Red object - May 20th 2011

[Intergage (Matt)]

Hey all,

I got about 5 random texts messages about 6:30 last night saying there is a random red thing in the sky moving quite slowly but still faster then the stars and moon. I was sleeping at the time and had just gotten back from a 34hour no sleep trip and was dead so I Didn't see it myself but I'm just wondering if anyone knows what it was?

I'm going to guess it was an asteroid moving slowly? Not sure though

[Intergage (Matt)]

No one? I really would love to know what it was haha.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by Intergage

Hey all,

I got about 5 random texts messages about 6:30 last night saying there is a random red thing in the sky moving quite slowly but still faster then the stars and moon. I was sleeping at the time and had just gotten back from a 34hour no sleep trip and was dead so I Didn't see it myself but I'm just wondering if anyone knows what it was?

I'm going to guess it was an asteroid moving slowly? Not sure though

Hi Matt, you can discount an Asteroid, as I am sure if it was that bright it would have been a major astro news story as it would be quite close.
I would hazard a guess that it would have been a Satellite or an aircraft.
Or even Mars, or Venus.

I was not out at that time so cannot be of any further help.

It is rather hard to give any real opinion with so little detail.
Such information as Direction, Time, Elevation, ect are really needed to be of any use.
Cheers

[Intergage (Matt)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Hi Matt, you can discount an Asteroid, as I am sure if it was that bright it would have been a major astro news story as it would be quite close.
I would hazard a guess that it would have been a Satellite or an aircraft.
Or even Mars, or Venus.

I was not out at that time so cannot be of any further help.

It is rather hard to give any real opinion with so little detail.
Such information as Direction, Time, Elevation, ect are really needed to be of any use.
Cheers

Yeah, that is what I told the 5 people asking me haha! A time is all I have, no one was sure where or what direction but they said it was moving much faster then the stars and quite bright (Apparently out shined most of the night sky)

But yeah, thanks man!

[davewaldo]

Sounds like the Space station to me, its VERY bright at times, and moves at a medium pace.

[Intergage (Matt)]

Originally Posted by davewaldo

Sounds like the Space station to me, its VERY bright at times, and moves at a medium pace.

oh really? I have never seen the ISS so bright 5 different people texted me haha.. These people have NO astronomy knowledge at all so they could be over explaining what it looked like haha.