Red star passes across Orion

kamiru · Post by **kamiru** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:09 pm

Hi, while i am observing orion thru my bino at 8pm tonight, a small red star crosses the constellation. It was moving like 2 degrees per second until it move behind a flat which is in front of my view. May i know what actually is it?

Post by **weixing** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:27 pm

Hi,
Hmm... Sound like a plane to me.

Have a nice day.

simranjits · Post by **simranjits** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:37 pm

a plane should blink shouldn't it?

kamiru · Post by **kamiru** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:41 pm

definitely not a plane. Its a red star, mag similar to betelguese. Size smaller a bit. A plane will flash lights.

Post by **weixing** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:22 pm

Hi,
At 8pm, Orion will be around 45 degree above eastern horizon, so you are looking east. Where were you when you see it?? You saw it through bino??

Have a nice day.

kamiru · Post by **kamiru** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:36 pm

weixing wrote:Hi,
At 8pm, Orion will be around 45 degree above eastern horizon, so you are looking east. Where were you when you see it?? You saw it through bino??

Have a nice day.

Hi wexing,

i was in my flat facing SE. I was using 10X50 bino. The star was moving towards procyon. Should be travelling east.

Post by **weixing** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:20 pm

Hi,
I still think that it is an aircraft especially it appear in the east direction where the airports are.

Althought most aircraft light blinks, I had seen quite a number of aircraft at night that have non-blinking red lights.

Anyway, as you observe more, you'll find "strange" light appear in the sky that actually can be explained. Below are one of my example:
"3 dots of orange light (may be at mag 3) moving across the late night sky very fast. The relative position of the lights keep changing as it fly across the night sky."

Just wonder can anyone guess what is it??

Have a nice day.

chrisyeo · Post by **chrisyeo** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:26 pm

I used to think that planes are distinctly blinking as well but I have since learnt that plane forward landing lights don't blink, and those are the lights that we often see as they approach.

As the distance is quite far, those landing lights sometimes look orange or red depending on the cloud and haze.

So I think it was a plane you saw..

Rgds,Chris

kamiru · Post by **kamiru** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:36 pm

k, i will observe more to confirm whether it is plane. Cause i am still new.

kamiru · Post by **kamiru** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:43 pm

weixing wrote:Hi,
I still think that it is an aircraft especially it appear in the east direction where the airports are.

Althought most aircraft light blinks, I had seen quite a number of aircraft at night that have non-blinking red lights.

Anyway, as you observe more, you'll find "strange" light appear in the sky that actually can be explained. Below are one of my example:
"3 dots of orange light (may be at mag 3) moving across the late night sky very fast. The relative position of the lights keep changing as it fly across the night sky."

Just wonder can anyone guess what is it??

Have a nice day.

BTW, what is the flying objects? :?