Disappearing Star

First thread - Posting it to the Grey Area because of "no proof"...but, want to see if anyone-else, here, has experienced or witnessed the same...and what explanation/s might have come from any "vetting".
Thanks for your consideration.

Stepped outside...to my back porch to smoke about 11:25 PM, March 2, 2013.
Looked into the night sky (as usual), facing east...and at about 33* a particular star was pulsing rather spectacularly.
I figured it was the usual star that is most brilliant in the evening hours...and continued watching it... Looked at some of the other stars that were visible to see if any of them seemed to be throbbing in similar fashion... None caught my eye.
As far as I could tell, there were no clouds in the sky (just watched the weather on Channel 9) and...we were supposedly under clear skies...
As my normal motions moved me slightly...the star disappeared. I moved a bit...and it reappeared.
I moved in a number of directions to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me...or what...and, whatever would block the view of the star wasn't much larger (from my perspective) than the star, itself...but, it was apparently larger.
This only lasted for three or four minutes...and then, the phenomenon was gone.

There are a set of telephone wires, and a power line just below the line of sight... When moving (stooping/bending) to see if "they" could have been the "obliterator"...I found that explanation to be impossible, as, at no point, would they "completely" block the view of the star. There are no trees tall enough to have come close to blocking the view...
If it had been a cloud...the cloud would need to have been a looonnnggg distance away, at great altitude...and quite solid...and held a fairly stationary position for a good 3 or 4 minutes.
Don't think it could be explained away with an orbiting satellite...for at least two reasons - 1) size, and 2) positioning.
So - am simply wondering what you think could have caused the anomaly.

Presuming that I'm not making this up.
No pictures.
I have a camera that "might" have been able to accomplish the task - if I knew how to work it appropriately...but...I don't...and, by the time I realized something worth considering was actually taking place, it would have taken too long to retrieve the camera and station myself appropriately to capture the same...
So - If you're inclined to speculate, I will be appreciative of all genuine attempts.
Will be heading for bed soon...so - may not get back to any replies 'til rested.
Thanks.

I don't have much to add except I have seen this same thing. On several occasion. Always to the west and just on the horizon. On perfectly clear nights. The object(s) usually as bright as Sirius. Basically pulsing, disappearing, then coming back and doing it over again. Not sure what to make of it. But nothing blocking my view when seeing it.

Originally posted by TheSparrowSings
I don't have much to add except I have seen this same thing. On several occasion. Always to the west and just on the horizon. On perfectly clear nights. The object(s) usually as bright as Sirius. Basically pulsing, disappearing, then coming back and doing it over again. Not sure what to make of it. But nothing blocking my view when seeing it.

Thank you.
Wish I knew which star it was... I would have considered it to be Venus if not for the brilliance and rhythmic pulse.
So far - the only thing I can possibly guess at...would be some other "heavenly body"...such as a meteor. But, for the phenomenon to have lasted as long as it did, it would suggest that the trajectory would be in a general direction toward Earth.
Anyway - again - thanks for the corroboration (?).

Only having a guess here, but I remember reading something about Noctilucent clouds that form extremely high up (the highest in out atmosphere I think?).

They are almost invisible to the naked eye and only can be seen with the right conditions (sunrise/sunset).

Maybe a Noctilucent cloud obstructed the view for a bit.

Is something like the laser in this article a possible explanation?


www.newscientist.com...

reply to post by WanDash


I did notice the some of the stars nears the crux contellation were pulsing kinda like in a romance movie or something.

Same thing as the big dipper. Took my dog out for the usual late night walk to the school. Was clear out for once thank god lol.

Originally posted by blackspirit
...Maybe a Noctilucent cloud obstructed the view for a bit.

Thanks for the offering. I will look into Noctilucent cloud/s...and see if they might be the answer.

Originally posted by SprocketUK
Is something like the laser in this article a possible explanation?
...www.newscientist.com...

I guess it's possible...if, I'm not reading (or understanding) what it does, correctly. Seems they're saying it creates a "bright point"...which acts as an artificial star. And, somehow, this clears a field of view for more detailed & vivid "photos" of other heavenly bodies.
Thanks! Learn something new, entirely.

Originally posted by CrypticSouthpaw
I did notice the some of the stars nears the crux contellation were pulsing kinda like in a romance movie or something.

Same thing as the big dipper. Took my dog out for the usual late night walk to the school. Was clear out for once thank god lol.

Sounds cool. How far south (in the sky) do you have to look to see the Southern Cross at this time of year?

reply to post by WanDash

Well im surrounded by mountains but near the mountain line around there. The big dipper is like. WAYYY overhead us. like directly above us.

I've seen something quite similar, and quite possibly a drone in origin. So i went outside for a smoke about 2:am , and you know just happen to check out the sky and I see this star.. . .looks weird then it hits me it is moving then gone.. . .like they killed the lights. So I run inside to wake someone up and tell them what I saw, but decide to be respectful and let them sleep so I go back outside [the first sighting lasted like 5 seconds maybe 10, and me going inside was maybe 20 seconds] I see it again travelling the same was from about the exact same spot, but this time much much closer to my house [it was pretty close in the first instance as well] then like the first time it went out again and disappeared. Needless to say I kept checking every once in awhile but that was it.

