I saw 2 Objects While Looking at the Moon on Eclipse Night

While looking at the moon last night with my Meade telescope, around 8:20 CST, i saw an object cross the glow coming from the moon's surface. It was a slow moving, black object. It was in proportion with the size of the moon, meaning it wasn't on the surface, but above the earth's atmosphere. About 6-7 minutes later, my wife saw the same thing. It had the same trajectory: the moon was Eastward, and the objects were moving from South to North across the glow of the moon.

My guess is that they were satellites. Every now and then, we can see them with the naked eye; slow moving, with a soft amber light. We are outside the Chicago area, so we have very heavy air traffic. My chances of seeing a genuine UFO are slim to none. I have to be very skeptical about everything I see upwards.

If anyone is out tonight, moon gazing with a telescope, at around 8:15-8:30 CST, then I will know that my guess is correct.

peace.

You don't seem to be the only one...check the UFO forum...

My bet would be satellites though...what shape were the objects?

[edit on 28-10-2004 by Gazrok]

They were rather shapeless; only the effect that I couldn't make out any distinguishable angles of the craft. Just black.

My telescope isn't the best

They were probably, as you suggested, just planes. Your telescope was no doubt focused on the Moon (far away) and not on the planes (considerably closer). So that's why they appeared blurred and unfocused.

As for a satellite, I highly, highly doubt you'd even be able to make out the blur of one move across the disk of the Moon.

and so it starts
www.abovetopsecret.com...

As for a satellite, I highly, highly doubt you'd even be able to make out the blur of one move across the disk of the Moon.

On the contrary. Seeing the sillouettes of sattelites as they cross the front of the moon is very common and easy to spot. I'm an avid amateur astronomer and have seen quite a few.

Originally posted by nathraq
My guess is that they were satellites. Every now and then, we can see them with the naked eye; slow moving, with a soft amber light. We are outside the Chicago area...

Make trip to some place with dark sky and you would see them constantly.
There are thousands of those orbiting us.


And here is last June's Venus transit with ISS:

Originally posted by E_T

Originally posted by nathraq

There are thousands of those orbiting us.

Thousands? I think thats a bit over exadjurated. There's only about 100 or so, no more. At any time there should be at the most, six satelites in your view. No more.

How many satellites? Different answers from different sources:

Hundreds: imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov...

There have been about 4000 launches (some with multiple payloads) and my guess is that several hundred of the satellites involved are still active.

Thousands: www.nationalgeographic.com...

By the end of the 20th century, more than 2,200 satellites were circling the planet, many of them providing steady streams of scientific data, along with views of the Earth never before imagined possible.

Lots of thousands: www.earthsky.com...

DB: About 800 of the roughly 9,000 man-made satellites orbiting Earth are geosynchronous.

Interesting image here: www.windows.ucar.edu...

[edit on 10/31/2004 by titian]

www.heavens-above.com...

This website ^ is the best for satellites. it can predict the time speed and brightness of transits over your location, and give you star charts.
It also contains a record of every recorded satellite launched, so you can use that to work out how many are up there.

Edit-forgot the http://

[edit on 1/11/04 by minimi]

Well it is possible to see sattelites with the eye but if they are seen it is most likely they are going down because for the eye to see that it HAS to be close