Strange bright red light over Adelaide, Friday 08.05.15
Showers & cloud here, but at 21:20, I noticed an intense red light around 15 degrees above the northern horizon and probably subtending >1 degree.
My wife suggested it was merely the moon behind cloud but, given the location of tonight's moon, that is impossible (as is the red colour - cheese is rarely red).
Not a flare - it persisted for at least 10 minutes & cloud appeared to diminish it.
I'm south of Adelaide CBD (Blackwood) - if this oddity was also seen on the northern horizon from suburbs further N/W/E, that would indicate considerable distance.
I've had someone sending up a quadcopter/drone occasionally of in the distance, this had bright red and green lights on it though... took me a bit to workout what it was as it was uncannily stable in the wind...
I'm assuming it's many times brighter than what would be on a quad or hex-copter?
I figured out what it was: the red hazard beacon on top of Belair communication tower - which I guess is about 3.5 km North of me and stands at c.50 metres.
The unusual low cloud between it and me made for a sight I haven't seen previously (& I've been at the same place for 23 years!)
Nice one Dean. WE see that tower regularly from our rear windows.
I didn't realise you lived in Blackwood. I thought you lived down the hill. I have lived up here in the area for over 20 years now. Weird and we have never seen each other in the shops, just at ASSA meetings.
I'm opposite B'wood Forest Reserve & largely free of most light pollution.
At boarding school in the UK in the late 70s, I used to use a 6" refractor which had been installed with the help of Patrick Moore. Signing out for unsupervised observatory visits was one of the few ways to get out at night.
Until the 3rd time I got caught at the local pub....!
My wife suggested it was merely the moon behind cloud but, given the location of tonight's moon, that is impossible (as is the red colour - cheese is rarely red).
Ha what a 'cheesy' comment (anyway, I did say 'rarely'!)
Paul - comet C/2006 P1 McNaught got me back into the astro game after a 20 year absence. I remember going to Windy Point in 2007 & seeing some 'scopes set up to look west: was yours one?!
