Odd light over Kentucky

Ive been living in the south central kentucky area for the better part of 21 years, in a small town roughly 60 miles away from the Fort Cambell area.

Over the years Ive done my fair share of sky watching, much like we all have here. Tonight I saw something I can only describe as odd.

I went outside to smoke the evening cigarette, accompanied by my 3 year old son (although he was not smoking thank god).

We played our usual night time game of "looking at stars". During our short watch I pointed out airplanes and helicopters to him when he pointed out the "Blue light". I thought he was nuts, but then I paid attention.

Sure enough, although faint, to the south (at about 9 oclock position) there is a blue light flashing every 9 seconds.

20 minutes later it is still there, flashing every 9 seconds, position unchanged.

Anyone know of any aircraft that ping their wing/undercabin lights every 9 seconds? We saw many planes in the air tonight, their signal lighting was in a much more rapid succession.

*edit*

10:33pm CST, light still "blinking" every 9 seconds. Direction is S/SW at approximately 9 o'clock position.

[edit on 16-4-2007 by WellMaybe]

What do you mean by 9 o'clock? What is the approximate angle above the horizon?

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[edit on 17-4-2007 by sanctum]

Yes,

I was not specific enough, my appologies. Roughly 9 o'clock above the horizon, 12 o'clock being direct ahead of the viewer and above the horizon, if that makes sense. Somewhat hard to describe its location, Im sadly out of study on my constellations, I would have used one as a refrence. The what ever it was seems to have moved on as of about half an hour ago.

No idea what it was, just know it did not appear to be "normal" air traffic.

[edit on 16-4-2007 by WellMaybe]

Any chance it could be a radio antena?

since you said it wasn't moving.

Originally posted by WellMaybe
Yes,

I was not specific enough, my appologies. Roughly 9 o'clock above the horizon, 12 o'clock being direct ahead of the viewer and above the horizon, if that makes sense. Somewhat hard to describe its location, Im sadly out of study on my constellations, I would have used one as a reference. The what ever it was seems to have moved on as of about half an hour ago.

No idea what it was, just know it did not appear to be "normal" air traffic.

[edit on 16-4-2007 by WellMaybe]

That's very intriguing. It's probably not an astronomical object - and a very weird one if it is.

A spinning satellite in orbit can flash like that, but if it's not moving much in the sky, this is indicative of a very high orbit, so visibility to the naked eye seems highly unlikely. The direction you were looking in is roughly towards the Geostationary arc.

I saw something a little odd on Saturday night at about 11:40 PM local, but it was near the star Cappella, it wasn't blue, and didn't flash. I haven't yet done the arithmetic to discover whether a satellite is even a geometric possibility

Pulsar stars appear to be "flashing", but I think they do so at longer
intervals? Anyway, go out tonight (or on the next clear night) at
about the same time and let us know if you or your son see this
object again, Mr. WellMaybe. Take some binoculars with you.
Good luck!

Well,

I went out and checked again tonight in the same location roughly the same time and it was not there. Lots of traffic on the nearby road though so light pollution was very rampant.

No radio antenna or cell phone towers in that direction.

Dont know what it was but it was definately weird.

Thankyou for following up, WellMaybe. It will just have to be classified
as one of the myriad of strange things we all see in the night sky from
time to time. But I have the feeling that something is coming which
will shake mankind's current belief system off of its foundation.

Originally posted by carewemust
Pulsar stars appear to be "flashing", but I think they do so at longer
intervals? Anyway, go out tonight (or on the next clear night) at
about the same time and let us know if you or your son see this
object again, Mr. WellMaybe. Take some binoculars with you.
Good luck!

Pulsars are exotic neutron stars, and they pulse in radio wavelengths. None are visible to the naked eye. They can spin very fast.

Thanks for that clarification on Pulsars. That show hosted by the great
Carl Sagan long ago showed pulsars spinning around with a "light house"
like beam sweeping the heavens. Now I know that it's a non-visible beam.
Thanks again DisOwnedSky. -CWM

Exactly where in Kentucky do you live? I have been watching the skies almost EVERY night, and still have not seen anything weird except maybe some really bright start, but that's normal...I also live in a small city in Kentucky...ever heard of murray? Yeah...small city...anyways, what night was this that you saw the object?

I too am in a small town. I am located roughly 1-2 miles east of the town of Russellville, which is about 30 miles west of Bowling Green.

I spotted the weird aircraft/object/blinking light on the 16th, Monday.



[edit on 18-4-2007 by WellMaybe]

if ive got the mapping of kentucky displayed in my head right...then you are close to murray...and just my luck...i wasnt outside looking at the starts monday...roughly around what time did you see the object?