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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j3s00bw wrote

Most likely a satellite or the International Space Station. It gets pretty bright, then winks out when it goes into Earth's shadow.

**Update** The ISS was visible last night from 9:11 to 9:15, setting in the ENE.

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PigpenMcKernan t1_j3s7oog wrote

Spotting the ISS is pretty cool. Though one night while looking for it I saw a Starlink constellation, now that was cool.

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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j3s8evs wrote

That must've been awesome!! I had several people contact me when they saw one of the Starlink trains back in the fall... and I MISSED IT!!

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Did you ever catch an Iridium flare? Now THOSE were amazing!

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PigpenMcKernan t1_j3sfbq7 wrote

I have not, but they do sound cool!

It was neat. First thought honestly was aliens. Then I remembered Starlink was a chain of small satellites, looked up the locations and sure enough one had just gone overhead.

Fun story about iridium, I once sailed to Bermuda with someone who worked on the project for Motorola. They chose the name iridium because initial plans were for 77 satellites in the constellation. But at least one launch failed and others might not have worked so really it should be called osmium or rhenium.

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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j3t75zh wrote

That's RIGHT!! It's a shame that they have been allowed to have their orbits disintegrate, but they're really not needed any more. They could produce a flare so bright it would cost your shadow!

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FoleyisGood t1_j3sv7nf wrote

I saw it too. Wasn't the ISS and was earlier in the evening

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citrus_mystic OP t1_j3swb3o wrote

I’ve seen the ISS before. This was much, much brighter.

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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j3t6y6v wrote

The ISS does have different magnitudes of brightness depending on the angle of the Sun, its orbital trajectory, the positioning of its solar arrays, etc.

It wouldn't surprise me that it was the ISS: silently gliding through the sky, not blinking, no noise, but then disappears...

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FoleyisGood t1_j3vveqh wrote

It wasn't the ISS.

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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j3vxmxc wrote

Let's think skeptically for a minute...

What's the more likely explanation for what was seen:

  1. Some alien craft
  2. A satellite
  3. The ISS

The simplest explanation tends to be the right one. I've given a scientifically accurate, unbiased explanation for what was seen. What proof do you have that it wasn't the ISS?

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FoleyisGood t1_j3w0t87 wrote

> What proof do you have that it wasn't the ISS?

you said

> Update The ISS was visible last night from 9:11 to 9:15, setting in the ENE.

This happened sometime between 5:30-6pm - as I stated in a previous comment

also

It was a shooting star

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mdurg68 t1_j3w4lff wrote

Why do you only have 3 choices? You left off aircraft and shooting star. Since a few others and me saw it around the same time I’d guess it was a shooting star. I know how satellites move and look. Definitely wasn’t a satellite

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Competitive-Ad-5153 t1_j3wp2tx wrote

Fair enough.

I left off aircraft since it didn't have any blinking navigational lights.

And you are correct: it could've been a meteor. The Quadrantid meteor shower was about a week ago, so that is a definite possibility. I stand corrected.

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