What's that - in the sky?

[erick (Eric)]

Last night I had a friend discover I had taken an interest in binoculars and the sky - so he asked me a question.

He keeps pigeons and often lets them out to fly. Sometimes they fly so high he can hardly see them with his eyes, so he has a pair of 7x binoculars and lies back to watch them.

Aside:- He said the other day he could see the flock through his binoculars when Woosh! - something flashed through the FOV! Meteor, I say (Pavlov's dog!!) - nope, it's daytime, and it was a falcon taking one of his birds!

Back to the question:- He said what's that in the sky directly above Melbourne and stationery around the middle of the day? He says he has seen it off and on over the past two years. He says it is just a spot in the sky, and looks like a piece of aluminium foil - grey-silvery colour. I said you are sure it doesn't move with the binoculars and he said no. I'm stumped! Anything unpowered and geostationery would be far too far away to be seen through 7x - and during the daylight!

I'll get him to show me and, if I see it, I'll turn 20x or 30x on it.

Any ideas?

Perhaps fancying pigeons has gone to his brain??

[iceman (Mike)]

Sounds a bit odd to me?

Nothing I know of would be visible in the middle of the day directly overhead.. except, the sun!?

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by iceman

Sounds a bit odd to me?

Nothing I know of would be visible in the middle of the day directly overhead.. except, the sun!?

I did ask if it was trailing the sun and seen recently? Thinking - perhaps he was seeing Venus. That's when he said it's been much the same over two years.

I'll get him to show me, if he can, and I'll see if we can answer his question.

[middy]

Weather balloon perhaps? Maybe it was so high it seemed stationary for the period of time he observed it.

[xelasnave]

The OZ star sat maybe? or similar... look to where he points he sees it and then look at where the ariels point.
How interesting.
alex

[Popeye (Bert)]

Try a Met department weather balloon?
Cheers!
Popeye

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Just had a chat to a mate of mine who is currently doing a Met observers course, they let balloons up at 9am and 4pm and sometimes at 9pm and 3am. Nothing is up at 12 midday unless there is storms around then they let em go every 10 mins or so. So unlikely a Met Balloon.

[DobDobDob (Ron)]

More than likely a reflection off a dwelling that catches the sun at just the right angle at that time. Because he has seen it for two years, it would indicate a fixed object.