Strange Object - Any ideas on ID?

I have posted this in the space forum because i feel that the answer is for more probable astronomical than alien/UFO based.

I live in south London, UK. At approx. 21:45 last night, until it clouded over at approx. 22:30, in the NorthWest sky (approx bearing 280 using compass) and at over 50 degrees elevation was an extremely bright point of light, much brighter and larger than any other star visible in the sky. It appeared to have a greenish glow and through 7x50 binoculars an eliptical/circular shape could be defined in the centre. It occassionally appeared to sway like a pendulum or Jiggle, and sometimes move, but i think the movement was an illusion caused by patches of light cloud going past.It also twinkled very brightly.

On consulting a skychart, i found that there was nothing present of anywhere near that brightness in that area of the sky:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
version with my labelling on:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'm going to look out tonight and try to get a picture.
Does anyone have any idea what this was?

Could be one of the planets, I think its Venus that appears to move in the sky. But I could be wrong

Thats what i thought, but i looked it up on the website, and from my position venus was rising at 3am and setting at 15:00 (approx times).

Venus should be somewhere in Leo or Virgo and it has conjunction with Jupiter (closest distance between them about moon diameter) in couple days, so it can't be it.

I just found this thread... You've got me stumped though. It could have just been a plane. As far as I know there's nothing in the areas you were talking about.

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
I just found this thread... You've got me stumped though. It could have just been a plane. As far as I know there's nothing in the areas you were talking about.

I know. Saturn was in the right area, but at completely the wrong time.And it was definitely not a plane. Much too stationary, and planes are fairly easy to identify through binoculars.

At the moment I've designated it an Unidentified Light In The Sky. (got that phrase from thew UFO forum though)

BTW, i definitely agree: mmmmmmmm! haggis is some good stuff.

[edit on 3/11/04 by minimi]

hmm mabye it was a small moon and it/you were at the right angle and it reflected right.
OR it was smog, i get a lot of it from the BP.

its back right now...

k, well im in the UK too, in the south east. I just looked outside but it was too cloudy, could you describe it in any more detail? does it move at all?

It must be a star, as it stays in formation with the other constellations and moves round the sky per night the same amount. Still strange it doesn't appear to be on the map though.

It seems to be the point of a triangle in a constellation, the only real triangle in the right area is dracos head, so it may be one of those stars.
Clear night so far, hope the cloud stays away, i'll observe again when its properly dark

[edit on 4/11/04 by minimi]

Jupiter is visable now on the horizen line in some areas of the northern hemisphere. Jupiter is multi-colored and will appear to "dance" because of particles in Earth's atmosphere and the "arc" from which you are viewing Jupiter.

The atmoshpheric particles causing the jiggling.........as i thought. It was nowhere near the horizon though.

I would comment that if it is as you describe, has a greenish glow as well as all the other characteristics, then a star it is not.