Help identify this object please....

Nope, just took the pic with my phone.
I'm in the uk, near oxford (location) and snapped it the night before last at about 10:30pm GMT.

Hope we get to the bottom of it.... as i said if it IS a nebula, then that's cool.
Cos it's a good pic once you zoom in a little....but as some are saying that it being a nebula is impossible, then i'm not sure?

I'm happy enough with the nebula theory/possibility but i would ask those who don't think it is a nebula to offer some other opinions... thanks again guys for the help

[edit on 4/8/08 by blupblup]

213.225.132.47...

That is my direction, going from the bottom of pic to top (bicester)

this link gives you the direction

www.theaa.com...


really not sure of co-ordinates?

Searched location - Bicester
Current (Latitude, Longitude) -
(51.9, -1.15)



another link... i was roughly where the A41 sign is, opposite chesterton.

www.geoco.org...

Hope that helps with location?

[edit on 4/8/08 by blupblup]

Ok (thanks for all the informations): could you please confirm if the angle was (roughly) the one within the arrows?


[edit on 4/8/2008 by internos]

reply to post by internos




I would say more about 40... def between thirty and fifty somewhere lol.
I didn't have to crook my neck that much but it wasn't directly in front of me either.

This should be more or less what was in front of you that evening:

It's very narrowed, you can find a wider one HERE

M3 and M53 looks to be the nebulae in sight, but i would like to know someone else's opinion.
What's your take, anyway?

I'd be absolutely stunned if any camera phone were ever able to take pictures of nebulas. I don't think that's it, honestly.

I would say around the M53 area for the height, location etc.
I don't know if that is it or if it's possible to capture it as i did.

I hope we do get to the bottom of it, i was happy with the nebula theory until someone said it wasn't possible with a cam?
i'd like some views from those that said it's not possible, what other anomalies or Bright objects could it have been?


Thanks so much for your help Internos, you are def the person to ask when it comes to images.

Internos

Originally posted by fleabit
I'd be absolutely stunned if any camera phone were ever able to take pictures of nebulas. I don't think that's it, honestly.

I honestly have no clue: i've never heard before that it was possible, but i can't rule it out. We would need someone who makes observations frequently: sadly, i don't

Camera 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA 30fps), flash; secondary CIF videocall camera.


these are the cameras stats.

It's 5mega pixels as i said and Carl Zeiss optics, so a good camera (for a phone) and if it is a nebula, then i advise all ATS-ERS to get an N95 8gb phone.


P.S. I do not work for or am in any way affiliated to Nokia


P.P.S. and if it isn't a nebula.......then what the **** is the weird green thing in my pic????

Please enlighten me....

[edit on 4/8/08 by blupblup]

I hope it is not as cloudy tonight as it is now.....if it clears up, i will go and see if it's there tonight and take a pic.

I am just baffled as i was then, as to what it is?

reply to post by blupblup


The problem is that that M53 thingie is a globular cluster, and those don't appear to have pretty colours like the nebulae. So if it is the M53 or the other M in internos screenshot, it shouldn't be green.

Whatever it is, anyways, why can't i see things like that too? All i ever see is the stupid ISS. I'm better at predicting where and when the ISS will pass even than Nasa i guess. Whenever i look at the sky, bam! ISS!

reply to post by Wallachian



Lol@ ISS.... well it didn't look green when i took it. only when i zoomed in on it afterwards.
It was just bright...and seemed to be in different places when i looked up again.
I just had that hairs-standing-on-end moment and had to pull over and snap this thing.

I always have my phone on me and like you said, i don't see things very often.
I've had a few experiences i'd say other than this (don't know if this is really an experience?) and they also made me feel weird, different from this but weird.

I am gonna ride out there later and find the spot if it's not too cloudy.
When it's clear you can see for miles around here (Oxfordshire) so i will be keeping my eyes peeled day and night lol.


As to whether it's M53 or M whatever, i'm really not sure, in the pic...doesn't seem to be many objects around it (if any) and it was really bright and really obvious, that's why it caught my eye.

Hmmmmm?








[edit on 4/8/08 by blupblup]

Well i don't have a scooby doo what it is. Its just nice to see a photo and people gathering round trying help/solve what it is. Instead of this influx of "Look out of your window in >>>> theres a genuine alien i'l post some pics never, I'll just try to get my page on the front cover".

hey just joined ats, been hanging round for years though! you say it seemed to change position in between the times you were looking at it? did you actually see it move or were you just aware it moved position? if so, to what extent? a major shift or just a minor change?... just curious as people are trying to pinpoint what area of sky you were looking at to see if it could av been a nebula or summut similar, however if it was moving then the nebula idea is out the window yes?!

reply to post by extremeH




I didn't actually see it move/ in flight, but it def seemed to be in different positions when i looked at it.
I guess it may not have moved and could have been because i was riding and trying to concentrate?

as to the extent of the movement, not massive but enough for me to notice, it was a relatively straight road i was on?

As i said, i'm happy with the nebula theory, just as to which one it is?
all the info on direction, latitude, angle etc has been posted.

Also a few are saying that it can't possibly be a nebula.... i would like to hear more from them as to what it might be?

I'm not claiming anything as i stated and am genuinely curious to discover what it is.

thanks again for your help guys.

[edit on 4/8/08 by blupblup]

ok fair enough,

but my point is that if you think it moved then it cant really be something static in the sky? ... but the general reaction of the topic is that it might be a nebula. so i guess what im askin is do you truly beleive it may have moved and as you stated and to what scale... did it move to a different area of sky or just a small change. i understand it is difficult for you to answer, especially if you were riding your bike while tryin to focus on this object!

ps. look at the road!! (but seriously nice find)

like the photos too, just got me one of those n95's

[edit on 4-8-2008 by extremeH]

I think what you have caught is very rare.
I believe it is a case of an odd shaped Aurora.
Here is some info from University Lowbrow Astronomers Naked Eye Observer’s Guide

Aurorae are more frequent within an oval about 2,500 kilometers wide centered on the North Magnetic Pole (located in Northern Canada) and within an oval about 2,500 kilometers wide centered on the South Magnetic Pole (located in the ocean near Antarctica). This means the Aurorae Borealis is most commonly seen from Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Iceland. It can be seen, but less frequently from the northern continental United States, Scandinavia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. On rare occasions, aurora have been seen even further from the north magnetic pole. The Aurorae Australis is rarely seen since there are no populated areas near the South Magnetic Pole.

Aurora are more common at solar maximum (which occurs every 11 years). Aurora can be relatively common up to 3 years after the solar maximum. Scientists have been somewhat successful (but not perfect) at predicting when aurorae will occur.

Aurorae can appear in several different shapes, but the most common shapes have been described as sheets, curtains and streamers. They can appear in different colors (green is the most common, however red, violet and blue have been observed). Under unusual conditions, aurora can appear to pulse on and off over a large section of the sky (the author has observed this only once). Aurorae observing does not require dark skies, but colors and pulsation are subtle phenomena which are easier to observe if you are dark adapted and observing from a dark site.

Hope this helps

[edit on 4-8-2008 by NephraTari]

You caught something truly fascinating, what a curious, self-illuminated object.
Well done, that camera phone is impressive.

reply to post by NephraTari


Wow, good job!

But such a small aurora? Aren't they supposed to be bigger? But then again, maybe the ones in the UK, being not-so-up-north, may be smaller?

reply to post by Wallachian


Not only that but it could be a result not of solar maximum but of flares.

I think this could be an indication of something we might want to research.

This could be a new evolving phenomenon as a result of some solar oddities.

I don't know.. just some ideas rolling about in my head.