If you have an android smartphone or tablet, download the ISS detector app. This will tell you exactly where and when to look, and predicts the brightness. In my experience, magnitudes of -3 or better (more negative is brighter) are extremely noticeable, even with light pollution. The app even tells you how long it will be visible for, and is accurate to within a few seconds.
Well I went out to see if I could spot the ISS. I watched a big and very very bright light travel from one died of the sky to the other. It was totally still outside. As it went out of view I caught some more meteors, a couple with good streaks but unlike last nights, some were from a different direction. I saw about five in ten minutes max.
These lights weren't from an aeroplane, they were too large for that. These lights were a bit lower in the sky. There was also a helicopter but that was a bit higher up and there were no aeroplanes in the sky at that moment.
These lights weren't from an aeroplane, they were too large for that. These lights were a bit lower in the sky. There was also a helicopter but that was a bit higher up and there were no aeroplanes in the sky at that moment.
Definitely space aliens from the planet Zarg then. They too have flashing red beacons on the fuselage and tails of their spaceships, just like Earth planes.
Human-launched satellites don't, on the other hand, because that would be completely pointless.
These lights weren't from an aeroplane, they were too large for that. These lights were a bit lower in the sky. There was also a helicopter but that was a bit higher up and there were no aeroplanes in the sky at that moment.
Jason I think I saw what you are describing. After I had seen the ISS which was a really really bright light I saw a couple of shooting stars then went back in the house. I went back out after 10.30 to see if I could see Saturn( I couldn't it was too low) but the neighbours were out peering into the sky say oh that's it then, then they went back in. When I looked up I saw a something with a red light and other lights off the the side but they looked attached. Whatever it was made a really loud noise, almost like a war plane. I came to the decision it was a plane flying very low and that it couldn't have been the ISS, it was too low and I wouldn't expect to hear any noise from it.
Too cloudy here tonight shame, I fancied seeing the ISS again. Mind you just checked and it will be visible when I am at sea. Very little light pollution so should be eay to spot
All the ones I've seen have been white but just now I saw a dull orangey red one in a patch of clear sky (it's mostly cloudy here).
Was it going in the 'wrong' direction?
Perseids all shoot AWAY from a point (the radiant), at the upper end of Perseus (hence the name) - this point is in the northeast of the sky. Any meteor which comes FROM a different direction, isn't a Perseid - could be a 'sporadic', or maybe a 'Delta aquarid' (a lesser shower which overlaps the perseids shower)
Another clue might be in it's speed - perseids are FAST - Delta Aquarids are noticeably slower - a sporadic could appear anywhere, any direction, and any speed.
On Monday night, we saw about 5 or 6 Delta Aquarids, including a VERY bright yellow-ish fireball meteor. Far brighter than any of the Perseids we saw.
Was it going in the 'wrong' direction?
Perseids all shoot AWAY from a point (the radiant), at the upper end of Perseus (hence the name) - this point is in the northeast of the sky. Any meteor which comes FROM a different direction, isn't a Perseid - could be a 'sporadic', or maybe a 'Delta aquarid' (a lesser shower which overlaps the perseids shower)
Another clue might be in it's speed - perseids are FAST - Delta Aquarids are noticeably slower - a sporadic could appear anywhere, any direction, and any speed.
On Monday night, we saw about 5 or 6 Delta Aquarids, including a VERY bright yellow-ish fireball meteor. Far brighter than any of the Perseids we saw.
It came from the radiant and was just as fast as a perseid, but looked like it was the colour of cooling lava.
Comments
If you have an android smartphone or tablet, download the ISS detector app. This will tell you exactly where and when to look, and predicts the brightness. In my experience, magnitudes of -3 or better (more negative is brighter) are extremely noticeable, even with light pollution. The app even tells you how long it will be visible for, and is accurate to within a few seconds.
Too much cloud cover.:(
Human-launched satellites don't, on the other hand, because that would be completely pointless.
Hope that helps.
Jason I think I saw what you are describing. After I had seen the ISS which was a really really bright light I saw a couple of shooting stars then went back in the house. I went back out after 10.30 to see if I could see Saturn( I couldn't it was too low) but the neighbours were out peering into the sky say oh that's it then, then they went back in. When I looked up I saw a something with a red light and other lights off the the side but they looked attached. Whatever it was made a really loud noise, almost like a war plane. I came to the decision it was a plane flying very low and that it couldn't have been the ISS, it was too low and I wouldn't expect to hear any noise from it.
All the ones I've seen have been white but just now I saw a dull orangey red one in a patch of clear sky (it's mostly cloudy here).
Perseids all shoot AWAY from a point (the radiant), at the upper end of Perseus (hence the name) - this point is in the northeast of the sky. Any meteor which comes FROM a different direction, isn't a Perseid - could be a 'sporadic', or maybe a 'Delta aquarid' (a lesser shower which overlaps the perseids shower)
Another clue might be in it's speed - perseids are FAST - Delta Aquarids are noticeably slower - a sporadic could appear anywhere, any direction, and any speed.
On Monday night, we saw about 5 or 6 Delta Aquarids, including a VERY bright yellow-ish fireball meteor. Far brighter than any of the Perseids we saw.
It came from the radiant and was just as fast as a perseid, but looked like it was the colour of cooling lava.