flashing "star" in southern sky

Originally posted by mortalengine- - - but in your above statement you said the strobe would be seen at the same time more or less every day ? ... please try remember this thing was flashing at me seconds apart... for hours, basically most of the night. The quick flash ranged from about 20 second intervals to 1 minute at the most. So what im saying basically is that the longest you would wait for the 1 quick flash would be 1 minute, the shortest wait was about 15-20 seconds.

I meant you'll see it every night over a few days. Continuous flashing for hours on end suggests you were located at exactly the right spot on Earth to get the brightest reflection. After a few days the alignment is upset and the effect stops.
Where were you located at the time (place name or coordinates)?

WG3

So it is explanable ? - thats the weirdest thing I've ever seen in the night sky.. I still dont understand why it flashes at different intervals, is the sattelite basically standing still for a while gyrating ? why does it slow down its spin and how does it's speed change from being stationary to moving ?

Thanks for the info WG3, here are the coords,
-34.416195, 19.173642 - and those are pretty much exact.
Let me know what you discover.

j

[edit on 24-1-2008 by mortalengine]

Originally posted by mortalengine
So it is explanable ?

I think it's the most logical explanation.

I still dont understand why it flashes at different intervals, is the sattelite basically standing still for a while gyrating ?

Satellites are given a spin to stabilise them in orbit. They spin all the time at a fixed rate. Different parts of the sat (body panels, solar panels, etc) may each reflect the sun as they move into position by the rotation. You may get a series of flashes which vary in their spacing, then the pattern repeats.

why does it slow down its spin and how does it's speed change from being stationary to moving ?

They do neither. A geostationary satellite stays put in the sky, irrespective of the stars. The background of stars slowly rotates westward due to the Earth's rotation, but the sat stays exactly in the same place relative to the ground. You may also have seen flashing from more than one satellite, which can give the impression it's moved position.

here are the coords,
-34.416195, 19.173642 - and those are pretty much exact.
Let me know what you discover.

I'll punch them into Stellarium and see if I can confirm any alignment of your observing position with the sun and Orion. Figuring out which satellite was involved might be beyond my capability, there are dozens in that area.

Could you pinpoint the source in the sky using a star map?

WG3

I think you saw an asteroid that is on its way to earth. The strange rotation of light could be explained by abnormal proportions of the asteroid.

Also, seeing it for a period of time and having it go a way may mean that some other interstellar body is blocking the sun's light from reflecting off of it.

Let us now if it reappears ... especially if it reappears with a greater magnitude of luminescence.

[edit on 24/1/08 by Pellevoisin]

Originally posted by mortalengine
Let me know what you discover.

From the location you quote (Latitude -34.416195 degrees, Longitude 19.173642 East) the celestial equator (around which most geostationary satellites are distributed) has an elevation of 56 degrees. This tallies with your positional estimate. This band passes through Orion as you noted and is home to a bunch of possible culprits.
Using satellite tracking software and NORAD's two-line orbital elements, you're able to determine which geostationary bodies might be 'in view' throughout any 24 hour period. Taking the visual band to be any area of sky between 50 and 60 degrees elevation, I was able to find the following:

Visible above 50 degrees: 64 satellites
Visible above 55 degrees: 20 satellites
Visible above 60 degrees: 2 satellites

This gives you a measure of the scale of possiblities. This could be narrowed down by selecting each satellite in the list and getting a plot of its coordinates in space. I haven't done this, but I'm pretty sure you'd find some around the location your flashes were observed.
Of course that alone isn't enough. To get brilliant reflections, the sun has to be in the right place as well. It's a three dimensional problem, because the reflection must reach your location. Also, the Earth casts a shadow into space and to observe a reflection, the satellite must be in sunlight. At certain times of the year, some geostationary satellites will be in darkness after sunset, but usually these satellites will be able to 'see' the sun and reflect a cone of light onto the earth.
This is what I believe you saw. You can compare these flashes with the Iridium Flares which happen regularly and predictably. They vary from bright star brightness (magnitude 0) to extremely bright (magnitude -8). If you go to Heavens-Above you'll be able to read all about it and get flare predictions for your location.

An associated reference: www.springerlink.com...

WG3

[edit on 24-1-2008 by waveguide3]

[edit on 24-1-2008 by waveguide3]

[edit on 24-1-2008 by waveguide3]

Originally posted by mortalengine
Hmm.. interesting, but how does that explain it flashing for 4-5 days...

It is just Big Brother taking pictures of you. What you were seeing was the camera flash. If I were you, I would be asking myself what you may have said or done that caught thier attention????

Have you noticed any same vehicles following you?

Have you noticed a loss of signal quality while talking on the phone? (Could be a wiretap)

Originally posted by mortalengine
I'm talking about something flashing enough to illuminate the sky around it, even the thin cloud cover passing below it.

Keep in mind that the moon illuminates clouds in the same way... but I really doubt a satellite can reflect the amount of light that the moons surface can.

Seems more plausible to me that you were seeing something emit light and not just reflect it. The irregularity of flashes doesn't sound familiar to any satellite either.

I think you saw a UFO. You seem convinced of it, I'm sure no explanation is going to ease that conviction. Having seen 4 in my life, I know that from the moment you see a UFO, you know there are no normal explanations. As educated people (most of us) we know to rule out airplanes, satellites, planets etc. Very often people do not consider these explanations - but I believe you have considered all of them.

reply to post by Pellevoisin


No chance. A naked eye asteroid is almost impossible, and if there were one out there, it would be all over the news and the astronomy websites. It wasn't.

