Flashing Lights In Space

I was outside in my backyard between 10:00-10:30 PM tonight (Friday) on the West Coast (Bay Area). It is pitch black outside, and I was looking up at the sky out of sheer curiosity, and BOOM a bright flash appears. I live very close to all major airports out here (OAK and SFO including closer small time airports, this was NOT an airplane. I see satellites often and this was up there at satellite level.) The bright light slowly faded away like a candle losing oxygen. I thought it could be a meteor or whatever. Then BOOM it flashes bright again. This time, I made sure to count the seconds between each flash. 6 seconds then 4 seconds then over 10 seconds. No pattern. It was moving so slow I knew I had time to run inside and grab binoculars. I came back and it was still flashing in the SAME spot. Satellites are usually quick and out of sight quickly. This thing was still right above me. It flashed bright, so I lined up my binoculars and could see it fade away into a less bright dot, but could see the moving dot. While doing this, another blinking light crossed its path rapidly. I took my binoculars away and could NOT see this second light with the naked eye. I have good binoculars (not a telescope but still pretty good) and could pick up this 2nd blinking light speeding away. Then I kid you not, to my right, without needing binoculars ANOTHER super bright light flashes. This one is quick too but flashing extremely bright just like the first one. I lost track and site of the first one by following the 2nd one and now I was fixed on the 3rd one. All 3 were going at different speeds, flashing bright lights. I have never seen this. I looked up, are satellites supposed to blink and all sources said no. These had BLINKING LIGHTS that slowly faded in and out in all different parts of the sky. What were these things? About to go back outside with my actual telescope and try and catch another one.

a reply to: southtower

I looked up, are satellites supposed to blink and all sources said no. These had BLINKING LIGHTS that slowly faded in and out in all different parts of the sky. What were these things? About to go back outside with my actual telescope and try and catch another one.

blinking lights..I'm always thinking planes.

faded in and out in all different parts of the sky

was the direction uniform..or back and forth? If it was in a straight line...most likely plane going through clouds...

a reply to: southtower

Jesus christ, I had that very same experience last Saturday at 10 pm. It flashed like a plane strobe at an irregular rythm. It remained in the bowl of Big dipper for a good 10 mins. I suspected a satellite spining, but again it flashed at an irregular pace. I had time to go get my night vision binoculars.
It was definitely not a plane, as I live 3 miles from the Airport here in Pittsburgh Pa. I know what aircraft lights look like. It was way up there in a stationary position. After 10 mins it started moving north east. First it was slow to move. Then it picked up speed as I watched it flash till it was out of view.

I really wanted to post about it..... but I chickened out in fear of getting heckled.👍


Note: this has happened before. Always starts in the Big Dipper, "Could it be the X-37"?
I was out tonight looking for it.

That there is called an iridium flare.
Sunlight beamin' back at cha from a spinning satellite.

a reply to: MarioOnTheFly

Don't take me for a fool. I know the difference between planes and satellites and am avidly looking through my telescope at all times. I had my gf with me right below it and even she was like OMG. WTF IS THAT? Planes have multiples lights on them and are usually always low since I am close to airports. They are either landing or taking off. These were up in the stars and there are ZERO clouds out. I posted this on another sight and someone close to me said they saw the same exact thing, it was going north and eventually stopped blinking. Others saw it. And if satellites dont blink, what could it be?

a reply to: Bigburgh

Yeah, I've seen the stationary ones too. Geostationary satellites methinks.

a reply to: IridiumFlareMadness

Yes I believe it to be a reflection.... but the spining was irregular.

Like this, flash.....flash flash........flash...............flash....flash...

Then it just started moving and picking up speed. I see this 1 to 3 times a month. As I'm outside usually on a clear night with my telescope and night vision binoculars ☺

a reply to: IridiumFlareMadness

I read that it could be an iridium flare but comments said those dont blink off and on. And the 3 I saw were all in different parts of the sky and slowly fading in and out, like an actual light source. Were they all just tumbling satellites? They were blinking with such precision.

a reply to: southtower

beats me


However I would like for there to be proof of UFOs, your sighting is perfectly explainable by various changes of direction of the plane if it's far enough from you.

