Strange Flashes in the night sky ,what are they,and have you seen them?

Hi everyone

Just researching flashes in the sky and found this forum!

Tuesday 23rd June about 01:40 2009 I saw 4 camera like flashes from the same part of the sky if not the very same spot? It just strikes me as very strange that it seems to be 4 like the first few posts on this subject?

If it was meteors surely the number of flashes would vary greatly from one instance to the next..?


Thank goodness that I found this website as I thought I was going mad, I can go tell someone now..

reply to post by BigfootNZ


Point meteors are actually pretty rare, and it would be unheard of to see multiple point-meteors in one night, in different positions in the sky.

The only time you are likely to see multiple point meteors in a short space of time would be during the peak of a fairly strong meteor shower, and the point meteors would all appear in the same place in the sky. You need to understand what a radiant is to understand why, but point meteors can only appear in the radiant, which is an area of sky that is usually around 2 degrees in diameter, depending on the shower in question.

The OP would also have noticed meteor in other parts of the sky, since it's unrealistic to think that point meteors would not be accompanied by other shower members. The OP's observation was made at a time when there is very low meteor shower activity and no major meteor showers active, so it's even less likely IMO.


I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The vast majority of flashes that people are seeing in the sky are due to space-junk glinting in the sun.

The following image depicts the 11,500 pieces of space junk in low Earth orbit:


The following image depicts this junk from the North Pole:


The following image depicts the 1,147 pieces of space junk orbiting in geostationary orbit:


Source

The above representations need to be updated. Since the recent satellite collision/Chinese satellite kill test, the amount of junk up there has gone up by a factor of 2 or 3 times.

Much of it is tumbling in a random manner so the flashes are usually quite random too, but it's often possible to follow the flashes, and therefore the path of the object causing the flashes, although the junk may be too small to see in between flashes.

Depending on your latitude, most junk in LEO can be seen throughout the night during summer, but since the sun dips down much further below the horizon in the wither months, junk in LEO tends not to reveal it's presence except for the first couple of hours and the last couple of hours of the night at this time of year.

Of course, the same is not true of junk in higher orbits, which may be visible deep into the winter nights.

These flashes are not unknown to science. Astronomers have been seeing them for decades. I've seen them on numerous occasions. A quick search of the web brings up thousands of hits. Just two nights ago I saw some after only 5 minutes observing.

Sightings of junk glinting in the sun will only increase as the amount of junk increases, and more frequent collisions start to occur between junk.

Related links:
The Possible Future , Satellite Doomsday

Saw a ton of these flashes last night, just like a camera is going off in the sky. Had no idea what it was.

Around 11:30 PM EST southern Maine

reply to post by tarifa37


I found it very strange to lookup this subject to find your post describe exactly what I seen on the 22.6.09 around 01:40!

I seen 4 camera like flashes, 1 caught my eye and the other 3 followed within 10-15 seconds, consistent/rhythmic..? Too many other sighting types have been posted here but you describe exactly what I've seen.

reply to post by tarifa37


When you say it was a clear sky, can you be positive, that no high stratus clouds were present? in the daylight, they look like streaks of white paint across the sky, but at night, can be very hard to detect they are often called "mare's tails" for obvious reasons , and are most likely ahead of a front, they contain mainly ice crystals, but are very good at reflecting light from a different source.

Back in Canada we used to watch that ever summer... a term used was 'Summer Lightning... flashes of light over the distant hills cause by heat and dust.

I tried to look up something relevant to this

Lightning Strikes without a storm!
www.sciencebits.com...

Back in Winnipeg I was out in the yard one day and it was clear hot and hazy. Suddenly a bolt of lightning hit my neighbors CB antenna, The shock wave knocked me over... but there was no cloud in the sky, no storm and it was only one strike

But up in the Northern Canadian forests we saw a lot of it in the distance, not as bolts but more like sheets, almost like flashes of the Aurora... mostly whitish to pinkish sometime greenish bluish or violet

I will see if I can get a specific reference


It can also be Heat Lightning...

