Moving star always in the sky*diagram so you can find it too*What is it???

img169.echo.cx...


^^^I made a crude diagram in paintbrush so you can find it^^^ It moves up, down, side to side, and diagonally. It is always generally in the same location in the sky, but always moving around a little like I described. I have seen the same thing before, but those move around and eventually disappear. Sorry if this is easily explained but I really what to know what I'm looking at

[edit on 22-4-2005 by Centurian]

[edit on 22-4-2005 by Centurian]

That picture looks like it was made in Paintbrush!

This is obviously a hoax. The sky is not pure black in pictures. Stars are not the same size, perfectly round, or pure white. The big dipper is not shaped like that. The middle star in the handle is a double star. The main star is named Mizar and the small double is named Alcor. You can see Alcor with the unaided eye on a clear night and I've never seen a picture of the big dipper where you couldn't see Alcor.

If this is a drawing you did to show the location of the star without attempting to hoax it, you are seeing a star called Arcturus in the constellation Bootes.

Originally posted by PeanutButterJellyTime
That picture looks like it was made in Paintbrush!

This is obviously a hoax. The sky is not pure black in pictures. Stars are not the same size, perfectly round, or pure white. The big dipper is not shaped like that. The middle star in the handle is a double star. The main star is named Mizar and the small double is named Alcor. You can see Alcor with the unaided eye on a clear night and I've never seen a picture of the big dipper where you couldn't see Alcor.

If this is a drawing you did to show the location of the star without attempting to hoax it, you are seeing a star called Arcturus in the constellation Bootes.

i think the guy made the pic for us???

i could be wrong though...

Originally posted by PeanutButterJellyTime
That picture looks like it was made in Paintbrush!

This is obviously a hoax. The sky is not pure black in pictures. Stars are not the same size, perfectly round, or pure white.

Good god man, obviously. I made the diagram so you could find the star and hopefully see what I'm seeing

Originally posted by Centurian
Good god man, obviously. I made the diagram so you could find the star and hopefully see what I'm seeing

"Good god man"

i love it!!!

The star would most likely be Arcturus if it is a star. In the northern hemisphere where I am going to assume you are and you are most likely above the 40degree latitude this is about where you would see satlites in the evening. COnsidering it is almost directly oppisite the setting sun right now. The elevation would be perfect to begin a reflection.

That is my best Idea to what you are seeing.

And to PPJT- I have seen many pictures where Alcor is not visible. Especally pictures taken in highly light poluted areas. I can't see alcor without my 7 x 10s at least. Although I do live right outside of New Orleans.

I live in Wisconsin, and this is no satellite, unless there is a satellite that I'm unaware of that moves with the same constellation all throughout the night.

Well then if it moves with the constelation then it is obviously a star. And as me and PPJT have pointed out it is most likely a cream orange star called "Arctcucs"

Its in the top 20 brightest stars in the sky.

Would a star appear to move around? It looks like a very bright star, but it moves.

Move around in the sense that it appears to go in circles?

Sometimes there is a large ammoput of atmospheric desperation (sp) much like you see on a high way on a summer evening. The rising heat distorts the light and the objects appear to move or creat a water effect. The same thing can happen at night. Pockets of hot air rising, expecailly right after sun set when teh planet is warmest, heat can rise and distort the path of the star light. THe intensity of the light also effects how distorted it is and considering how faint the star light is it will be eaisly distorted. You will probally notice the star quickly shift colors from purple to white to blue to green to orange and what not. All of this is atmosphere. That is why telescopes are built on mountains to prevent this stuff. The less air betwen you an the object the less distortion.

The best way for you to find out what it is. Get a star map of the area around this "star" and use some large binoculars like 10 x 50's and compare the two. See if there is a large bright star in the area. if this proves inconclusive then you have yourself an Unidentifyed Object.

The easist way to find the star Arcturus is by using the big dipper to star hop to it. Follow the curve of the handle of the big dipper from the bowl to the end of the handle, then continue this arc to Arcturus. Arcturus is very bright and at this time of year, especially later in the night when the big dipper is holding water (facing upright) Arcturus is low on the horizon. The lower a star is the more atmosphere you have to look through, so the more distorted it appears. In poor conditions it will appear to wiggle or move around a little.

