Something Strange During 2015 Perseid Meteor Shower

originally posted by: solitudeandme
Maybe, over the years and with a growing accumulation of witnesses, the flashes just may be something/someone out there who wants us to finally 'join the dots' (pun intended) to help us acknowledge within ourselves that there are others out there...

You could be onto something there. My first thought about your post was "isn't that a bit subtle for intelligent ET life?" But then I considered the degree to which different people accept this sort of thing, and the different ways of introducing this to the greater masses. Thinking in this way, it would make a lot of sense for an ET race to do a "soft open" using simple lights all across the world, purposefully demonstrating themselves in a way that is not frightening but yet really gets the people talking.

On the other hand: ETs of varying demeanor have had no trouble hitting us with the "hard sell," of abductions, mutilations, massive fly-overs etc... yet those things are not nearly as wide spread as this phenomena apparently is.

So who knows really, but it's a great point to consider.

originally posted by: Lichter daraus
a reply to: Aqualung2012

I've seen them for years. Exactly like what you describe except I have seen them flash up to four or five times in one spot like a camera flash. be cool to know what they are.



Peace.

Yes, it would be great to get full disclosure. Your experience does sound a lot like mine, and it seems to negate the adjusting solar panel theory.

We can't even get an honest read out of what's in our food, let alone what's twinkling miles above our heads.

originally posted by: intrptr
Sorry if it has been said already. Satellites that cross the terminator between sunlight and darkness appear to blink on and off sometimes as they cross because the terminator is the surface of the earth which may be mountainous instead of say a plain or ocean.

In the case of mountains there are peaks and valleys so just as the satellite passes into darkness it may be crossing from peak to valley several times causing it to blink on and off before going dark altogether.

Sorry its not a better description of the phenomenon, I used too see it too when star gazing.

No apology necessary. I understand what you're saying about the daylight termination point... but I can't understand how that would come into effect in the dead of night when even the Moon is not hanging in the sky. I can see your logic applying to just after dusk or just before sunrise, but these flashes were seen all throughout different times and locations during the night... in the center of the night sky in some cases.

Of course, Elgin is somewhat in a valley (the Fox Valley,) but I highly doubt that would constitute such an interaction with an orbiting satellite, but I am ignorant to the phenomena, so you may very well be right.

Of course, your input is highly valid and educated. I'll be looking into it some more to see if that matches up with what I saw. Thank you!

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: Aqualung2012

Yes I see/saw them too.
It not just last night. Been observing this on any given night. Last night here in Pittsburgh PA was no clouds or moon. Same area of sky, and sometimes around Ursa Major. I suspected a direct alignment hit of a meteor from my view.
There seems to also be a fixed point with 2 stars that will flash.... then 1 to 2 satellites will spawn from that point and traverse the sky in a northern direction. It got to the point that last month I ordered night vision goggles.

Except the blue ones..... it was as if a star faintly blinked into existence. Then slowly got brighter to the point it was the brightest object in the sky. ( like when you turn the power knob on a light. Then it disappears. I wondered if perhaps I was witnessing a GRB gamma ray burst. I see on average 4 a night.

Glad someone else is seeing these too.

My dad whom lives 15 miles away ask me about 2 month ago if I happen to be out sky watching. I cut him off immediately telling him about the flashes coming from the fixed point of 2 stars. And told him about the satellites spawning and traveling north. His jaw dropped and said. "Yes! That's what I've been seeing."
Since then we have been watching this happen every clear night we can. It's like an unseen satellite is firing missiles or something. Since I got the night vision goggles, it's been easier to track.

The brand is a YUKON night vision binoculars. (TRACKER). Meant for hunting. But works quite well for sky watching.

Just wow... that's some heavy stuff right there. Very similar to what I've been seeing, but again, in your case: much more intense. Like me, you've seen enough to take a progressive action by getting night vision binoculars.

I had a friend who refurbished those. you didn't happen to order them from Ashville NC did you?

originally posted by: markymint
Tumbling satellite or debris gets my vote... which is different to an iridium flare.

I have no official capacity on this nor experience, only observations and reading other reports. These pin point flashes can be seen night in night out, from past reports clearly observable wherever you are in the world, sometimes you'll only see one and get no idea of a path, sometimes you'll see two flashes but it's still hard to determine, some times they have so much tumble they flash regularly and it's clear they're on a path/orbit. On occasion, there is more than one tumbling / pinpoint flashing object in the sky at the same time which can make it that little bit more confusing/hard to work out.

I'm not sure you'd want an operational satellite to be tumbling so erratically, so perhaps its worth considering also space junk, debris and satellites that are dead - that simply aren't being told to stay upright because they're no longer operational, but at the same time remaining in orbit for some years.

the Union of Concerned Scientists listed 902 operational satellites[25] from a known population of 19,000 large objects and about 30,000 objects launched.

en.wikipedia.org...

I used to think this was some kind of alien phenomena when I first encountered it, but as it became easier to spot and regular "encounters", my view has long since moved onto space debris and tumbling satellites. A bit like when you see litter on the street, these pinpoint flashes are a reminder of the litter we've created in space

For example, in February 2015, the USAF Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 13 (DMSP-F13) exploded on orbit, creating at least 149 debris objects, which are expected to remain in orbit for decades.

