Very weird above Adelaide...

[deanm]

05.08.14 @ 18:30 PM

The sky above sleepy Adelaide is crystal clear right now.

I was setting up my C11 kit and noticed this diffuse, completely motionless, fuzzy ball of light at around 35 degrees above the Western horizon.

It subtended around 0.5 degrees and looked just like the moon through high cloud, but certainly wasn't the moon, which hung brilliantly clear near zenith.

Fainter, but still visible, at 18:38 PM

Any ideas?!

Dean

[Peter.M]

I noticed it as well and called Paul Haese who also noted it. It looked like a globular cluster but massive and visible to the naked eye. I have some dslr shots to post in a minute

[Paul Haese]

Yeah I saw it too and took some shots. Looks like a rocket burn to me. I will post an image shortly in this thread for analysis.

[MrB]

Spooky, looking forward to the images :D

[redbeard]

Yep, saw it too from Glenalta. It was moving across the sky slowly. I took a couple of shots very quickly and clumsily... timed it perfectly when the missus turned on the spotlights to the back yard. She didn't understand why I was yelling at her..lol. I'll post soon as well.

[Peter.M]

Heres mine

[redbeard]

Crappy photos as I ran, grabbed camera, found a lens, aimed and shot. Don't have any wide field lenses. But here goes.

[baileys2611]

Looks like it's gone now. Was clearly visible in Canberra from about 18:00 to 19:00

[big_dav_2001]

The Stdney observatory Facebook feed is saying it was a probable rocket launch... I missed it unfortunately, again... Hehe...

Davin

[E_ri_k]

Saw exactly the same thing here in East Gippsland. It looked like it faded in and out a little. Got some photos myself. I'll upload them a bit later.
Erik

[Kugelblitz]

Could've been the Falcon 9 that launched a couple hours ago, http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

[E_ri_k]

Heres a couple of shots I got after I rushed to get the camera haha.

[deanm]

I'm extremely impressed with the rapidity at which ISS-ers can respond to sudden, unpredicted phenomena like this.

Go Mr Musk...!

Cheers all!

Dean

[baileys2611]

Haha. :D I wonder how many people think like me: It's something in my sky that I don't know about :question: I don't like not knowing about things in my sky, it freaks me out. :eyepop: I must find out what that thing is :shrug:

[GOTO]

How cool was that! I was at the German School in Sydney and saw it very low on the western horizon. It looked like Venus surrounded by fog. As it rose it got larger and fainter. I had a 10inch Meade but found it hard to follow. What I could see looked like a small streak at the heart of the cloud. Sadly I didn't have a camera with me but we all enjoyed the show.
Cheers
Geoff

[blink138]

more strangely it even seems to be an out of focus 5128, even with the dust lane through the middle
probably close to the right spot too
pat

[Nexus69]

hi Geoff, was nice to have you there... What a surprise we got as well .:thanx:

[louie_the_fly]

I saw it when I was coming in from playing with the hound. At first I thought it was something unusual, but then I convinced myself it was a small patch of cloud in an otherwise clear sky so I didn't really think anything more of it.

[louie_the_fly]

Could it have been this? The time seems to fit.

5 August, 2014



10:14
SpaceX launches Falcon rocket with satellite at second attempt

A Space Exploration Technologies Falcon 9 rocket was launched from a coastal launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Tuesday to put a commercial satellite into orbit, Reuters said. On its second launch attempt of the day, the 68-meter rocket lifted off at 0800 GMT. The first try, 2-1/2 hours earlier, ended less than a minute before liftoff. A computer had found a potential problem with the rocket's first-stage engine, SpaceX officials said. The issue was resolved, clearing the rocket for flight with a communications satellite owned by Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings, or AsiaSat

[Paul Haese]

Here is my shot of the event. Nothing to write home about but a record non the less.

[Rob_K]

A friend of mine rang me from White Cliffs in far-west NSW about this one. He described it as a bright star-like object (brighter than Venus) rising slowly from the western horizon, then gradually expanding into a fuzzy ball before slowly dissipating. I told him to lay off the grog! :P :rolleyes:

Cheers -

[JethroB76]

Always good when you can come to IIS and get your mysteries solved.

I just got off the phone to my father who is travelling and currently in Longreach - said he had seen something unusual in the sky last night, giving description as above. I said "maybe it was some kind of rocket burn - I'll have a look on IIS later to see if anyone else saw it" :lol: too easy