Bass Straight

Greenswale (Wren) · #1 02-03-2010, 04:48 PM

On Monday morning at about 1.30am, returning from Tassie on the boat, I needed fresh air because of the onset of an ocean induced malady......

Anyway, nice big moon, hand held camera, reflections on the water and just after taking a picture, a large, slow moving orange glowing glob fell vertically from the sky, extinguishing just before impact with the water! It was between the horizon and me, so reasonably close. Truly grouse! And of course I missed it with the camera.

And I still felt crook after the excitement went away

A couple of very ordinary pictures are attached to set the mood.

astroron (Ron) · #2 02-03-2010, 05:13 PM

Pretty Cool, gives one a sense of being there

pgc hunter · #3 02-03-2010, 06:01 PM

Imagine if there was no moon

mickkk · #4 03-03-2010, 06:58 PM

Interesting on the same night around 10pm, several calls to am radio reporting an orange object travelling over melbourne at speed. leaving a trail and having a distinct halo.

GrahamL · #5 03-03-2010, 07:22 PM

Scotch ?... The moon shines on some fair seas there my friend

Greenswale (Wren) · #6 04-03-2010, 02:59 PM

Cool to hear about the radio reports, adds up to space junk?

mickkk · #7 04-03-2010, 07:44 PM

I have listened to an ABC report and the halo was described as "like cobwebs". The caller repeated the cobweb feature several times.

I have seen some space junk when it shows loop like trails from the core. I think your guess of space junk is really spot on!

Must have been spectacular!

TheDecepticon · #8 05-03-2010, 12:12 AM

I hate that boat! Been on it(or the other one) in some very rough seas. And the sound of the boat crashing through the waves is very unsettling. Nice piccies though, and glad it was calm for you.

pgc hunter · #9 05-03-2010, 11:29 PM

Should've gone on it in Feb 2005 when 20m waves smashed the bridge windows.

I'll take the plane thanks, I'm not interested in experiencing the wrath of the southern ocean

Rick Petrie · #10 06-03-2010, 02:46 PM

I just came back on the Thursday night trip to Melbourne and can relate to your photos. However, couldn't believe it, Bass straight was like a millpond for us and just like a glassy mirror.(almost like the still ocean in the Titanic movie. Lucky no icebergs)

I wanted to take a similar photo with the moon in it, but left camera in the car.

Greenswale (Wren) · #11 06-03-2010, 07:59 PM

It was delightfully calm when the photos were taken. That changed a bit later on.......

Even though I sailed for years, I'm quite susceptible to motion sickness! Day trips are OK, but the night changes things. The moon and falling junk sort of made up for that rotten feeling.

Land certainly fixed me up - after all, being on land is about the only cure for sea sickness. Hmmmm....maybe not all land, some bits have been a bit shaky recently.