Bright multi colored star twinkling.

reply to post by Phage

You know I had this same issue a while back and you helped me out at that time. Let me ask you something, do you think if the accusations of aerosol aluminum are true, would it make the scintillation much more intense?

I had never noticed the level of scintillation in all my years before 08'. As do a lot of people around here. There are a lot of threads on this popping up all the time.


OP here is a great program to map the sky in your area at any time.

Stellarium

reply to post by timewalker

No.
Scintillation is not caused by impurities in the air.

As Newton correctly determined, the apparent twinkling of the stars is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere. Temperature and density variations in the atmosphere result in the random refraction of the incoming star light.

Light rays are bent or refracted when passing through mediums of different density. Light from a star travels through the near vacuum of space relatively unhindered. When the light reaches our atmosphere, however, it is refracted by various amounts and in different directions, depending upon the density of the air it encounters. When the light is refracted away from us, the intensity of the star is diminished, and when it is refracted toward us the intensity is increased. The end result is the starlight’s apparent twinkling. The more vigorous the turbulence (the movement of the different density layers in the atmosphere), the more pronounced the scintillation or twinkling.

astrophys-assist.com...

Aerosols have a different effect, making stars appear dimmer. The astronomical term is extinction, meteorologically its called aerosol optical depth. In a way it's the opposite of scintillation.

Crisp nights, typical in the western US, have a 550-nm AOD of 0.1 or less. An AOD of 0.2, still good enough for most deep-sky observing, is more common in the eastern US. But on hazy summer nights, the AOD can rise to 0.5 or greater, making all but the brightest deep-sky objects dull or invisible.

www.skyandtelescope.com...

I've been seeing the stars twinkle since I was a kid. Maybe the air is clearing up in your part of the world or maybe it's gotten a bit more turbulent but it's not because of aluminum.

[edit on 3/5/2010 by Phage]

Just a general point.. Does anyone else find these sort of threads depressing? Whatever happened to humankind's knowledge of the sky? Don't people ever go out and actually observe their skies anymore? Reality TV shows more fulfilling?

In particular, if you are always seeing a star at the same location, as suggested by some here, I'm guessing that either it must be the light on a TV transmission aerial or similar, or alternatively, there's actually only one time of year and one time of night that you go outdoors and look, and from that, you think you know your sky..

Stars MOVE!

They move as the night progresses (try *observing* your local sky just after dusk, and then again 4 hours later...)

They move with the seasons. Haven't you ever heard of the term 'summer/winter constellations'?

And yes, it's true that Polaris and the few bright stars around it (for you Northerners) may sit at/near the same location, but for heaven's sake - you don't even know which one that is?

Anyway, getting back to the OP. South/Southwest at this time of year from your location, assuming early evening? Probably Sirius, or perhaps Rigel. Rigel is part of Orion, a VERY well-known constellation... If you can tell us where the object is in relation to a known object or constellation, that would help

It would also help if you can give a more accurate direction (azimuth), at what time you are looking, and how far above the horizon (altitude). A fist at arm's length is about 10 degrees, so if it is about three fists up, that's 30 degrees.

And yes, Stellarium is a great way to help learn your skies, but nothing substitutes getting out there.

www.stellarium.org...

PS - Planets twinkle too, especially near the horizon or in unclear/turbulent air (eg over a city), but nowhere near as much as stars. Sirius is by far the *most* twinkly.

Originally posted by dainoyfb
Sirius is far below the Southern horizon for people in Canada right now.

That is incorrect. dainyofb you need to check whatever method you are using to determine what is visible from Canada in the early evening at this time of year.

To be specific, from that region of Canada an hour or so after dusk (in March), Sirius will be found approx. due South at about 30 degrees above the horizon, and will then head sorta westerly and downwards.

Speakeroftruth, you are failing to live up to your name. Google Sirius twinkling - it does indeed twinkle in an amazing rainbow of colours. You need to get out more.

Pajjikor, planets are quite slow moving. Even the faster ones like Venus will be in roughly the same position over a few nights at the same viewing time. The reddish or orange tinge will be because it is close to the horizon and/or you have a lot of dust or pollution in the sky. But as Phage said, it is most likely Sirius.


[edit on 5-3-2010 by CHRLZ]

reply to post by Phage


Thanks for the insight phage, i was wondering what was up with it, as a child I was told the north star was the brightest in the sky so i was questioning why i saw a brighter one.

