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What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

bandicoot (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 00:11

And no it is not a UFO 

I keep seeing a V shaped thing every so often in these wintery clear night sky's. Been seeing it for years now, and it is not the drink talking  

Everyone at my work keeps saying it is the solar panels reflecting off the ISS international space station, but it moves so slowly across the night sky, (thought it would be faster, going by the ISS videos from space) and does not seem to tie up with the ISS trajectory path as seen on the internet. (is there a delay?).

It only appears for a number of days and then is gone for quite a while, as i assume it is taking a different orbital path. I usually notice it more in Winter, as we have clear sky at night.

Just wondering, in case it is something else 

RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

Snaps (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 02:09

Well if that asteroid was actually a degraded monolith it could be Dave Bowman's pod. 



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RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

RJS (undefined) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 14:07

Is this just after sunset? How long do you see it for before it vanishes?

If you can give exact times and position in the sky to the nearest minute, would be easy to work it out.

Iridium flares are another possibility, and an astigmatism in your eyes might make things look like a V.

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RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

bandicoot (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 14:47

My eyes see ok, and you see this V shape of lights when it gets dark, and moves at roughly the same speed as the Moon, Seen it for years now, off and on, and everyone says its the ISS. Yet when you look at the solar panel array its in a straight line across the station, so why do we see the reflective panels as an upright V shape?

Amazed we can see it at all, as its 400KM high in orbit.

RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

Jitendar Canth (Reviewer) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 14:54

I've seen the ISS, and it's just a point of light with the naked eye, not a v-shape, and it moves a lot faster than the moon. It takes just one and a half hours to orbit the Earth.

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RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

RJS (undefined) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 17:43

Quote:
bandicoot says...
"My eyes see ok, and you see this V shape of lights when it gets dark, and moves at roughly the same speed as the Moon, Seen it for years now, off and on, and everyone says its the ISS. "

Definitely not the ISS, that moves very quickly across the sky, can you draw what you see? Could be the Pleiades?


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RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

bandicoot (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 21:14

That's a good point about it possibly being a star grouping, but it moves slowly, is that to do with earth rotation?

It is very prominent in the sky, and has been around for years, so assumed you had all spotted it over the years. My cheap digital camera is rubbish, so here is a sketch.

RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

RJS (undefined) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 22:01

Quote:
bandicoot says...
"but it moves slowly, is that to do with earth rotation?"

Most likely!

Now if you can give a date and rough time and which compass direction it is in when it's close to the horizon (should be easy as an Aussie, I've seen Crocodile Dundee!)...


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RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

enemyonpc (Elite) posted this on Thursday, 14th December 2017, 23:27

Stars will appear to move at a similar pace to the moon but it's all relative. Some bearings and we should be able to pin it down.

RE: What is that lit-up V shaped thing in the night sky?

Snaps (Elite) posted this on Friday, 15th December 2017, 01:57

Try this for size.

Snaps



My new Flash Fiction blog. All my own work
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