Bright Blue Flashing Lights in Sky

mayotom

Hi

Several times over the past year I have noticed a bright blue flashing object in the sky, mostly to the southwest at about 30 degrees, but I have also witnessed it in the northeast, I have been viewing this from east Mayo. The object flashes a little slower than the lights from an aircraft but stays almost stationary, It can be seen for anything from 20 minutes to over an hour, and the flashing is not constant, it seems to fade and brighten intermittently, it can be as bright at Jupiter for 5 min then fade a way for a minute and return again, but there is no distinct pattern to this.

Has anybody got any idea what it is???

Also in the past couple of years I have noticed a marked increase in the number of flashing satelites in the night sky, traveling in all directions and with various intensity of brightness and frequency of flashing, does anybody have an explanation for these satelites??

Thanks

mayotom

Kevster

Wasn't there a meteor shower recently? Perhaps it was that which you were seeing. The 'blue' colour is something I cannot really explain, except that maybe it was simply light from the other things you were seeing (but somehow only the blue light part of the spectrum was transmitted to your eyes).

dan foley

No idea, but i can see it now from Co Westmeath, can confirm seems stationary, bright white light, does flash blue and red, no clear pattern to changes.

murrayp4

What position would it be in relative to Orion?

MoonDancer

I've been wondering what this was too. It wouldn't be a space station or sattelite?

mayotom

I have seen this several times over the past year and usually in the Southwest or northeast at about 30 degrees to the horizon,

its relavance to Orion I can't really say because I have always seen it in the same positions regardless of Orions position depending on time of year and night.

Although it does appear to be stationary, there is a small amount of movement relevant to stars close by, but the movement is small, this leads me to think that it maybe some sort of Geosynchronous satellite, but I cant find anything online to match this

Beeker

mayotom wrote: »

I have seen this several times over the past year and usually in the Southwest or northeast at about 30 degrees to the horizon,

its relavance to Orion I can't really say because I have always seen it in the same positions regardless of Orions position depending on time of year and night.

Although it does appear to be stationary, there is a small amount of movement relevant to stars close by, but the movement is small, this leads me to think that it maybe some sort of Geosynchronous satellite, but I cant find anything online to match this

Geosynchronous satellite or any other satellites do not have flashing lights and even stationary lights. When ever we see them it is from the sunlight reflected of them.
Just a thought but would these lights be perhaps on top of a mountain? A house perhaps? In the dark they may seem to be in the sky but maybe not?
Your description does not sound like an aircraft or any spacecraft.
Other then that I have no idea.

mayotom

Beeker wrote: »

Geosynchronous satellite or any other satellites do not have flashing lights and even stationary lights. When ever we see them it is from the sunlight reflected of them.
Just a thought but would these lights be perhaps on top of a mountain? A house perhaps? In the dark they may seem to be in the sky but maybe not?
Your description does not sound like an aircraft or any spacecraft.
Other then that I have no idea.

Thanks Beeker, I'm fully aware that the light is a reflection from the sun, hence the reason why I find it confusing that it is both blue and flashing.
Definitely not a house or top of mountain, and not an aircraft, as it does move slightly but not like an aircraft

dan foley wrote: »

No idea, but i can see it now from Co Westmeath, can confirm seems stationary, bright white light, does flash blue and red, no clear pattern to changes.

Dan would this be Sirius - Dog Star at the moment this is in the south east or in line with Orion's belt.

I have looked a few times tonight but its not visible, last time I saw it was about a week ago

rccaulfield

Assume the light is constant and the flashing is an illusion from the atmosphere/ pollution. Then different explanations become plausible imo!

mayotom

rccaulfield wrote: »

Assume the light is constant and the flashing is an illusion from the atmosphere/ pollution. Then different explanations become plausible imo!

interesting, but still wouldn't explain the movement.... would also assume that the air is clean enough here in the west of Ireland, but then again the upper atmosphere is another thing

marky boii

mayotom wrote: »

Hi

Several times over the past year I have noticed a bright blue flashing object in the sky, mostly to the southwest at about 30 degrees, but I have also witnessed it in the northeast, I have been viewing this from east Mayo. The object flashes a little slower than the lights from an aircraft but stays almost stationary, It can be seen for anything from 20 minutes to over an hour, and the flashing is not constant, it seems to fade and brighten intermittently, it can be as bright at Jupiter for 5 min then fade a way for a minute and return again, but there is no distinct pattern to this.

Has anybody got any idea what it is???

Also in the past couple of years I have noticed a marked increase in the number of flashing satelites in the night sky, traveling in all directions and with various intensity of brightness and frequency of flashing, does anybody have an explanation for these satelites??

Thanks

mayotom

Well did you know it could be a distant star about to die out relesing gamma rays which ar usally blue or green.:)

zarkov

I think I can see the same thing in the sky tonight (appears to be flashing blue/orange/white) and according to heavens-above it is a star that is part of Canis Major. It is very bright in the South Eastern sky - a bit lower than Mars at the minute. I saw it last night, more to the East, and didn't know what the heck I was seeing but I assume it is atmosphere releated especially as it is low in the sky. I didn't see any discernable movement, unlike Mayotom.

zarkov

Now I'm not so sure what it is - higher in the sky and still flickering/flashing. Anyone else see this?

zarkov

After some more research (on Wikipedia), the star is Sirius and it often exhibits flashing characteristics to naked eye observations.

rudedog

It is indeed Sirius, it always has a flashing blue and orange tinge to it.

Diamonddec

rudedog wrote: »

It is indeed Sirius, it always has a flashing blue and orange tinge to it.

I am a complete novice in these matters ... but was up between 3 and 4 this morning, looking at perfect skies and seeing Sirius properly, really for the first time, I was amazed by its' brightness and display of colours. I wasn't sure what it was at first, TBH, until I identified it as Sirius with Cartes du Ciel... very impressive!

mayotom

Thanks for all the replies, however I'm still a little mystified as the object that I have viewed is definately not sirus as it was also visable on some of these ocasions,

thanks

straightedge

The lights you are seeing are not a rarity. In fact, I have noticed them in several different cities in which I have resided. Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX, Reno, NV (especially in Reno) and the Central Coast of Southern California. In some places, they are lower, in others, higher. But the one thing that remains consistent are the lights. In Chicago, I observed one making a slow elliptical movement for almost three hours until it blinked rapidly and then literally moved away at high speed.

I'm not one to believe in UFO's however, seeing the same occurrences in multiple markets, in different states, at different times of the year has my curiosity piqued, I must admit. The attempts of other readers on this forum to explain the phenomena away as stars, airplanes or satellites are not satisfactory. For instance, if it was indeed Sirius, it would only be visible at certain times per year, not year round and not, as it is tonight, in multiple locations across the sky.

My next step is to purchase a telescope. I have to know what I'm seeing. In Illinois, I saw one that was much lower than the others i have seen. I would estimate that it was 8,000-10,000 feet in altitude, because it was way lower than the commercial jetliner that went over it at a much higher altitude.

The attributes that I have witnessed tend to be as follows. The objects stay either stationary for hours (up to three) or follow a bizarre elliptical path. Where there is one, there is normally two and sometimes three spaced equally across the sky. They are entirely too low to be stars or aircraft (planes move) and they are completely silent. No sound can be heard regardless of altitude. One does not expect to hear anything from that high, anyway but I just wanted to mention it. They flash in red, blue and white and can be witnessed at random times during dusk-early morning.

I'm with you, Mayo. Something that is not human is in the skies. If you find out what we are seeing, I would appreciate it if you could repost in this forum. I will do the same.

Thanks.

The Hill Billy

Blue flashing lights in the sky?

Pigs in Space?


* gets coat... *

straightedge

Hill Billy wrote: »

Blue flashing lights in the sky?

Pigs in Space?


* gets coat... *

Two years ago, I might have agreed with you. I'm not so sure, anymore.

mayotom

straightedge wrote: »

I'm with you, Mayo. Something that is not human is in the skies. If you find out what we are seeing, I would appreciate it if you could repost in this forum. I will do the same.

Thanks.

Well I do think that it is a natural Phenomenon in Space, I do not agree with the 8-10,000 feet

straightedge

mayotom wrote: »

Well I do think that it is a natural Phenomenon in Space, I do not agree with the 8-10,000 feet

I'm not suggesting that what you are seeing is at 8-10,000 feet, bro. I'm saying that what I saw two nights ago at dusk, was at that approximate altitude, based on the commercial jet that went above it. The others seem to be much, much higher. In Reno, I see them every night. I kept thinking it was a satellite but satellites do not have flashing lights on them. It's not Sirius because there are usually more than one.

straightedge

mayotom wrote: »

Well I do think that it is a natural Phenomenon in Space, I do not agree with the 8-10,000 feet

I suppose this isn't 8-10,000 feet, Tom? You're probably right. I would say it's much lower.

Blue and red flashing lights, elliptical pattern for hours.

Get me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmzksbo1JQ8

mayotom

straightedge wrote: »

I suppose this isn't 8-10,000 feet, Tom? You're probably right. I would say it's much lower.

Blue and red flashing lights, elliptical pattern for hours.

Get me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmzksbo1JQ8

Yes that has a lot of similarities, but much Slower movements, and Blue and white are the predominant colours. also is much much higher in the sky 30-35 degrees.

any idea what these are on youtube

straightedge

No, but the one I saw that was much lower than normal looked very similar to the object in that video. Last night, there were two in the sky, Mayo. Orion was in the sky behind me and the lights were not part of the constellation. In addition, they were following an elliptical path. Excuse me, one was elliptical. The other seemed to be going up and down slowly.

The lights I see alternate between red and blue with white occurring occasionally. Originally, I considered a helicopter but it's entirely too high for them to be that. And they stay in the same general area for hours. Last night, I noticed them around 11pm. They were still doing their thing until almost 4am this morning. So, for five hours, they were stationed in the same place.

Like I said before. I am not one to believe in UFO's, Mayo. I want to believe that there is a logical explanation for what I'm seeing but I have run out of excuses and can find no logical reasoning for what I'm seeing. In other words, your guess is as good as mine.

Razd611

I saw this flashing light last night 12/13/10 from just east of Dallas, Tx. It was between 11:40 and 11:55 CDT. It was a bright flashing light appx 10-20 East degrees of Orions Betelguese and appx 50 degrees up from the ground. It would flash almost continuoulsy at intervals from 6 seconds up to 13 seconds in no patern. It was a blueish to white light. I have never seen this before and do spend quite a bit of time outdoors.

KWO

My 2 children, wife, and myself who live in Frisco, TX witnessed two very bright stationary star like objects in the eastern sky on 12-14-10 at 10:15PM CST spaced equally apart from each other and both changing colors from red blue and white.
From what I have read on different posts on the net, these objects have been seen by many people across the US in the eastern sky at night around 9:00pm-12:00PM.
I have viewed Venus, The Moon, Mars, etc.. and these objects looked nothing like them and they were much closer.
Any thoughts on what these objects are?

StarPanelTruth

Razd611 wrote: »

I saw this flashing light last night 12/13/10 from just east of Dallas, Tx. It was between 11:40 and 11:55 CDT. It was a bright flashing light appx 10-20 East degrees of Orions Betelguese and appx 50 degrees up from the ground. It would flash almost continuoulsy at intervals from 6 seconds up to 13 seconds in no patern. It was a blueish to white light. I have never seen this before and do spend quite a bit of time outdoors.

Razd611, sounds like we may have seen the same thing.

I noticed a flash of light out the corner of my eye and, after watching the area of the sky it came from, I observed a flashing light at a consistant 6 second interval with an 8 second interval every 10 cycles or so.

I observed it for a total for 20 or 30 cycles around midnight (11:55 PM to 12:10 AM) Central Time on 12-13-10 while watching the Geminid Meteor Shower.

I am in south Louisiana and saw a blinking light about the same size and magnatude of the surrounding stars equally spaced up and down between and located about 2 degrees right of Procyon and Gomeisa in Canis Minor or about 4 degrees left of Betelgeuse in the top left corner of Orion. I figure it was about 60 or 70 degrees above the horizon at the time.

It appeared to stay stationary, at the same magnitude and continued blinking for 10 or 15 count cycles, slowly moved straight down over 5 cycles or so then started arcing towards the left until it was directly inline and beneath Procyon and Gomeisa.

It continued to blink on a 6 second interval but became dimmer and dimmer over about 3 or 4 count cycles until it faded out and was gone.

I was wondering if anyone else saw it.

I saw it left of Betelguese and you saw it right of Betelgeuse, so based on your observation, whatever it was appears to have been located East and West between Dallas and New Orleans.

Kinda neat treat on top of the beautiful sky watching and meteor show that night.

mayotom

Hi Guys

since I first started this thread I have also been asking around in other locations. So far the most logical explaination I have received is that they are possible Satellites belonging to the Iridium satellite constellation which would match up to the pattern of sightings that I have seen of them in Several countries in the past couple of years..

Philous

I live in Toronto, Canada and I see a bright pulsating object in the eastern sky. It seems to be pulsing reds, greens, blues and white. It moves slowly against the backdrop of space and pulses very quickly. My father who lives about 300 kms north alerted me to this phenomenon. I'm not sure if its the same object but it certainly has a similar description.

mayotom

Philous wrote: »

I live in Toronto, Canada and I see a bright pulsating object in the eastern sky. It seems to be pulsing reds, greens, blues and white. It moves slowly against the backdrop of space and pulses very quickly. My father who lives about 300 kms north alerted me to this phenomenon. I'm not sure if its the same object but it certainly has a similar description.

I'm quiet sure that you are seeing Sirus

Yarmouther

I live in Yarmouth Nova Scotia, Canada, and just wanted to report for the past 2 weeks I have noticed this object in the sky with blinking lights, not moving just staying put. Last night my friends and I were watching it and we observed 3 - 4 more of these same lights, in different parts of the sky, we were observing them through a set of binoculars and it was amazing, however I would like to look at them through a telescope. Can anyone tell me what these are?

horse7

It's back in the sky now, 30degrees south, looking at it from Blanchardstown.

Popoutman

Get or borrow a DSLR camera, with a wide lens (35mm or 50mm), stick it on a tripod, take a pic at 1600 ISO and 5 or 10 seconds pointing at the thing you're looking at, and post the resulting pic (with the location and time of pic taking) here and we'll be easily able to identify whether it's a star or planet, a plane or satellite, or something else.

I would suspect what you're seeing now is Jupiter.

Try putting in your location and time here: http://www.etwright.org/astro/plani.html and seeing what matches for when you are looking up.

Jluke45

Last year on a hunting trip in a remote area in Eastern Oregon, I was taking the dogs out around 2:30 AM, I wandered out into the pitch dark and came into view of two brilliant blue lights...one near the ground, and the other near the treetops. That in itself drew powerful curiosity, but the real enigma was they were asynchronously flashing at each other to what seemed to be communication. It was kind of neck-hair-raising-spooky on par that the area is well populated with cougars. Between the two, I took my dogs back to the trailer, closed and locked the door. I have never seen any thing like it before or since. I would sure be interested if anyone has seen such a thing...