Have we figured out if Sirius's planets are able to support life?

reply to post by CHRLZ


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/80946f9e8235.jpg[/atsimg]

The chart corresponds to the time of the OP when Sirius has been below the horizon for some time. It is also directly West.

reply to post by dainoyfb


I have to agree that the OP is observing Sirius. I too am in southern Ontario and can easily see Sirius above the horizon in the evening. Try changing the observing location to Toronto, Ontario, and time to March 5, 2010 01:00 UTC or March 4, 2010 20:00 EST

edit to correct date/time suggestion

[edit on 5-3-2010 by jankopernik]

if the star is left and down a little to the constellation Orion, and its the brightest star around that area, then its Sirius.












I study the sky all the time, its good to get to know your constellations and how they move throught the night sky at slightly different angles and times throughout the year.

LMAO to the person who said, that not A star in reply to Phages video clip.
Yes it is.

[edit on 5-3-2010 by Sparkey76]

reply to post by Pajjikor

That is a common misconception.
Polaris is far from the brightest star in the sky. In fact it is quite ordinary except for the fact that it doesn't move.

Polaris is far from the brightest star in the sky. In fact it is quite ordinary except for the fact that it doesn't move.

Well apart from it does move, just over 100's of years very slowly, due to the earths wobble.

Dont need to tell you this, you know, just pointing it out, it wasnt always the pole star.

An ancient pole star was Thuban in the constellation of Draco.

I always wondered why there was a star in the sky that just seemed to flash multiple colors very fast....

What makes it different than the other stars that stay solid white, as far as we can tell with our eyes..

Originally posted by Rain
reply to post by gandhi

 

I seen it too, even attempted to video it. Bit shaky.


[vid]viJ7Wt5AhBA[/yvid]

We can see this were i am, its always just a bit over the top of our 2 story house,it looks like stained glass at a distance iv had my eye on it for awhile, definitely not a Star! a Mother Ship who knows!

Yes, I think the OP is seeing Arcturus. I think Pajjikor, who is in South Carolina, is seeing Sirius.

I am sure you have this competly the wrong way round.

From a latitude of Ontario, Sirius would be seen first in the night sky, at this time of year and time of night., , Orion, Cancer, Leo, Auriga, Canis Minor, Ursa Major, Bits of Draco is the constellations that are prominent in the night sky at the moment at this sort of latitude, You would probally see the constellation Bootes ( Acturus star) very late at night.

Down towards South Carolina, Orion and the star Sirius would probally set quite early in the evening, and you would be seeing Canis Minor, Leo, Cancer, Ursa Major and possibly Bootes, with the star Acturus very late at evening.

reply to post by SeeingBlue


All stars actually twinkle, its just Sirius makes it more evident due to its magnitude.

reply to post by Phage
I live in Houston. I doubt very seriously the air has cleaned up here with all the refineries and huge population.

I too had noticed the twinkling of the stars, but not just to the degree that I notice today. They look like a police light bar in the sky when low on the horizon. I think I would have noticed this in my 38 years. Maybe not, but I doubt it.

reply to post by Sparkey76

You're right. I got confused about who we were talking about.

The OP says the star is in the south so that would be Sirius. Another poster (MetalCoffeeL) was talking about a star in the northeast, that would be Arcturus.


[edit on 3/5/2010 by Phage]

reply to post by gandhi


hello
i live in maryland USA and i believe i have seen the same star. i have also seen it in florida.

[edit on 5-3-2010 by fallow the light]

Originally posted by dainoyfb

The chart corresponds to the time of the OP when Sirius has been below the horizon for some time. It is also directly West.

I haven't checked your time calculations, but don't see any reason to do so - why would one assume that the OP made the observation at the same time of his post?

I made it quite clear that Sirius was visible in the location given by the OP in the early evening, that being the most common time for such observations.

Perhaps the OP might like to clarify.

It's HAARP!

Sorry, couldn't resist. It's being blamed for everything, so why not this, too?

I myself have seen this star for about 13 years now. I remember when I first noticed it I was just standing there looking up people asking me what I was looking at. I pointed it out but no one knew what it was.

I have watched it in the same spots (depending on my location) for years. It flashed blue, red, yellow, orange, and white. I always assumed it was some sort of satellite.

Raist