Why is this star "twinkling" with flashes of red?

I'm sitting on my porch looking at the stars and I notice that one, to the SE of where I'm at (North Florida) is twinkling with flashes of red.

Don't know if I'm seeing the space station or what, but I swear this star is flashing with red. I looked at the other stars to see if they all do this, but no. This is the only star doing it. Let me see if I can describe it.

The star itself isn't flashing entirely red, it has like...red spots on it's illumination that flash. The red doesn't cover the complete white of the star. At first I thought it was a plane flying because that's what the flashing is similar too, but I've been sitting watching it for over 30 minutes.

Don't know what it is, since if there was something happening in that stars galaxy, it happened thousands of years ago.

If you go outside now, you can see it I guess. Any ideas?

Download Stellarium and plug in your information: date, time and location

Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
It is being used in planetarium projectors. Just set your coordinates and go.

If it moves, go to Human Space Flight or Heavens Above and chose your country/state/city to see what satelites are flying over.

reply to post by DZAG Wright


Been seeing these for the past few nights. Apparently when stars are lower on the horizon they do appear to twinkle different colors. I notice that the same stars many hours later when high in the sky no longer twinkle red. But yeah, when you first see a red, blue, yellow, green flashing star it makes you think WTF.

I'm pretty sure I just looked at the same star about 20 min ago. The first thing I thought was that it was not really a star and I stared at it for a bit to see if it would move and it didn't.

I'll take another look later, staring at my computer for now.

I have been watching Arcturus this month, and it has been behaving in a spectacular fashion! Lots of flashing, brilliant twinkling and shining. I am in Louisiana, and it is in the Western sky for me.

It is the Eye of Satan. Every time it twinkles it eats a part of your soul.

It's a helicopter. Most likely a police helicopter. You'll see them all the time in my area at night. We have numerous of criminals being chased by helicopters.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


Do they fly all the way across the Atlantic ?
I've seen the same thing tonight.

It happens when the light travels through our atmosphere and it's called oscillation If I remember correct

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


I line in Sacramento, Cali. Like I said they are police choppers. At night they have to turn on their lights unless they could crash or someone will crash into them.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


Yeah like I live only about 6000 miles to your right.

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


Well how long will it take to fly over there lol.

Here's the only video I could find on youtube.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


Are you being serious? Do you really think someone doesn't know what a chopper is? I've ridden in plenty. It's much too high up and this star isn't moving.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Thanks!

reply to post by DZAG Wright


Humm? well I would have to continue checking. We have several airports here. Could be a private plane then?

Originally posted by DoomsdayRex
It is the Eye of Satan. Every time it twinkles it eats a part of your soul.

Algol, one of the Stars in Perseus actually means... the winking demon's eye, i believe.

I'm not seeing helicopters. I live on the gulf coast, and I see antares, and acturus flash deep reds, blues, and violet colors till they drop below the horizon. I've been noticing their (what I call) excessive flashing for about 6 months now. I sometimes get a scope on them to get a better view, but they look normal under magification, so I just figured it was atmospheric effects.

style="height: 344px; width: 425px"> "http://www.youtube.com/v/fuoXPuAwrZI?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"> i filmed this from colton ca

there are SO MANY of these threads. search ATS please.

As jennybee35 said, Arcturus has been twinkling (scintillating) quite a bit -- at least from my vantage point -- and it's colors seem to twinkle between reddish and white.

Arcturus is in the western sky after sunset -- at least here in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. You can find Arcturus by following the curve (or arc) out the back of the Big Dipper's handle -- i.e., as astronomers say "take the arc to Arcturus"

reply to post by DZAG Wright


If you are sure on your SE view the only one that would come to mind would be Fomalhaut it rises low in the SE just at dusk but it appears blueish white beyond that I have no clue