149 un-co-ordinated objects (some probably shiny metal) orbiting us with who-knows-what kind of tumbling motion. It's also such a short-lived and common sight that I don't think it relates to the realm of extraterrestrial or such, even if it is perhaps occurring in the same "regions" of space that some alien phenomena does*.

There may not be any official conclusion but there is certainly a common sense one. I'm not saying this covers every single pin point flash in the night sky but I think it (debris) explains a big portion. I get the impression there is also very little official information on space debris, it's certainly not an issue/policy we'll ever see covered on MSM or in politics, unless of course a specific event like a satellite crashing somewhere on Earth - where space industry & gov's really have to cover their backsides

My point is, there's debris, and there's secret debris, and we seem to still be in an age of 'learning' about debris in orbit - no public hearings, court cases or anything yet to really show what the implications are or what the current "signs" or pointers of the problem may be.

So that harmless little pin point flash today could be what crashes into your house in 50 years time when its orbit has decayed

It's probably worth worrying about it being that more than aliens or anything... but it's just my opinion, each to their own

* There are still plenty of questions that need answering though, to completely rule this out. The erratic movements of "fast walkers" (not seen by naked eye) could be connected to pin point flashes (seen by naked eye). That would be quite hard to determine but not impossible. That said, in a lot of fast walker videos, there is no noticeable flaring, which into the visible spectrum, would show up quite brightly on IR videos. So I'm still going with debris

This was by far the most plausible theory on the subject I've seen thus far (IMO.) It just makes sense, and you have presented it in both a personal and historically citable way. That is highly appreciated.

The often disappointed yet ever-maturing logical part of my mind wants to agree with you... The other part, well that's never satisfied regardless, so like your signature says: "Yous always got aliens. Always."

originally posted by: fockewulf190
a reply to: Aqualung2012
I live in NE Bavaria in Germany and saw the EXACT same thing over the last few nights. Last night, I was centering my observations around Cassiopia and then BAM! I saw two distinct flashes right above the star Shedir. Cassiopia

The flashes were seperated by a few seconds...and did not reappear. They looked like small, bright, concentrated, explosions in space. Only reason why I was looking at Cassiopia is because the same type of flashes happened in that area three nights ago. Other, singular flashes, happened in other parts of the sky, but their location were random, and seen by pure luck.

My jaw dropped when I saw this thread! I was convinced nobody would believe my wife and me. I´m on the other side of the planet, with a time difference of +7 hours relative to Chicago time. I would estimate last nights observation of the flashes between 00:00 - 01:00 CET, which would be between 17:00 and 18:00 CST....still daylight in your neck of the woods!

That is a fantastic contribution to the topic, thank you. Of course any type of space debris or satellite would be a global matter, but even so... it's good to have that global feedback. You also seem to be an avid sky watcher and correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be a new occurrence to you as well. Something noteworthy at least.

I can't say I recall ever seeing this sort of double-flash thing ever in my life except this year. Now there will be proponents of the "more stuff up there = more stuff coming down (space debris)" logic, but even considering that fact... it seems disproportionate.

If you have observational equipment I would hope you might be able to document this first hand.

Flashes in the skies could be a number of things from rotating pieces of space junk, satellites, meteoroids hitting the atmosphere at more of a straight-on POV (as opposed to flying to the right or left of your POV), to Sprites. (STRANGE LIGHT PHENOMENA DURING PERSEID METEOR SHOWERS)

I think if the sun has gone past it's zone of creating a Umbra or shadow over the Earth, then they are probably Sprites. Sprites in themselves have stumped NASA and space aficionados for years. Here's one that was shot by an ISS Astronaut. The only caveat here is that they are generally seen during thunderstorms (but that is not only time).

But there is also another possibility, a Gamma Ray Burst. "Gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions known, were first detected in the late 1960s. They are random, fleeting, and can occur from any region of the sky. Try finding the location of a camera flash somewhere in a vast sports stadium and you'll have a sense of the challenge facing gamma-ray burst hunters.?" (In a Flash NASA Helps Solve 35-year-old Cosmic Mystery

This is not to say that there might not be another reason for the flashes. And one might say that the number of these seems to increase percentage wise during a Meteor Shower. Well, yes, of course... because were outside looking at the Meteor Shower when we normally would not be outside, (caveat: the very few of us that spend our nights constantly outside looking up).

BTW

Tonite (and the early morning between 3am to 5am) should prove to be the last of the exciting display of the Perseids Meteor Shower. Take a nap and then get up and watch this beautiful display with up to 100 meteors per hour. Of course you increase your odds and percentages of catching them by being in an area with no lights (so leave the City), go out into the rural farmlands (or similar).

Johnny

originally posted by: mulder85
a reply to: Aqualung2012

Just chiming in - I've seen this exact phenomena too, about four summers ago, in the skies above Lake Superior from the beach in Marquette, MI. About 6 or 7 times over the course of an hour. My companion that night said she saw what appeared to be ball lightning too, but it was behind me and gone before I could turn around.

