High altitude flashing light sighting, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Hello all.

Last night, the night of the 1st - 2nd of October, three friends and I all witnessed the same thing in the night sky.

At around 3:30, GMT we witnessed a flashing light in the sky, North of Orion (there is a triangle constellation there). Midway between Orion and the Pleiades we witnessed a flashing light on repeated occasions.

My friend first noticed it, and he claims to have seen the brightest flashes. This was looking quite far South given our location, and we were all looking North except my friend. By the time he had guided us all to the correct spot the second guy had seen it, I had seen it and finally the last guy saw it. I clocked it 4 times.

This thing was not following a pattern of flashing, and whilst it was in slightly different points it was not obviously moving on a trajectory. Is it possible this was maybe the focal point for a meteor shower? Nothing appeared to pass 'off' the flashing point. We did see other meteors passing through.

Whatever the object was, I can compare it to seeing a camera flash from a distant hill or a distant point. It was definitely 'on' and 'off' with a small light of some sort. The thing was virtually the same as the stars around it, a small almost blue (to my eyes) point of light.

Our theories last night ranged from a satellite on a geo-stationary orbit with one reflective panel slowly rotating. A spy plane taking high altitude photographs (don't see why they would use flash for this!). The point-source of a meteor shower of some sort.

Not the best UFO sighting (I'm shying way from the UFO thing on purpose).

Could have been a satellite or a star.

Download and use Stellarium to see what stars/planets were visible at your location and time/date.

Heaven's Above and NASA for satelites passing over your location

reply to post by Manolete


Well, unspectacular as it may be, thanks for posting anyway.

You never know, someone else may have seen and recorded it, so at the least might be viewed as corroboration.

Originally posted by greeneyedleo
Could have been a satellite or a star.

Download and use Stellarium to see what stars/planets were visible at your location and time/date.

Heaven's Above and NASA for satelites passing over your location

Here is the problem...

The thing was not 'passing over' it was more akin to hovering. I didn't see the device which was producing the flash, but I saw the flashes coming from the same point in the sky over the course of say five minutes.

reply to post by Manolete


Manolete.....

Thank you for providing your interesting report.

I think greeneyedleo has provided you with a good starting point for your investigations & your ponderings.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

I too have seen similar things as of late, no idea what it was though. about 5 seconds inbetween each flash, and damn powerful at that.