Strange light snapped then disappeared (photos)

Hi there

I saw a strange light in the sky last week, it looked like a star but seemed bigger. It was not moving and there was no sound. Planes and helicopters do pass over the river here but I would have heard them or seen them move. My little daughter who was with me asked is that a big star? I was taking a photo of it when she asked. i turned round to talk to her (3-4 seconds) and then when I turned back the light was gone.







I know people will say oh its probably a satellite but it seems odd that it just vanished after i took the photo. Suggestions?

a reply to: daftpink

Any object that high up is still in direct sunlight. If its an airliner and traveling directly at or away from you it could appear to appear and then vanish "without moving".

a reply to: daftpink

I know people will say oh its probably a satellite but it seems odd that it just vanished after i took the photo. Suggestions?

Direction?
Time of day?
Approximate location?

I understand that but it didn't get any brighter or dimmer it just hung there and then vanished seconds after i took the phot. Even my daughter was surprised!
a reply to: intrptr

Ok I am not good with direction but I think its safe to say I was facing south.
It was taken at 4pm on the 2nd of December in east scotland.

a reply to: Phage

sorry I meant south doha reply to: daftpink

a reply to: daftpink

it didn't get any brighter or dimmer it just hung there and then vanished seconds after i took the phot.

"Hung there" and "vanished" are almost synonymous with "brighter and dimmer".

How do we tell from two pics?

Well one pic of the light is all I got, I have just enlarged the other pics. It is all the same photo. I say 'hung' as I mean it was static ie not moving or getting dimmer or brighter. I say 'vanished' because when i turned round the sky was completley clear, no light. You only have my word that it vanished although I did take a photo one minute afterwards, i could upload but it just shows a blank sky. Meta data would show the timeframe if needed.
a reply to: intrptr

a reply to: daftpink

Mars possibly. Have you looked on subsequent evenings?

Yes its close to where i pick her up after I finish work so pass there a lot at similar times of the day haven't seen anything similar yet.

If it was mars how could it then disappear? the sky was very clear, no clouds which I think is aparant from the photo.

a reply to: Phage

a reply to: daftpink

I say 'vanished' because when i turned round the sky was completely clear, no light.

So you don't know if it dimmed or "vanished".

Thanks for bringing it…

Airplane landing lights, a military flare or reflection off an aircraft can't be ruled out…

a reply to: daftpink

If it was mars how could it then disappear? the sky was very clear, no clouds which I think is aparant from the photo.

Fell behind the tree perhaps. Just looking at astronomical possibilities. Have you seen Mars? You should be able to.
www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk...

a reply to: Phage

You ought to know that Mars (or ANY planet, for that matter) could not drop the distance indicated in the photos in the reported 3-4 seconds it took for the light to disappear after being photographed.

Venus is a possibility ...


journeytothestars.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/mercury-ve nus-and-the-young-moon-at-dusk/

a reply to: Frank12345
On the 2nd Venus was too close to the Sun to be visible after sunset.

In Scotland.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Frank12345
On the 2nd Venus was too close to the Sun to be visible after sunset.

Nope, see ... en.es-static.us/upl/2014/12/Venu s-12-2-2014-Karoline-Mrazek-Erwin-Matys-Project-Nightflight-Spain1.jpg

Spain Venus-12-2-2014 Image from ... earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-plan ets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

a reply to: Frank12345

See my edit following yours.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Frank12345
On the 2nd Venus was too close to the Sun to be visible after sunset. In Scotland.

The different locations [Spain Scotland] would have just changed the time of sunset , not the angular separation between the sun and Venus. If Venus was visible at sunset from Spain on 141202 , it could have been visible from Scotland on 141202 ...

Spain Vs Scotland 141202 ...

[click on this image for larger version]

a reply to: Frank12345

The different locations [Spain Scotland] would have just changed the time of sunset , not the angular separation between the sun and Venus.

But the elevation of the planet and difference in the level of lighting would be different so the visibility of the planet would also be different.

In Glasgow the Sun set at 15:47 and Venus set at 16:15, SW.
In Madrid the Sun set at 16:48 and Venus set at 17:23, WSW.
www.stargazing.net...

In Glasgow Venus was about 2º above the horizon at sunset. The OP says the picture was taken at 16:00, that would be 13 minutes after sunset and Venus would have been about 0.5º above the horizon. (With the ecliptic perpendicular to the horizon the change is 0.25º/min. In Glasgow the ecliptic was not perpendicular to the horizon.)

In Madrid Venus was about 5º above the horizon at sunset. Any idea what time the picture was taken?

Maybe the OP saw Venus. But if the time and direction provided are accurate, maybe not.

Looks like perhaps the glint of an airplane catching the low angle of the setting sun. That would account for its disappearance as the plane turns and the reflection is no longer visible.