Just saw the CRAZIEST thing in the sky over Houston!!

Ok so about 3 hours ago, myself and 4 friends were talking it up, re-connecting (I just moved back) outside of a friends house.

4 of us were leaning against me car, and one was facing us.

I was in the middle of talking, and next thing I know there is this amazing flash of light, so bright that I saw it out of the corner of my eye. It surprised and scared me so much that I was able to turn my focus instantly. What I witnessed, was a bright flash, which I will call the "origin". From the "origin" a beam of light shot what seemed to be downward, and connected with a second point, similar to the "origin". Just to clarify, I'm saying it looked like a pulse of some sort. The flash that took place on the "origin" migrated to the bottom point, leaving a bright trail of light, and going BACK to the "origin", before the whole thing disappeared. Also, it was a perfectly straight line of light between the two points.

This whole thing lasted maybe 2 seconds tops, but was very vivid, bright, and we all saw it. The friend who had her back to it, said she saw the flash reflect off of my car.

Conditions: Clear skies. Nice, bright moon.

I'm bad with scale and such, but I'll give it a shot.

Our first assumption was that this took place in outer space and not inside the atmosphere. The "origin" looked about 5 times the size of a normal star, as well as the bottom point. However the brightness of the flash made us question our sanity completely, no exaggeration there.

Anybody have any ideas?

[snip]

It sounds like cloud to cloud lightning. You've been having thunderstorms lately, haven't you?

Originally posted by DJW001
It sounds like cloud to cloud lightning. You've been having thunderstorms lately, haven't you?

I'll add this to the OP, but totally clear skies. Nice bright moon as well.

And the line of light was completely straight

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine

And the line of light was completely straight

How long was the line compared to the size of the full Moon?

Maybe a massive meteorite traveling one way, and another one going in the opposite direction a second later with mirror like precision. Ultra mega rare of course. I hope you know i don't know what am talking about, best guess.

ETA: You can swap meteorite for massive shooting star if ya want

Very possibly a Bolide.
I see one about once a week.

Bolide is extremely bright and spectacular shooting star/meteorite.

I live in Houston too, and I did not see it, but, then again, I've been indoors most all night.

Originally posted by DJW001
reply to post by My.mind.is.mine

 

And the line of light was completely straight

How long was the line compared to the size of the full Moon?

Good question: I would say between 3/4 and the entire length.

Originally posted by nineix
Very possibly a Bolide.
I see one about once a week.

Bolide is extremely bright and spectacular shooting star/meteorite.

I live in Houston too, and I did not see it, but, then again, I've been indoors most all night.

Then I can be just a tad more detailed for you. My friend lives on the Southwest, near HWY 6, and we say it while facing due south. It was slightly to our southeast and the moon almost dead ahead.

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


Ellington field me thinks is directly South of you.

I doubt it's related to any aircraft, experimental, top secret, or anything of the sort landing at Ellington, but, it's a possibility, though I'm still in favor of a bolide from a statistical point of view since they're more common than secret military aircraft.

I have had peripheral flashes before but nothing like the rest.

2ns line

Originally posted by nineix
reply to post by My.mind.is.mine

 

Ellington field me thinks is directly South of you.

I doubt it's related to any aircraft, experimental, top secret, or anything of the sort landing at Ellington, but, it's a possibility, though I'm still in favor of a bolide from a statistical point of view since they're more common than secret military aircraft.

Nope, I work by ellington field. I'm talking wayyy west. lol. Toward Katy

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


It is not that I do not believe you. I live in the SW also. Clear skies grant an amazingly wonderful view, sometimes of things I cannot identify. I see them so much I stop talking about them 'cause there are so many.

I have never see this, so I went searching. Here are a few things I found:

www.thebigwobble.com...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

I doubt this is what you saw, but this is worth looking at. The second link show "how" it works.

What a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing.

Originally posted by SeenAlot
reply to post by My.mind.is.mine

 

It is not that I do not believe you. I live in the SW also. Clear skies grant an amazingly wonderful view, sometimes of things I cannot identify. I see them so much I stop talking about them 'cause there are so many.

I have never see this, so I went searching. Here are a few things I found:

www.thebigwobble.com...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

I doubt this is what you saw, but this is worth looking at. The second link show "how" it works.

What a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing.

Checked out your links. And to be honest I can't explain it any better than I did.

It didn't look anything like that. The lights were bright... star bright... and it was distant.

Possibly a space rock that was coming almost straight in, split in two, and formed a "Y". All you saw was the two end branches of the "Y" with the trail connecting them.

reply to post by zayonara


It was more like an "I" than a "Y"

@=flash

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reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


flash when the meteor enters the atmosphere streak till it explodes in another flash

your description makes me think it streaked back up to where it started or did it just leave a trail from start to finish? kind of confused on that point...

I have seen some of the Taurids in November explode with just a flash....

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


If you are standing on top of a "Y" looking down at it, it will resemble an "I" Think of the "Y" forks pointing at you from the sky. All you see are the two points of the fork and the line connecting them.

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