Anyone else viewing that star in the sky?

I've seen the same blinking object, showing glimses of red at times, here in Phoenix and while I was down in Cabo. I'm pretty sure its Venus.

reply to post by havok


I've viewed Jupiter behaving exactly like the object in the video high in the sky on a clear cold night. Ice crystals in the upper atmosphere cause the colour fluctuations (prismatic effect). The rate of colour change is a function of the atmosphere and high altitude winds, not the object itself (apart from its spectrum of colours of course).

Every time the planets approach their maximum brightness there's a lot of reports like this of 'strange' stars in the sky

Originally posted by Pilgrum
reply to post by havok

 

I've viewed Jupiter behaving exactly like the object in the video high in the sky on a clear cold night. Ice crystals in the upper atmosphere cause the colour fluctuations (prismatic effect). The rate of colour change is a function of the atmosphere and high altitude winds, not the object itself (apart from its spectrum of colours of course).

Every time the planets approach their maximum brightness there's a lot of reports like this of 'strange' stars in the sky

Sounds reasonable. What about the vanishing effect?

Man but what I witness was no planet, or star.

I saw that one in the west and a different one in the south

plus meteors , venus , jupiter ... pluto

perseids meteor shower



[edit on 4-8-2010 by Zeta Reticulan]

reply to post by Oozii

Hiya,

My guess is that the star you are looking at is Altair, the brightest star in Aquila. Its distance is 16.7 light years from us.

Here in Oz right now, it's very bright and flickering different colours. Well it was about 20 minutes ago.....now it's raining. That's Winter for you!
At the moment it sits north of the ecliptic, and rather low.

In a northern hemisphere chart, Scorpius and Sagittarius sit just south of the ecliptic, whilst Aquila and thus Altair sit just north of it.

Could it be this star, Altair, that you are seeing? May be worth looking into.

Cheers,
VA

reply to post by Verum Astrum


I'll be sure to check that out asap. Thanks for your response

And also thank you to everyone else who replied. I will be sure to check out my location, and the location of the stars and planets mentioned.

Really appreciate it, and thanks for the nice replies.

Now its about to be 5am, and sun is coming out. Lol I gotta get atleat 3 hours of rest.

If it is flickering different colours then it is more than likely a star, it's called stellar scintillation, their light is bent a number of times (and in different directions) as it travels through the many layers of the Earth's atmosphere (by the hot and cold air), if you were to view them from space then they would not not flicker.

Planets don't flicker (except in when there is extreme turbulence in the air) because they are so close to us, and bigger (stars are essentially points of light in the sky) the flickering isn't noticable.

EDIT: Just out of interest, is the one you are looking at happen to have another, fainter star, a few inches to its bottom right?



[edit on 4/8/10 by woogleuk]

reply to post by havok


True but it should still be able to be tracked.

Also, if it is stationary, does it stay in the same position in the sky all the time?

Man, out of all the thousands of times I've viewed the sky at night...
and the thousands of things I've witnessed in the sky...

I have never watched a planet change color, or 'flicker' for that matter.
The only things I watch flicker, are stars and they don't change colors.

With that being said, the only things I have proven, to myself, that actually 'change' colors are satellites.

Stars remain pretty constant in the respect of what kind of star they are.
Red Giant like Betelguese....or others.
But most are blue-white in color and they 'twinkle' because of Earth's atmosphere.
This is all common knowledge.
So in respect to the disappearing act that this object produced, I would have to say that if the sky was black and daylight wasn't approaching...key word is wasn't, then it is interesting to see what this object was.
But if daylight was approaching and the object disappeared, then the reflection from the sun actually probably ceased, therefore giving off the impression of a 'disappearing act'.



But of course, everything is relative...

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by havok

 

True but it should still be able to be tracked.

Also, if it is stationary, does it stay in the same position in the sky all the time?

No, it would stay in position, relative to the viewer, for hours.
Because of the rotation of the Earth and the orbit of the satellite...
It still moves. Just really slowly.

I've watched STAT satellites for hours.
Once I watched the same satellite for a few days/weeks in the same spot every night.
I could spot the same 'light' for a long time.
It's very intriguing to watch something in the sky, rotating and flashing different colors.
Red, Green, White, etc...
Then you realize that the satellite is spinning extremely fast, and it's orbit is extremely fast, in comparison to the rotation of the Earth.
It was extremely bright and looked like nothing I've seen before.

I live in Indio California, close to you OP, and I have noticed this for several months now. Its very bright now and huge! It looks like from my location its between los angles and san diego.

I have noticed it scintillating also but we have had fires here the last few weeks.

I thought this may be a planet too cause of the size.

I was wondering, as we get close to the 2012 planet allinement will the planets start to appear closer now?

very interesting post, I look forward to hearing what it is.

Could this have anything to do with how things appear in the sky?

Rare solar storm expected to provide quite a light show
BY Michael J. Feeney
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, August 4th 2010, 4:00 AM


NASA via GettyA view of the sun. A rare solar storm was expected to hit Tuesday night. Related NewsFull moon is a blue moon on New Year's Eve 2010
Sky-watchers, heads up.

A rare solar storm is headed our way.

The storm, predicted to hit Tuesday night and continue through tonight, is expected to produce "rippling dancing curtains of green and red light" across the sky, according to NASA.

On Sunday, NASA reported that satellites detected that a portion of the sun had erupted and dispatched a C-3 solar flare, which spawned a solar tsunami that's headed for Earth.

Once it reaches Earth, the charged particles will likely create northern lights-like displays.

But the light show will be visible only in the northern part of the U.S. and other countries.

According to NASA, this type of eruption is one of the first signs that the sun is waking up and heading toward another solar maximum, which is expected in 2013.

The last solar maximum was in 2001.



Read more: www.nydailynews.com...


[edit on 4-8-2010 by StealthyKat]

Here is a nifty little idea for you. If you don't have a cell phone get an android and download google sky map. You can load it up and point your camera to the star in question. Sometimes it will show you the correct star.

Cool should take a pic if u see it again and share it.

binary stars........one is rapidly orbiting the other and causing flickering, blinking,, and color changes. perhaps...


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Last night pgh,pg south hills region. Stood in back yard making triangle between me the moon and twinkling object as well as can reference Venus...

From my standing point the moon was to my right the star was to my left and Venus was behind me. Centering on me facing forward and my location direction facing 90 degrees the moon was @ 20 degrees and the star was @170 degrees and Venus was @345 degrees. This is the best I can locate it from my viewing perspective..

nice informative thread F&S friend

I have seen this star many times for many years. It flashes red, white and blue. My friends and I call it the "Patriot" star. It is always cool to watch.
I think maybe it is a planet (Venus?)

Interesting thread.

Last night around 11pm i saw a red flashing star, it was stationary, very bright and big, in the east (im in toronto). I watched it only for a couple of minutes.

Venus is in the west so it wasn't Venus. Planets dont flash and flicker only stars do.

Interested in what this might be. Anyone in Toronto see this?

Funny, because I know exactly where south hills, pgh is and know where you're referencing.
I am within 50-75 miles of there.

If I had a powerful enough video camera that would record a good quality video of the satellite I've viewed before, I would.

But I can't because I don't have one and my dig. camera only takes junk videos.

So, I will remain on my original thought of it being merely a satellite doing it's normal routine.

Spying on us...

reply to post by havok


Do you feel it was a satellite I was seeing friend?
2nd

[edit on 8/4/10 by Ophiuchus 13]