Did I see a UFO or the ISS?

Saw a bright star looking thing going across the sky at a decent speed, was too high to be chinese lantern and moving to fast to be a plane. However it was pretty much exactly how people describe how the space station looks when it goes overhead.

reply to post by Idonthaveabeard


I'm thinking it's likely you saw the ISS. It's pretty bright and moves along at a decent speed. You can check the ISS schedule and see if it was over your area at the time you had your sighting. I think they have a schedule at spaceweather.com If not there, there are several available via a google search.

I've seen it a few times and I always run in to check a schedule to make sure that's what it really was. So far, it has been.

Here are some very useful links....

Stellarium - search for stars and planets
Search for satellites here
Search for the ISS+ here

go to these sites...plug in your location and it will tell you what is over you....

I once saw what I thought was a regular satellite( very bright). The thing is it was only just starting to to turn darker, most of the sky was still blue in places. Also i could see it exactly the same no matter how far it went.. Unlike normal satellites which seem to fizzle out after a time.

I quickly checked the heavens above website and found out that it was the iss. Really strange as I went outside for a ciggy and just as I looked up (as I always do when I go outside for a ciggy) it came flying straight over my head.

You seen a satellite during the day??

Also I should add with mine, whatever I saw disappeared behind the clouds so we lost track of it. A few seconds later I noticed a bright 'star' appear which looked alot like what we had just watched move across the sky. However this time it had stopped and was motionless. BUT this could actually just have been a star that was previously blocked by clouds and how now came into view as the clouds drifted along. Its all very confusing because the 2nd thing I seen just didnt have the look of a star and looked alot like what I had seen moving along just seconds earlier and it seemed to have been joined by a second 'star'.

Just an annoying situation for me tbh because I cant definately say either way what exactly I saw :/

reply to post by greeneyedleo

I like this one too ...

Spaceweather

Track flybys by postal code.

reply to post by Idonthaveabeard


As someone who had a similar experience a few years back id have to say it was most definitely the ISS, its often at its brightest near dusk and for a while after sundown since the sun is at a sufficient angle to really reflect of its solar panels.

I definitely recommend the Heavens-Above website Greeneyedleo mentions, since I believe you can stick in a time and date and get a read out of where the ISS was retrospectively for you at that time. Also while your there learn about Iridium Flares, there another neat man made occurrence that really throws you for a loop if you dont know they exist... and hopefully you'll get to see one eventually.

Originally posted by Idonthaveabeard
You seen a satellite during the day??

It is very possible, some iridium flares and the ISS can be bright enough to be seen in broad daylight if you know before hand where to look and if they arent to close to the sun to be drowned out.

The ISS hasnt been over our heads here in the UK for a while, track it Here

Just zoom out the map and you can see what route its been on for the last number of hours. Right now its just left south america & heading below Africa..

Can also watch the earth as it passes by on the Live Feed, it usually goes off when it driifts into parts of the earth that are in Night Time. Hidden in Earths shadow

Wow ok I just checked that map, zoomed out as you said and the ISS has came not even over the UK for a while as you said. It was Saturday night when I seen what I seen at around 10.30/11pm. Are there any other satellites going round that would look that big and bright in the sky?? So if what I seen was NOT the space station, then what the hell was it?? This has just gotten a whole lot more interesting for me!!

If it was moving at a steady speed, and in a straight line, then it was almost certainly a satellite. Personally, I wouldn't even consider this to be a UFO unless it did something extraordinary (like stopped dead in its tracks, made a right angle turn etc).

Well thats what Im saying, it might have actually stopped. As it was moving along it went behind clouds, then through a gap in the clouds I seen 3 'stars' that looked exactly like what I had seen moving just seconds earlier but they were stopped. BUT the problem is I cant say for definate that the thing I saw moving was the thing I then seen stationary, because of the clouds.

I've seen the ISS twice, both times i got over excited and annoyed my wife with claims of aliens, then it dawned on me that it was probably the ISS. The light it reflects is so bloody bright that it could grab the casual eye.

But thats the thing, it wasnt the ISS because I checked that tracker thing and it turns out the ISS hasnt flew over my country at that time. But are there other satellites that would reflect the same light to appear that size and that bright?