Topic: satellite ???

[Michelle]

Someone asked this question, I thought you guys might help ......... and hey how are you all x

"Does anyone know what the bright light that moves across the sky slowly (dim flashing) is? I'm in NW England. A satellite?

It's to the south height at about 25 degrees I guess

I've been seeing it every night at about the same position and then moves west across the sky very slowly."


sounds too slow for a satellite to me, he was looking at it for like 15mins at least. any idea's ?

[sam]

15mins is a long time and flashing.... well if its flashing its probably a plane (is there a local airfield or glider centre?)

give me the time of day within an hour and I'll be able to tell you what satellite it is, but I very much doubt its a satellite - the flashing normally means plane.

[Michelle]

maybe the clouds are making it flicker ..... very odd, he says he sees it every day at the same time, I'll find out more info.. thanks sam

[sam]

I wouldn't expect the clouds to make it flicker much, of course the atmosphere is the reason stars twinkle but satellites dont really suffer from this effect. Also, if its that bright, then it would have to be the ISS which doesn't go over the same time every night (/it doesn't go over the same place every night)... hope this helps.

[Michelle]

oooh ...... well this is what he said next.....

I'd say between around 10pm-11pm here the object is due south from me, then slowly moves to west. It's still visible at 3am (SW)


and he said the same thing about the atmosphere sorta lol

10pm -3am - slow plane tho....... how very odd....... he must be able to see alot of sky - hes in warrington....

[GillE]

It couldn't be Venus, could it?

[sam]

oooh ...... well this is what he said next.....

I'd say between around 10pm-11pm here the object is due south from me, then slowly moves to west. It's still visible at 3am (SW)


and he said the same thing about the atmosphere sorta lol

10pm -3am - slow plane tho....... how very odd....... he must be able to see alot of sky - hes in warrington....

its probably just a star, or as gill says a planet, the sky rotates over the night (well its the earth that is rotating) and so objects appear to move... good example of star trails (long exposure photo): http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OrbitsHistory/images/star_streaks_greenspun_final.jpg

I'll try and figure out what object it is when i get back from work.

[Michelle]

ah ok thanks sam, I've passed on that info

[Clive]

It's Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system.  It's at its best right now.  Venus rises just before the Sun at the moment.

[Michelle]

yeah i was watching jupiter last night - its huge right now, but it doesn't move that much .... obviously it moves but you can't see it, or i can't lol

[sam]

yeah i was watching jupiter last night - its huge right now, but it doesn't move that much .... obviously it moves but you can't see it, or i can't lol

if you go out a few hours later it will have... a good way to see this is to draw a big circle to represent the whole horizon, mark on some local reference points along the horizon and go out mark the position of it and other bright stars (the summer triangle is quite good at the moment for doing that) and go back a few hours... everything will have nicely rotated around the north pole (the star Polaris being roughly at this position)

[Clive]

It takes 12 years to make a complete orbit around the Sun and as there are 12 zodiacal constellations Jupiter will spend a year in each one.  That makes it relatively easy to identify the constellations if you have 12 years to spare.     If you have binoculars or a small telescope you will see the 4 largest moons of Jupiter as little pinpricks of light either side of the planet. 

[Michelle]

oh yes - it does move throughout the night but as you say i only notice every few hours. - So where's the moon gone?

Thanks so much for your info my little stargazers

[sam]

oh yes - it does move throughout the night but as you say i only notice every few hours. - So where's the moon gone?

Thanks so much for your info my little stargazers

well its close to a new moon so you would only see a small fraction of the light being reflected from the Sun... its possibly under the horizon too - the Moon moves differently to the rest of the sky.

[Clive]

I should add for the sake of correctness that the Earth rotating on its axis is the cause of objects in the sky appearing to move throughout the night.  The stars and planets are staying still.