I Might Have Seen My First UFO Last Night

[Rhah]

Last night I was sitting outside on a bench near a park with one of my best friends. It was a cold night and the sky was clear. We were just talking a bit while waiting for another friend of ours to arrive.
When I looked up at the sky, I noticed what you would assume was just a regular star (Point A) - perhaps slightly brigher than usual - moving from left to right across the sky.

I said to my friend "What the... look at that. Why doesn't it have any blinking lights?"

Because that's why it caught my attention. This light moving across the sky didn't make a sound, it didn't have any blinking lights, and it seemed to be flying much, much higher than regular airplanes would.
The speed at which it moved across the sky, I would say, was pretty much the same as you would see with regular airplanes. However, because it seemed to be much higher, it must've actually been going significantly faster.

But not only that. After we had watched it move across the sky for a good five seconds, it started to slowly fade out (starting at Point B), whilst still moving for a short distance, to where it finally completely vasnished from the sky (at Point C).

I tried to illustrate this with the following image:
http://i59.tinypic.com/oh6cqr.jpg

We were sitting there, looking at the sky, speachless, and pondering what it was that we had just seen, for another good minute or so. Also to see if it would maybe pop back up again at a different location in the sky. But it didn't. It was gone.

I would love to hear your opinions as to what this might've been.
It's unfortunate that it wasn't anything detailed, but it surely was a special little moment for me that I won't soon forget.

Thanks :)

[Nick Matkin]

Your description is very clear. Thanks.

If it just moved in a straight, or apparently slightly curved line it was almost certainly a satellite.

If you enter your location and the time into http://heavens-above.com it'll probably tell you which one. I guess it was only a couple of hours after sunset...? Satellites don't generate their own light, just reflect sunlight - usually from their solar panels.

It's the Iridium flares that surprise people. Looks like a normal satellite then suddenly gets much, much brighter for a few seconds as their solar panels catch the sun. The timing predictions of these satellites are also available from any location are at the Heavens Above website, as are all 'normal' satellites of whatever magnitude you select, and the locations and magnitudes of planets, stars, comets, asteroids, etc.

I'm always slightly surprised that this website isn't more widely known - even amongst regular sky-watchers!

I guess if any bright object does odd zig-zag motions, 90 degree bends, sudden stops etc. it probably isn't a satellite, although I think someone on this forum said some military satellites are capable of 'unusual' manoeuvres!

[Rhah]

Thank you very much, Nick! Your explanation makes sense to me. This indeed happened just a couple of hours after sunset so I guess it could've just as easily been a satellite, yes. I simply do not know.
Do you also have an explanation for why it suddenly vanished? Could this be because it was moving away from the sun and therefore gradually caught - and thus reflected - less light?

Also, thanks for sharing the heavens above website. I hadn't heard of it yet. I can't, however, seem to figure out where to enter my location and time... I will have closer look later today when I've got some more time to spare.

Appreciate the feedback :thumbsup:

[Nick Matkin]

Glad to help!

The length of time a satellite is visible from any particular location depends on a number of things. For example:

Satellites position in relation to you and the set sun
The size and orientation of its reflective surfaces
Whether it passes into the Earth's shadow
Whether the satellite is tumbling/rotating either deliberately or not!

It's quite likely that the reflection gradually fades in and fades out during its orbit from your vantage point.

(Yes, I'd like it to have been a UFO too. And as far as I know I haven't seen one yet!)

[Selkie]

...if any bright object does odd zig-zag motions, 90 degree bends, sudden stops etc. it probably isn't a satellite...

There is also the phenomenon of a star or planet appearing to make odd zig-zag motions, too, when it is actually the eyes of the person that are moving. There is a word for the phenomenon, but I can't bring it to mind right now...auto-{something-or-other}.

p.s. There are a lot of satellites up there, btw.

[Sunny-side-up]

Nick Matkin Nick Matkin is online now

If it just moved in a straight, or apparently slightly curved line it was almost certainly a satellite.
Not so, you think a ufo can't move in straight lines?

satellites BTW like hunter and spy can be redirected and move in all manner of directions :)

If you see a power-up well even that could be a sun intensified reflection.

If it shoots off suddenly at great speed, well that would be UFO or secrete tech of ours!

Rhah keep watching the skies if you won't to see unusual phenomena's, look regularly and you will see things, some of which will be Other worldly intelligences :)

[Lifebringer]

My daughter called from Texas to tell me she saw on two days ago.

[Nick Matkin]

There is also the phenomenon of a star or planet appearing to make odd zig-zag motions, too, when it is actually the eyes of the person that are moving. There is a word for the phenomenon, but I can't bring it to mind right now...auto-{something-or-other}.

Yes indeed. I was only reading of this on an astronomy website yesterday - just can't find it at the moment - but you're right, it has a name! If you stare at say, Venus long enough eye movement can make it appear that the light is moving.


Not so, you think a ufo can't move in straight lines?

I dare say they can, but if a moving prick of light can be correlated in time and place with a satellite, it's probably a satellite. I don't know what percentage of satellites are in the Heavens-Above database. Nearly all except some (most?) military satellites from all nations I expect.

If it's not in Heavens Above, it may be a UFO, but it's probably just a satellite!

Note: 'UFO' is commonly perceived to mean alien spacecraft. A subject for another thread, but a UFO could of course be lots of other things.

[Selkie]

...Rhah keep watching the skies if you won't to see unusual phenomena's, look regularly and you will see things, some of which will be Other worldly intelligences :)

Yes...its really important to get to know what is remarkable and what is not, and the way to do that is to spend a lot of time looking. They really are up there, and if you look regularly, you will see some.

[WhiteFeather]

Last night I was sitting outside on a bench near a park with one of my best friends. It was a cold night and the sky was clear. We were just talking a bit while waiting for another friend of ours to arrive.
When I looked up at the sky, I noticed what you would assume was just a regular star (Point A) - perhaps slightly brigher than usual - moving from left to right across the sky.

I said to my friend "What the... look at that. Why doesn't it have any blinking lights?"

Because that's why it caught my attention. This light moving across the sky didn't make a sound, it didn't have any blinking lights, and it seemed to be flying much, much higher than regular airplanes would.
The speed at which it moved across the sky, I would say, was pretty much the same as you would see with regular airplanes. However, because it seemed to be much higher, it must've actually been going significantly faster.

But not only that. After we had watched it move across the sky for a good five seconds, it started to slowly fade out (starting at Point B), whilst still moving for a short distance, to where it finally completely vasnished from the sky (at Point C).

I tried to illustrate this with the following image:
http://i59.tinypic.com/oh6cqr.jpg

We were sitting there, looking at the sky, speachless, and pondering what it was that we had just seen, for another good minute or so. Also to see if it would maybe pop back up again at a different location in the sky. But it didn't. It was gone.

I would love to hear your opinions as to what this might've been.
It's unfortunate that it wasn't anything detailed, but it surely was a special little moment for me that I won't soon forget.

Thanks :)

Is it ours, or from the stars? Thanks for sharing this. I so enjoy when I see strange lights in the sky. It ensures me that we are not alone. Believing is not enough. :sun: