Strange very bright silver flashing.

Phil.x

I know this is not aviation but this even about 7pm I'm out front and hear a plane (nothing new there) I look up but the plane is low and behind trees going away I don't see it, but too my right over towards Dublin airport there is a mirror like (silver) flashing light in the high altitude clouds it looked like a very bright old fashioned light on a ship you see in war movies with the intensity going up and down like an flashing SOS, now it was very small but star bright and when it stopped flashing i couldn't see what it was even though it was still daylight and blue sky. It flashed once or twice more a short distance from where I first saw it but then no more. It was so strange.

Brennus335

Sounds like Venus. It would've been in the southern sky yesterday evening.

Phil.x

Brennus335 wrote: »

Sounds like Venus. It would've been in the southern sky yesterday evening.

But i was looking north.

Brennus335

_dof_

Might have been Iridium flares.

I saw one the other night similar to you, seemed to flash 3 or 4 times. Usually the Iridium flares are just one bright flash for a few seconds as the solar panels on the satellite reflect the sunlight, but apparently they're decommissioning the satellites now, so maybe it was one tumbling and catching the sunlight a few times, or some other tumbling satellite

taytobreath

the sun reflecting off an airplane?

Hansanter

More than likely a satellite flaring (reflecting the sun off it's solar panels) as it spins, a very common sight if you look up at night. I saw two late last night, quickly fading in and out many times as they passed SSW along the sky until they went into eclipse. 7pm at this time of year is a little early so perhaps they were 'very' bright flares from a large sat. 'dof' is correct, they are quite often Iridium satellites but the current fleet is currently being replaced with a newer type that doesn't lend itself to the flaring that the older fleet was so well known for. The ISS can be very bright but it doesn't flare on and off as it doesn't spin as it orbits.
H./

Phil.x

Yes it must of being a satellite flaring as there was nothing in the sky when the flash went, it was like a pin prick in the blue sky.

4068ac1elhodqr

Was it displaying 'abnormal behaviour' ?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/mysterious-russian-satellite-exhibiting-very-13090075

Although take anything from the red top tabloids with a pinch of salt.

Only last week seen at least 6 white sat type (non blinking) star like lights crossing overhead,
within 10mins. All in a straight but different paths and speeds, must be some space junk up there.

But back in '88 there was a couple of more interesting lower lever and silent triangle shaped lights.

Psychlops

Porter Nice Banknote wrote: »

But back in '88 there was a couple of more interesting lower lever and silent triangle shaped lights.

Belgian Wave?

4068ac1elhodqr

Psychlops wrote: »

Belgian Wave?

Had to googley that
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_UFO_wave

Was around that time, 88-89 at night. Don't remember seeing the centre light just 3 static light points on each. Both flying NE and in formation. no flashing, no noise, slow-ish, and fairly low (1-2k) and larger than anything regular. Haven't seen anything else as curious before or since that.