Another interesting thing I saw was one time I was explaining to my sister about fake stars and my sighting, and their happened to be a super luminous star out so I used it as an example. Well Lo, and Behold the frigging thing dimmed way down as I was pointing at it and explaining this to my sister [she saw it too] needless to say that was pretty cool, after that the brightness fluctuated quite rapidly to a dimmer but still bright point of light. Almost like it thought I busted it or something lol. Could have been something else though idk it didn't move at all though so no satellite.

reply to post by WanDash


I saw something like that back in october, I was on a walk and looked up to see what looked like a brighter than usual star and than it started to get dimmer until it was gone(this took about ten seconds). not quite sure what that was but it was interesting. Its interesting that other people are seeing similar things

Add me to the list now too. I'm taking astronomy this semester so have been out viewing several hours/week.
3 weeks ago we were aligning our scope and I was watching a star in the West. It wasn't as bright as Siruis say, but noticeable. The thing just.. disappeared. I asked my group if anybody else had seen it but nobody fessed up if so. I couldn't identify it but it was below and North of Algol.

reply to post by CrypticSouthpaw

Well im surrounded by mountains but near the mountain line around there. The big dipper is like. WAYYY overhead us. like directly above us.

If you are far enough north for the big dipper to be directly overhead, Crux will never be visible from your location. You need to work on your constellation identification skills.

reply to post by WanDash


Yea you weren't seeing things i too also saw something similar to what you described some kind of strange anomaly...

Originally posted by R3nw0x1ng
I've seen something quite similar, and quite possibly a drone in origin. So i went outside for a smoke about 2:am , and you know just happen to check out the sky and I see this star.. . .looks weird then it hits me it is moving then gone.. . .like they killed the lights. So I run inside to wake someone up and tell them what I saw, but decide to be respectful and let them sleep so I go back outside [the first sighting lasted like 5 seconds maybe 10, and me going inside was maybe 20 seconds] I see it again travelling the same was from about the exact same spot, but this time much much closer to my house [it was pretty close in the first instance as well] then like the first time it went out again and disappeared. Needless to say I kept checking every once in awhile but that was it.

I've watched something similar... Pretty sure it was some kind of satellite or very-high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft... It (they - as I've seen this a number of times) would light up for a few seconds, then, go dark... I'd give up on seeing it again...then, it would appear further along the same trajectory, stay lit for a few seconds, then go dark for a good 5 - 10 seconds (or, maybe even longer)...then light up again. These have generally been travelling on a north-south or south-north path.

Originally posted by R3nw0x1ng
Another interesting thing I saw was one time I was explaining to my sister about fake stars and my sighting, and their happened to be a super luminous star out so I used it as an example. Well Lo, and Behold the frigging thing dimmed way down as I was pointing at it and explaining this to my sister [she saw it too] needless to say that was pretty cool, after that the brightness fluctuated quite rapidly to a dimmer but still bright point of light. Almost like it thought I busted it or something lol. Could have been something else though idk it didn't move at all though so no satellite.

That's cool. (and funny - "busted")... I know I've watched similar occurrences, but have never taken them time to "log" them.
Thanks for the input.

Originally posted by grey9438
reply to post by WanDash

 

I saw something like that back in october, I was on a walk and looked up to see what looked like a brighter than usual star and than it started to get dimmer until it was gone(this took about ten seconds). not quite sure what that was but it was interesting. Its interesting that other people are seeing similar things

Thanks...!
Do you recall "where, in the sky" it might have been situated?
It seems that a number of stars (or planets?) I've witnessed in an "unusually bright" state, are generally located in the first 1/8th to 1/4th of the night sky. I'm simply wondering if this might have been the "quadrant" you saw this in...or - if it was much further into the night sky.

reply to post by WanDash


I remember I was facing north and it was close to the center of the sky patch I was facing and thats about it.

Originally posted by Starcrossd
Add me to the list now too. I'm taking astronomy this semester so have been out viewing several hours/week.
3 weeks ago we were aligning our scope and I was watching a star in the West. It wasn't as bright as Siruis say, but noticeable. The thing just.. disappeared.

I asked my group if anybody else had seen it but nobody fessed up if so. I couldn't identify it but it was below and North of Algol.

Guess I could get out my wife's "Stellarium"...to see where these are...but - the fact that no-one-else witnessed it is par for the course -- (always leaves you wondering if you really saw it - or if your imagination saw it).
The episode mentioned in the OP was one, where I had time to go through a number of "checks" to verfiy that"
1. It would, indeed, disappear, if I moved to a certain position (I could actually make only part of it disappear once I found the edge of the "object" between "us")...
2. Whatever was 'between us' was large enough to entirely eclipse the star...
3. It was not a telephone line or power line...no trees tall enough to affect my line of sight...
4. Wasn't my hair/bangs getting in view...
5. All other visible stars were...visible
6. After a few moments, the phenomenon was no longer "in play".

Originally posted by grey9438
reply to post by WanDash

 

I remember I was facing north and it was close to the center of the sky patch I was facing and thats about it.

Thanks for the additional detail.
Every little bit of data helps in getting a clearer view.