Arcturus tends to flash or twinkle a lot when it is lower in the sky. I'm lucky for astronomy because I live in the boonies and have Bortle 3 skies right out my back door. I saw Arcturus low on the horizon one night flashing bright blue and red and I swore it was a police car in the farmer's field behind me until I got my binoculars out and looked at it. Then I had a good laugh at myself.

Check out this site. It's a great reference for determining how atmospheric conditions effect 'seeing'. Any amateur astronomers reading this should bookmark this one so you can describe the seeing conditions in your observing sessions.

Originally posted by Mizar
Move around in the sense that it appears to go in circles?

It's really strange, it's completely random the way it moves. For example it will make a loop, then move down, sit there for a few seconds and move up, then down....side to side. Basically staying in the same area. I really don't think what I'm seeing is distortion, but who knows? I stare at the night sky a lot, and have never seen the same effect with any familiar stars. I really want someone to go out and see if they can spot it. It shouldn't be too hard knowing to just follow the handle of the Dipper looking for anything moving.

PeanutButterJellyTime, that is an interesting site, thanks for posting it.

But, that is nothing similar to what I'm seeing. I can see the star moving around comparing its location to other stars. It's not an illusion or "twinkling", the thing really moves around!

I would like to see that myself. I feel drawn to this one particular bright star, I wonder if it is the same thing. I don't know if it is a known star or what, I just sort of picked it out as different, it is brighter than some of the other stars.

Troy

Originally posted by cybertroy
I would like to see that myself. I feel drawn to this one particular bright star, I wonder if it is the same thing. I don't know if it is a known star or what, I just sort of picked it out as different, it is brighter than some of the other stars.

Troy

That would be great if you try to find it. It's always moving so just start at the big dipper and follow the handle and look for a bright star.

I don't know much about astronomy but I just had to read the whole thing after that zinger - "Good God Man..."

There's some real gems here, "Bortle Three-Skies"? What a fantastic name for a Sci-Fi character!

But, that is nothing similar to what I'm seeing. I can see the star moving around comparing its location to other stars. It's not an illusion or "twinkling", the thing really moves around!

I don't have any info that would help you other than to let you know that I have also seen a "star" like this. The first time I noticed it was a few weeks after 9/11. For a few months I thought that it was a military aircraft patrolling and just kind of hovering over to be sure all was right in Southern California. I would go up to the balcony, sit in a chair and position myself so that the 'star' was lined up perfectly (in my field of vision) with a telephone pole. Then I would just sit and watch as it would go behind the pole out of my vision and then come flying to the other side making itself totally visible. It moved around so much that I didn't think it was possible for it to be a star. After a few months of watching this I finally figured that it HAD to be a star because it was there EVERY night. To this day I still am confused as to how a star can be so active.

Jemison

As a few people on here have already mentioned, the location seems to suggest Arcturus.
Here is a screenshot from Starry Night:

I will go out tonight and have a look with my telescope (as long as its not cloudy which it probably will be knowing English weather)

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe
I don't know much about astronomy but I just had to read the whole thing after that zinger - "Good God Man..."

There's some real gems here, "Bortle Three-Skies"? What a fantastic name for a Sci-Fi character!

John Bortle created a scale to describe how dark the sky is in a location, and therefore what the limiting magnitude for that location is. The Bortle scale is used by astronomers to judge darkness.

Bortle Light Scale

Before the original post was edited, Centurian said he saw a light in the sky and posted a picture to show it. He didn't mention that he created the picture himself, so I thought it was one of the hoaxes that turn up so frequently here. Unlike mythatsabigprobe, I don't believe everything I read, especially if it's on the Internet.

Centurian,
The site I posted shows how a star will look through a reflector telescope that is under-focused, so the animations will not be exactly how you see them to the unaided eye. It is a good site to show how atmospheric conditions can effect what you see in the sky, which is why I posted it. It was cloudy here last night and it's raining tonight, but the area of the sky you are describing is exactly where Arcturus is, and like I said in my last post, I've seen Arcturus behave very strangely due to atmospheric conditions.