Was packing up the gear at approx 0040, and chanced up at Canopus, to see a distinct glowing "puff" - like a cloud in a totally cloudless sky. It grew brighter, then started expanding. By about 0045 it had drifted slowly SE and had expanded considerably.
I managed to get the DSLR out in time, so will upload the shots later on. Just hoping someone else saw it.
Hi mate, I saw it too! Same time (approx 12.40am) near Canopus.
Initially to the eye it looked like a dense Globular Cluster and my immediate thought was - that's not meant to be there!
No cloud in sight either, so I raced inside to find my DSLR. I've got photos with a 35mm lens and will share in the morning. I quickly reviewed the shots as they were coming in and the object has a distinct circular shape. It also moved relatively quickly as it tracked South East towards the horizon.
Perhaps you two should compare photos and do some triangulation... to estimate the distance.
It doesn't look like something very far away.
BTW, I saw something intriguing back in January this year.. it looked very much like meteor, aiming directly at where I was (Ballarat - there was no noticeable drift), coming from the direction of South Cross. Flash duration was couple of seconnds (I think light curve was quite irregular, but it had definite maxima).
Yes that’s it. 100% not a cloud. It most assuredly had a punctum look with something in the middle which I am assuming was the rocket stage itself still glowing .
My handheld photos are crap unfortunately.
It was very obvious and initially quite bright - that is what caught my eye
Remember that odd image I had a while back that was probably dust and dew produced....it was just like this thing .. maybe it was not dust and dew on my lens afterall and I have simply photograph it at another part in the sky at an earlier stage��
Mine might only be dust and yours just a cloud...
What about an unusual first now discovered electrical activity?
Movement could indicate cloud and examination of records can show prevailing wind which would help support a cloud notion.
Then we need to determi man made or natural cloud.
At least triangulate it☺mmm I wonder two should give an exact position with the advantage of stars in the shots maybe...mmm time stamps may help..
Alex
We already determined we saw it at the same time, same stellar area, same object, and separated by about 620 km between observers.
It was atmospheric at HIGH altitude. There is simply NO way that 2 observers could see a cloud (stratospheric) separated by 620km.
It was - IMHO - of either NASA/Space-EX/Ruscosmos or even military in origin. There are no publicly available details of ANY rocket launches until 21 September, so this makes it likely military, and given the approx position in the sky, likely a polar orbit.
I saw your post before you deleted it Col - I reported it to CIA and MI5...
Thank you. Your report was received, but it was nothing. What you saw was swamp gas and a temperature inversion layer, nothing more. Now, please look into this light ...
If the distance between you two was 600km, this thing was VERY far away.. .. definitelly orbiting.
Perhaps it was a satellite destroyed by missile.. Chinese? USA? Russian? Or Space War already started between all three of those..
I tried to visually identify Canopus and surrounding stars on both images but couldn't. Will try plate solver later.