At one point you say that with binoculars you saw a light and there was none without binoculars. That suggests great distance.

Was this going on directly above your head or was it more lower on the horizon ?

And I'm not taking you for a fool.

Sometimes these light shows look very interesting. But I have sort of dropped interest in them since they are never gonna be enough of a proof, and are rather anecdotal...completely dependent on your own perspective.

a reply to: IridiumFlareMadness

Highly unlikely that a geostationary satellite would be naked eye visible. They are really, really high.

I saw something similar, but different from what the OP describes. A strobe directly overhead (which precludes a geostationary satellite because I don't live on the equator). It flashed at a pretty constant interval, 3 maybe 4 times in maybe 20 seconds. No readily apparent movement. Then it wasn't there anymore. Not really bright, but bright enough to notice. No idea what it was.

a reply to: Phage

My experience was a very bright flash/strobe. It's Brightness magnitude was brighter than any star in the sky. But was not visible until the flash with the naked eye. I could make it out with the night vision when not flashing. But it was very dim.
Once it started moving, it was linear in its orbit.

a reply to: Bigburgh

The thought occurred to me that it may have been a drone. But it would have to have been really high (no sound). And, why the strobe?

a reply to: Phage

Definitely not a drone. It was in a stationary orbit, it was but a dim dot with binoculars. I use the term strobe as it was very bright and irregular ( I sound like a broken record ). And as I said, after 10 mins. It started at first very slow to move NE and then picked up speed.
I just couldn't figure out why the flash was irregular and maintained its brightness as it went NE till out of view.



Note: I have seen asteroids pepper the sky from time to time. But this was a satellite I believe whole heartedly.

So we were just outside, and my husband saw something that was similar to what you just described. He saw it twice, the first time he wasn't looking directly at it so it just looked like it lit up the area he was looking towards. The second time he was looking directly at it, and it was a little further north the second time.

There was probably five minutes between the two. We waited another fifteen minutes and scanned the skies but didn't see anything. My husband said go see if anyone on ATS saw anything and here is a thread...very weird.

a reply to: Bigburgh

It was in a stationary orbit... And as I said, after 10 mins. It started at first very slow to move NE and then picked up speed.

That is not the behavior of anything in orbit.

I have seen asteroids pepper the sky from time to time.

You mean meteors. Because without a pretty good telescope and unless you are looking at exactly the right place at the right time, you are not going to see an asteroid.

I just couldn't figure out why the flash was irregular and maintained its brightness as it went NE till out of view.

I've seen tumbling satellites flash irregularly as they move across the sky.

a reply to: Phage

I meant the flash maintained its brightness ( I couldn't see it otherwise without equipment )

You are correct. once in our atmosphere, an asteroid becomes a meteor. Everything else looks like a passing satellite even with night vision.

As for it remaining for 10 mins in the Big Dipper, then leave in a linear path. I agree that's not normal. But that's why I'm jumping in on this thread.
I was hoping someone could confirm perhaps a space telescope like Hubble or Kepler being repositioned. Or maybe an X-37 mini shuttle.
As I'm spending more and more time outside over the years. I'm seeing a lot of neat traffic up there.

2 years ago I saw what I thought was a star exploding. I know that's probably impossible, but the event lasted around 45 sec to 1 min. It did not move it's position. I considered it was a meteor in my very direct line of sight. But once it dimmed, it was nothing more than a barely visible star. The star remained there for a couple nights. Then it was gone.

Had to give a star for that correction, thank you.

a reply to: Phage

Oh it's cold here, but your post just made it warm...

SUCH BURN!!!

lol

If it was stationary, and then picked up speed... not an orbiting object at all. I think it was probably a high-altitude balloon. The light might have come from some device that was attached to it.

a reply to: southtower

Could it be possible you may have seen some fireworks from one of Canada's larger Cities as Friday July 1st IS Canada Day and we DO have some pretty awesome Fireworks whether you believe it or not lol!

a reply to: Bigburgh

I had time to go get my night vision binoculars.

If you had time to get your night vision binoculars, why not a camera too? Don't some of the night vision binoculars also have cameras on them or in them or w/e?