking of buying a telescope to see if I can make out any more detail. Has anyone done this, and if so, what do you see through a telescope?

I live in south wales, uk, and this bright light is a regular site, it is not a star it is very bright, sometimes wobbles slightly and changes colour,flashes occasionally, it seems very near, its sometimes there when there are no other stars in the sky, its very obvious , dont know why officials havent noticed it, maybe it is a satalite, watching us. usually notice it during trips to the bathroom in middle of the night lol , some nights its not there at all , also noticed while on holiday in spain

reply to post by Nizzmo


I saw the flickering star last night. I was out smoking with my buddy and we saw the "star" resting stationary in the sky, flashing blue red and yellow. I'd really like to know what it is since it hasn't been on the news or anything.

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
Currently it is underneath the Orion Constellation. Pretty much right under his belt and Beatlejuice. Can't miss it.

I'm thinking possible planet reflecting, star exploding/dieing, being born possibly? Someone has to know what exactly this is.

Sirius, brightest star in the night sky.

those are alien spacecraft. they are constantly monitering earth right now in this peiriod of time we are all in. they are actually quite huge if you can get a chance to see one up close.

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


Anonymous in Lafayette, IN. That's gotta be the star Sirius you're seeing. You're right; you can't miss it. It is the brightest star in the sky; and something to see for sure.

I would imagine the sky you are seeing looks something like this?

Edit: Oops...didnt' see ngchunter had already covered this.

[edit on 7-11-2008 by Boognish]

reply to post by Nizzmo


the one your talking about looks like it is "IN" the sky right? I've seen the one your talking about. I'm in california.

I live in Houston Texas. I too have noticed this "star" for the last few months. I even reported it as a UFO to the local news station in late august. I have watched the sky basically since I was born, and have never noticed anything like this. Everyone I have brought this to attention simply writes it off as atmospheric distortion of a star. NO OTHER STAR DOES THIS. WOULD VENUS NOT DO THE SAME??? I think it is WAY TO BIG TO BE A SATELLITE. I have taken photos and even they show different colors, blue, red, green, white. The colors seem to morph between each. Some nights I have witnessed two.....?????

reply to post by Anonymous ATS
Hello, All! I am from Longview, TX and about a month ago I stood out on my balcony (which I do every night and stargaze) and noticed a bright star that I had never seen before. It was strobing, changing different colors. Red, blue, green....At first I thought it was an airplane heading straight for me, which would be the only explanation for it being so bright, and it wasnt moving across the horizon. About an hour later I walked back outside and it was still there in the same place. I noticed it seems to move in "circles", almost like it's doing a donut, or pacing back and forth. It's really the only way I can explain it. Just a few minutes ago my SIL called me and said that she saw this gigantic bright light in the sky changing colors and moving really fast in a random pattern. I know I'm not crazy, and it's not natural. From my point of view, it doesn't move with the stars. It stays in the same place all night long. Interesting!!!

It takes a lot for me to write in a forum but I am happy I found this one.
I have noticed the same phenomenon. I live in South East Florida and I am seeing it in the evening usually around 10PM, when going for a walk, more or less 20 degrees over the horizon, to the East-South East. Thats easy to determine here because it means over the ocean.

It is so bright and flashing so much red and green that the first time I was convinced it is a plane landing at Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale Intl Airport. But of course got a little puzzled now that I have seen it hanging in the sky again and again.

Now I am ready to accept it is Sirius and that the flashing colors are due to the light passing thru our atmosphere layers. But I wonder why none of us, and I know some of you are astronomy buffs, have ever noticed this before... Yesterday I was wondering what could be the new factor. And I wondered if the new factor could be in our atmosphere rather than in the sky.

I am not particularly knowledgeable in ecology and not the kind of guy twisting every story into something green, but I'm just thinking loud here. Could the only changing factor in all of this story be our atmosphere, its composition, its thickness, who knows?

Originally posted by timewalker
NO OTHER STAR DOES THIS. WOULD VENUS NOT DO THE SAME???

No, Venus would not do the same, Venus is a planet and is not a point light source like a star. What you're seeing is normal atmospheric scintillation.

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
I noticed it seems to move in "circles", almost like it's doing a donut, or pacing back and forth. It's really the only way I can explain it. From my point of view, it doesn't move with the stars. It stays in the same place all night long. Interesting!!!

Circumpolar stars appear to move in circles without ever setting. In fact, even polaris draws a small circle itself.

reply to post by Nizzmo


i think its a comet

I know exactly which "star" you speak of as well. I live in Central USA and this star has been around for quite sometime, actually. I was outside with my mother one night when I was about 25 years old (4 years ago) and I asked her what it was. She stated "I am not sure, but your grand-ma always thought it was a UFO. I asked my teacher and he said it was Venus but I thought it was odd because it changed colors".

Well, it isn't Venus, obviously and the only thing that is even close on the acsension point is Capella. I previously put Vega.. I am not sure what I was thinking lol In the Fall/Winter here I can see it from the North-Western aim point and in the summer / spring I see it East North East only at dusk / evening. I won't even comment on the UFO bit lol

So, Capella is probably what it is.




[edit on 23-11-2008 by vita63640]