Definately a UFO. My first sighting was about a year ago in October. I honestly can't count how many I've witnessed since then, it's insane. I've come to know how they "act" as I'll put it. They have a tendency to flash red/orange, blue and white.

I am not sure if this is relevant or not. My apologies if it isn't. The last three years I have made it a point to look for a star like object in the east soon after sundown. Eastern standard time. It is a kaliedescope (sp) of color. Typically seen in late fall, winter. I'm sure there is some natural explanation for it. My research on it call it 'twinklers'. Web based, so take with grain of salt. Or half pound. When my health was better and I was able to spend hours out with my telescope, it did not follow natural planetoid or star like transition in the sky. In the time it took me to post 'rep' has nailed down what I've been seeing. They flash red, white, blue, green almost hypnotically.

[edit on 25-1-2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 25-1-2008 by jpm1602]

hi man i know what you mean and i have seen the same things, over Holland Netherlands to be exact. it was only about 13 years ago 1 when i was in the garden i saw strobe lights no no plane lights becouse i know those im a private pilot myself, going on and off than strobing fast and than not this was going on for 6 nights for sure, they where moving from direction to direction 1 time when i was in the car near lelystad i saw 1 that was above the car not close but distant i was following it becouse someone else was driving that person saw it also same strobing with pauses and than faster and slower no noise no plane does this simple fact. and oh the nights where clear

You saw this for 4-5 days straight and never took a picture?

I agree w/ the other poster who said its impossible to tell what you were looking at, based on just your description. It could be anything - so, sure it remains a UFO

for my sighting nope no photo, this always happens when you have no camera wish i did but than i think it would not show up becouse its far away and its flashing than you post it on the web and people will say ooh this is a star bla bla becouse it looks like a flashing strobing star but its not for sure i can tel you.

stars do flicker, because of the bubbles of air and so but this thing also made a bigger flash or things i have to say becouse there where more than just 1 like 2 or 3

I've had my eye on an slr cannon. Only 700 scoobie snacks. My ebay 3.0 meg took a dump on me months ago. I can only tell you what I see with my old eyes. And I drink. And I've had to do total reboot of puter multiple times thanks to hackers and generally laziness to put to cd or dvd. From what I've seen, you'd need to have some really high end telescopic slr cammy anyway.

[edit on 25-1-2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 25-1-2008 by jpm1602]

reply to post by waveguide3


Actually, the spinners are pretty much out of fashion these days, although there are a few of them left, and they all have a "despun shelf" that points at the Earth. Most spinners spin around 50 rpm, give or take, but since they are radially symmetric, you'd be every unlikely to see a flare at this rate. This rate does vary slowly, but over weeks and months, not minutes.

The vast majority of the satellites in GEO now are body-stabilized. You could potentially see flares off the solar arrays, which are quite large, but not in the Southern hemisphere in the middle of winter (specular reflection is in effect here). A flare off the south-facing thermal radiator is possible I suppose...

also think its a ufo,

you wonder about if its communication, it doesnt seem likely, but if such, to avoid using radio waves, a laser beam would proberly be have used and would only be visible maybe in that area of south africa..
my guess would be some kind of propulsion system or action in space from an unidentified ship, the reason for this was something i saw last september, i was looking at the stars in a place far from the city, i was tracking a "sattelite" moving steadily across when suddenly another light appeared just in front of it and moved a few "centimeters" and then turned off its light again as the other passed by just belov...
hmm.. something was up there and its not the first time i see strange behaving "sattelites"
the chemtrail program has a site effect of covering our night and day skyes with fad oily clouds... this is not very good news for eather sun lovers or star gazers..
it seems like a very special sight youve seen, you were brave to keep watching it, if you dig it, it like you've found something you dont wanna forget, i think a lot is happening up there, if i was down where you were, -in the southern hemisphere where the summernights roam, i would spend some time looking for something at night...
its cold and ive got one, and the f. chemtrail program is making clear sky days like its something really special......



[edit on 25-1-2008 by skywatch]

Originally posted by disownedsky
You could potentially see flares off the solar arrays, which are quite large, but not in the Southern hemisphere in the middle of winter (specular reflection is in effect here).

Isn't January mid-summer in the Southern Hemisphere?

WG3

reply to post by waveguide3


Sure, it's summer there, but the declination of the sun is negative, so specular reflection off the solar arrays will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, and probably not at night. Likewise, specular reflection off the radiator would be near local noon at the satellite.

Hey, Mort.

I am sure that you have been afforded all of the 'scientist's' professional opinions. ( Not certian why the 'expert astronomers' seem so often to be milling through 'fantasy websites' ) - but wanted to tell you that I have seen what you are referring to... for years now. Actually, recently had article posted on-line... concerning just this subject. We call them 'Chameleon Stars'

skymonsters.com...


I hope that you can wade through all of the bashing that is about to commence here... so that you can read it.

Be well, friend.

..

Originally posted by disownedsky
reply to post by Quazi176

 

A decent pair of binoculars should be sufficient to determine if there's any shape or angular size to the object. I have a cheap but adequate pair of binoculars always with me in the car, and a respectable pair in the house in a drawer by the door.

I really do need to get a pair. Just have not gotten around to it. It's actually something that I couldn't spend extra cash on right now. I couldn't even tell you how much they cost. Maybe I'll check after typing this. I do have a telescope. I have a hard time finding the star I want in the scope and I get frustrated and give up. It's one of those that you need to point it at a known star and it will electronicly find other stars. It doesnt have one of those side scopes so you can easily pin point your target. It's a pain to get it focused on the moon much less a star. I'm impatient when it comes to that. I really need to get one of those long white and black telescopes, then it would be easier. My telescope is about 2 feet long but with a diameter of a very large grapefuit