Very bright geo satellite in my night sky?

  • Context: Undergrad 
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the observation of a very bright object in the night sky, which some participants speculate may be a geostationary satellite, while others suggest it could be planets like Jupiter or Venus. The conversation includes attempts to identify the object based on its brightness and position over time, as well as the need for more specific observational details.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes seeing a bright object that remains stationary in the sky from 10 PM to 6 AM, questioning its identity as a geostationary satellite.
  • Several participants emphasize the need for the observer's location and specific coordinates to help identify the object accurately.
  • Some participants propose that the object could be Jupiter at night and Venus in the morning, based on its brightness and visibility.
  • There are suggestions that if the object is a planet, it would typically move with the stars, which raises doubts about its identification as such.
  • One participant mentions the possibility of the object being a geostationary satellite, noting its unusual brightness.
  • Another participant discusses the implications of brightness and distance, suggesting that if the object is as bright as Venus but much closer, it would have to be significantly larger.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the observer's ability to accurately identify the object based on the provided details.
  • There are recommendations for using apps like Stellarium or Google Sky Map to assist in identifying celestial objects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the identity of the object. Multiple competing views remain, with some suggesting it is a planet, while others consider the possibility of it being a geostationary satellite.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in observational data, such as the lack of specific location information and the observer's uncertainty about the brightness and identity of the object. There are also unresolved questions about the object's movement and visibility conditions.

Who May Find This Useful

Astronomy enthusiasts, amateur astronomers, and individuals interested in celestial observations may find this discussion relevant.

  • #31
Vanadium 50 said:
Why not? Because he is not telling you what you want to hear?
English is not my native language, just one of several that I speak. If I'm not mistaken, he is saying the exact same thing I said previously myself. So what was his point of making that comment?
Vanadium 50 said:
How do you know you are seeing the same object?
Since October 2023 I've been seeing an object in the sky that appears as a star or a planet at first of about -2 mag. Then its brightness increases to about -3,5 mag before it starts dimming to about -1. Therefore, it isn't a natural object.

I have seen it do that only about 3-4 times in two different cities - in all cases while looking east between 6 to 10p.m. (winter) and 10p.m. (summer). It wasn't moving, just changing its brightness.

I'm wondering if this is some kind of a scientific experiment, that's all. (Sometimes there are green lasers in the sky that are used for cloud density measurement or something like that.)

As much as I would have loved it, I'm sure it weren't aliens... definitely human made.

(And I'm not trying to convince anybody - if you don't believe me it's absolutely ok. I've described it as best as I could and don't have anything to add. The only thing I wanted to know was if Avicenna saw it brighten up and the dim again or not.)
 
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  • #32
If you have seen it only 3-4 times in almost a year, you do not know it is the same object.

If it is that bright, it is not a geosynchronous satellite.

There are more options than "someone playing a trick on me" and "satellite". Evidence against one is not evidence for the other.

If you are the only one who has ever seen it, that's an issue.
 
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  • #33
Yeah, I also don't get how from so few and sparse sightings you know it's the same object. 4 days in a row (and tracked for several hours each time....), sure. 4 days in 9 months, no. It should take a very small amount of focused effort to identify this object. Unfortunately the effort seems to have been very unfocused.
 
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  • #34
russ_watters said:
focused
I saw what you did there.
 
  • #35
Eleonora said:
Since October 2023 I've been seeing an object in the sky that appears as a star or a planet at first of about -2 mag. Then its brightness increases to about -3,5 mag before it starts dimming to about -1. Therefore, it isn't a natural object.
This is definitely not a good conclusion. Sky conditions have a huge impact on how bright natural celestial objects appear over time.

The biggest factors are haze, water vapour and light pollution. You will not necessarily see a uniform haze in the sky, but what happens is: one night when there is lots of haze or water vapour, the sky is much more opaque - and light pollution exacerbates an opaque sky. You can't tell from one night to another how objectively opaque the sky is, you wouldn't notice anything different except dim stars and planets.

This combination of haze and light pollution makes it difficult and even impossible to see many objects that would be easily visible on some other night when the air is dry.


The upshot is that natural objects can easily vary by several orders of magnitude over even a few minutes, never mind a few days.

Next time you go out to look at planets, make a note of (roughly) how many stars you can see in the sky. Try again another night. You'll find a strong correlation between how bright planets appear and how many stars you can see in the same sky on different nights. If you can see thousands, it's a transparent sky. If you see hundreds or even mere dozens, it's an opaque sky.


Here is a website that shows, for a given location and time, not just cloud cover but also the transparency of the sky.

https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/
 
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  • #36
Vanadium 50 said:
If you are the only one who has ever seen it, that's an issue.
Absolutely. Second best explanation to aliens. After all, the Russian name I was born with (Eleonora Strelnikova) translates to Eleanor Arroway and the brightest star I see out of my windows facing east is Vega ;-)

Don't think this is getting anywhere and since there is apparently no way to delete my account here: Thanks everyone who genuinely tried to help me.
 
  • #37
I'm sure everyone here was legitimately trying to help, but as the saying goes, PF can only help those who help themselves.

I'll lock the thread here since it seems to have run its course.
 

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