What is heat lightning?
Heat lightning is a name given to a flash in the night sky that occurs when there is a lightning-producing thunderstorm very far away from the observer. Since the storm is often so far away that the lightning bolt itself isn't observed, and the thunder isn't heard, the flash in the sky has received a special name. "Heat" probably refers to the fact that this kind of display is often observed on a warm humid night, after daytime heating has triggered thunderstorms -- just not near the observer.

www.weatherquestions.com...

Here is a nice blue one



A reddish one



The further away the smaller the flash

Like this one... Looks like a orb




[edit on 26-6-2009 by zorgon]

Originally posted by weedev
reply to post by tarifa37

 

I found it very strange to lookup this subject to find your post describe exactly what I seen on the 22.6.09 around 01:40!


I seen 4 camera like flashes, 1 caught my eye and the other 3 followed within 10-15 seconds, consistent/rhythmic..? Too many other sighting types have been posted here but you describe exactly what I've seen.

I am so glad that I am not the only person seeing this.I am a bit of a lazy sky watcher at the moment ,however a few weeks ago I was looking through my gen 1 night vision scope and saw one flash this time because of the scope it seemed much more intense.Definitely something going on here.The best explanation I have heard is that it may be meteors coming in directly above and not from left to right so all you see is a flash as they explode in our atmosphere.

[edit on 28-6-2009 by tarifa37]

Originally posted by dan steely
reply to post by tarifa37

 

When you say it was a clear sky, can you be positive, that no high stratus clouds were present? in the daylight, they look like streaks of white paint across the sky, but at night, can be very hard to detect they are often called "mare's tails" for obvious reasons , and are most likely ahead of a front, they contain mainly ice crystals, but are very good at reflecting light from a different source.

Pretty sure it was very clear sky when all the stars are out and the moon was not full so less light pollution.I live in a semi rural area and we can see the stars very well here.

Very clear night for me too...

These flashes may well be related to ufo orbs. Now I remember one time as we tried to make contact using torches there were like these camera flashes in the sky, almost like a camera flash in the dark, as described like in a sequence of about four. The ufo orbs appeared very soon afterwar the flashes so there's a connection there for sure. Maybe the flash is like the attempt to enter our dimension from another one.

I've also been seeing some flashes in the sky. Like a tiny point of light, just for a split second. It sort of leaves you wondering if you've seen anything at all, it's that fast. Seen it in broad daylight and in the dark. On clear nights/days.

[edit on 28/6/2009 by Acidtastic]

I know flogging dead horses is a past time her on ATS, but don't you think this one is starting to smell a bit funky?

How many possibilities do you need? What makes you guys so sure that you're not seeing junk/satellites in orbit? Where are you hoping to go with this?

I'm just curious, because I don't see this going anywhere. It's no different to sitting beside a motorway, and looking for cars that glint in the sun, and then wondering why, or if there could be aliens in the cars.

reply to post by C.H.U.D.


Sorry then C.H.U.D.....

I was very interested to read this thread for the first time today.

About a month ago I was sitting outside talking with my partner who was having a cigarette and I was staring up at the nights sky, as I often do when outside at night, when I noticed a bright flash almost directly overhead.

I immediately said to my partner "look up there" and pointed in the direction of the flash to see another bright flash!

My partner said "whats that?" so I was glad she had seen it, the second flash was about 4-5cm away from where the first flash had appeared in the sky.

Then a third flash, this time about 4-5 cm away from the second, all the flashes were going in exactly the same direction and spaced about 6 seconds apart.

In-between the flashes there was nothing (no other lights) other than a star filled sky, then the flash we had seen, very gradually started to appear as a "star" looking object, moving across the sky and immediately I recognised it as a "satellite" of some sort or other and what we had seen was the Sun 'glinting' off the solar panels as the satellite changed position relative to me.

I am in my mid-30's and have seen hundreds of Satellites go over head over the years but I have never seen one Flash, until now.

Reminds me of the old saying "Theres Always A First Time" so maybe "If" your just at the right angle and so are the solar panels and so is the Sun, then maybe this is one of the effects. I am sure my camera on LONG exposure, would have made a great picture of it.

Maybe next time? )

Hey weedev

That was in no way directed at you specifically. It's just frustrating watching people here chasing their tails after nearly 8 pages, when the answer IMHO was presented on the very first page. Your observation, was I believe, almost certainly caused by junk, along with the majority of observations that people have posted here.

I urge all of you who are not convinced that space junk could be a cause of these flashes to go to heavens-above.com, enter your location, and see when the next bright (look for the low numbers, like "-8" or even "-9") iridium flare is. Once you find one at a convenient time, make a note to observe it, and perhaps a few others as "backup" in case you miss your target flare.

It's the same process at work here, only the glints are fast and unpredictable instead of gradual and predictable as well as being brighter, although the quick transition from no light to very bright may make it seem like flashes are brighter.

Of course, there is no way to prove all this, unless you can catch some junk on a sensitive camera, and then you'll see it for yourself, but the anecdotal evidence from astronomers all over is overwhelming. Why not ask some? Here's a list of sites, where you can do just that:

click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here
click here

Edit to add: I should have read BLUE ARMS post above before posting myself. I think that says it all. Thanks for posting that BLUE ARMS.

[edit on 28-6-2009 by C.H.U.D.]

I get where your coming from with your space junk but the "4" flashes is the bit that gets the folk who have actually seen this strange photoflash x 4 from a blank sky wondering...

Space junk, meteors, lightning? The chances of any of them flashing or reflecting x 4 is odd..?

Is this what this type of site is for..? To discus such things??

Originally posted by BLUE ARMSI am sure my camera on LONG exposure, would have made a great picture of it.

Maybe next time?

)

Give it a go! If there's any light pollution you'll want to keep your exposure relatively short (always do some test shots to see how long you can expose for before you start to loose contrast), but you'll also want to keep your aperture wide open (or attach a fast lens if you have one), and use a high ISO. Apart from that it's just like star trail photography (if you need any tips), and basically the same technique I use to photograph meteors. Try to catch an iridium flare too if you can. They look cool IMO

Good luck!

[

Originally posted by weedev


Space junk, meteors, lightning? The chances of any of them flashing or reflecting x 4 is odd..?

Is this what this type of site is for..? To discus such things??

Yes! I certainly don't want to stifle discussion on the subject. I just want to try and help people get the answers they are looking for.

As for the 4 consecutive flashes, that does seem to be common, but how do you know that you caught them all? There may have been some before that you missed. Either way, to catch just a hand full of flashes seems the norm, and I think that's consistent with what we see from iridium satellite behavior.

There is only a short period when the sun, you and the object line up to see a bright reflection. In an iridium flare you get to see the whole "event", but with some junk that is spinning relatively consistently in on axis you will get a set of flashes that could be at regular intrvals, though that is not always the case.

I don't think it's likely that discrete flashes in a clear sky could be due to lightning, although diffuse flashes close to the horizon might be a candidate for that. I think I addressed the lack of possibility for meteors being a cause (at least in the majority of cases - where multiple flashes were seen) a few posts back.

The way a space junk reflection or iridium come on is not as acute as what I seen, I suppose it could be how fast the junk is spinning..? The attack of the flash was greater than I have ever seen!

I do have your theory in my head and totally understand your view but as an observer for 20 years on and off I think this looked different to anything I have seen...

From the first post on this topic I can only express my concern with the 4 camera like flashes, I was looking generaly in the same part of the sky for 30mins before and 10 mins after as I then headed straight to my pc to check Heavens Above for the Iridium's...

The light did not light up the whole sky or have colour, just: Flash....Flash....Flash....Flash....

Don't give up this topic folk's!

Is that right tarifa37 ?

Originally posted by weedev
The way a space junk reflection or iridium come on is not as acute as what I seen, I suppose it could be how fast the junk is spinning..? The attack of the flash was greater than I have ever seen!

That's exactly what I said weedev. The attack (or brightening) is so sudden, that your eyes don't have time to acclimatize, and so the flash seems very bright. That is indeed due to the rapid spinning.

Usually, satellites and iridiums brighten gradually, so your eyes acclimatize to the increase in brightness, and it doesn't seem so bright.