Thanks for chiming in! I wish my sightings were as numerous as yours, (I only saw two flashes each time.)

I have seen ball lightening only once, it was while visiting Indianapolis (this year actually). THAT was crazy...

I have a theory that ETs may harness electricity from thunderstorms and other planetary sources, but that's perhaps another topic altogether.

originally posted by: ujustneverknow
Hello!
I'm in Woodstock, Ill and watched for 3 nights...I saw the very same thing....
What I found odd was that it kept happening in what appeared to be the same exact spot in a cluster of stars.

We probably saw the exact same flashes then. I don't recall them being in the same exact star-cluster, but you make an interesting observation I may have simply missed. Also, I imagine Woodstock suffers far less light pollution than Elgin does, but that's just a supposition. Glad to see yet another person witnessing the same thing as I did. Thanks!

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

My hat's off to you for that wonderfully informative post, Sir. The great thing about this website (assuming one can avoid the meaningless bickering and over-clocked satire,) is just how much one can learn from their peers just by bringing up a topic for discussion.

Sprites, near-space lightning, Gamma-ray bursts... all incredibly interesting things to learn about, and all on account of a little twinkling in the sky.

It doesn't really matter if we "get to the bottom of it," at this time. It's fantastic just to know we're all looking up and using our minds, learning and sharing knowledge. Critical thinking combined with (and evolving thusly) science and historical record.

Thank you again for sharing that information!

I wish i'd have seen more. I was very tired and I waited for 30 mins and didn't see a whole lot. Sky was beautifully clear though!

What I find interesting is the amount of satellites you see when you actually focus of the night sky.

We should have been out watching, but haven't been.
We're in the city...I wonder if we just head to the lake if we could see anything?
We were just discussing the Air Show (as the jets woke us all up at 9am.)
I mentioned that it's a good time for "sky-fishing" - have you tried to photograph or film it yet?

a reply to: Aqualung2012

So weird! I saw this the past 2 nights! If it is what I think you are explaining....I saw it happen twice. I thought to myself that maybe I just witnessed a star that died. Interesting!

FYI - I have not read the rest of the thread in case someone came along and explained this...

originally posted by: KAOStheory
We should have been out watching, but haven't been.
We're in the city...I wonder if we just head to the lake if we could see anything?
We were just discussing the Air Show (as the jets woke us all up at 9am.)
I mentioned that it's a good time for "sky-fishing" - have you tried to photograph or film it yet?

Lol yeah that dang Air n Water show... I don't have a phone or camera at the moment (it was stolen at a music festival not long ago,) but even when I've tried to film the sky at night, I can't see anything anyhow.

I forgot the Air & Water show was happening now! Might have to take the train out there and watch. Good tip man.

originally posted by: MoonLightStars
a reply to: Aqualung2012

So weird! I saw this the past 2 nights! If it is what I think you are explaining....I saw it happen twice. I thought to myself that maybe I just witnessed a star that died. Interesting!

FYI - I have not read the rest of the thread in case someone came along and explained this...

There have been several viable explanations given in the thread, any of which could be true or not (although some may be more likely than others.)

In order of likelihood (IMO) they have been:

Space Debris hitting the atmosphere (manmade)
Satellite solar panels adjusting
Head-on meteors
Sprites
Gamma Ray bursts
UFOs

I am not completely satisfied with the given explanations (including UFOs) but I'm more than open to examples which show the same phenomena.

a reply to: Aqualung2012

Sounds like a satellite flare. I saw a number of sat flares this morning while watching the meteor shower.

Here's a video example, but you have to look quick because it's very fast in this video.

originally posted by: Aqualung2012

Lol yeah that dang Air n Water show... I don't have a phone or camera at the moment (it was stolen at a music festival not long ago,) but even when I've tried to film the sky at night, I can't see anything anyhow.

I forgot the Air & Water show was happening now! Might have to take the train out there and watch. Good tip man.

Yea our camera phones suck!
I have a CoolPix i scored at a yard sale, and a decent Sony i'm borrowing from my friend...
Gonna see what I can catch tonite, if not at the lake, maybe i'll try and get up on the roof.
ETA: My buddy downstairs has a pretty high-powered telescope. I'm thinkin the roof with tripods for the cameras.

a reply to: ngchunter

That, is actually very close to what I've been seeing. I just don't get why I haven't noticed it before... hm.

originally posted by: Aqualung2012
a reply to: ngchunter

That, is actually very close to what I've been seeing. I just don't get why I haven't noticed it before... hm.

Lots of people who fashion themselves to be experienced night time observers are often surprised by the full array of relatively common night time phenomena. Many casual observers have heard of Iridium flares, but most are unaware the the phenomenon of relatively bright satellite flares is by no means limited to Iridium satellites. Most don't take the time to really study in depth the kinds of things you can see just by eye alone, let alone with optical aid. I'm not saying this necessarily applies to you, but as an amateur astronomer I'm still shocked by the number of people I encounter who react with surprise when I explain that you can see bright satellites by eye. Even more shocking to me is the number of people who don't realize that you can see most of the major planets by naked eye (often the very same people who just got done telling me how much they love to look at the stars).