Strange Light - 22/09/09

hellboy99

Saw a really bright light in the sky tonight in Dundalk, Co. Louth round 11pm - 11:10pm. It was round in shape, at least 3 - 4 times brighter than Jupiter and about four times the size too, bright white in colour with an orange to red glow round the outer rim.

It was stationary the whole time in the sky for at least 2 minutes, thought at first maybe it could of been a flare but the light did not fade out, instead it just disappeared, best way to describe it would be as if it was someone switching a light off.

For anyone living in the town or knows Dundalk it was in the direction of the college, ESE direction and about 40° up in the sky.

Calibos

Airliners on approach to Dublin airport. lot of traffic coming in off the Irish sea tonight. Depending on which runways are in use, some opened and closed at various different times due to maintenance, wind direction. Or landings in the opposite direction on the same runway due to wind direction etc All of a sudden for a while one see's airliners flying nearby or over or in a part of the sky one doesn't usually see them etc

In Dundalk you saw them to your SE. In Bray I saw them to my NE. I'd see the headlights of a plane coming on a SW track for a few minutes until it turned due east over Dublin bay for final approach to Dublin airport. Because it was basically heading straight at me for those few minutes it looks stationary from my perspective until they did their right turn. You were seeing other planes on a NW track before they did their left turn to due west over Dublin Bay.

The latter is actually the track my flight back from skiiing in Livignio this year took. Was traveling NW towards Dublin bay and then we banked left and basically flew over bull island and the north dublin suburbs.

Last year there was major work on one of the runways and a load of approach traffic was flying due north straight over Bray head and Bray for a few weeks. Damn the headlights on airliners are bright!!

Its not suprising they are visible to you in Dundalk and me in Bray when the plane is pointed in our directions. Of course when they turned due west for final approach we were off axis to the headlights but to far away to see the wing tip and tail running lights.

Calibos

Just saw the bit about 40º high. Are you sure. My sightings of several 2 minute events was around 8 PM and they were in the direction of Dublin bay about 10º up. 10º is your fist, thumbside up held at arms length 'resting' on the horizon. Would have thought they'd be at least as low from your perspective up in Dundalk.

Only other thing I can think off is the Spotlight on an air/sea rescue chopper off the coast.

hellboy99

Calibos wrote: »

Just saw the bit about 40º high. Are you sure.

Definitely 40º.

Calibos wrote: »

Only other thing I can think off is the Spotlight on an air/sea rescue chopper off the coast.

Never thought of that, could well of been that.

Thanks

CHD

No way! I saw this on the 18th. About 3 others also saw this with me and a further 5 or 6 saw it from different locations. Its not like anything i have seen before. It is not a plane, helicopter, lantern, spotlight. It is messed up, unexplainable.

I also saw the ISS on the 18th and it was not this.

hellboy99

CHD wrote: »

No way! I saw this on the 18th. About 3 others also saw this with me and a further 5 or 6 saw it from different locations. Its not like anything i have seen before. It is not a plane, helicopter, lantern, spotlight. It is messed up, unexplainable.

Came across this unexplained picture on the net, it's pretty much what I saw (same brightness), does it look like what you saw also CHD ?

CHD

hellboy99 wrote: »

Came across this unexplained picture on the net, it's pretty much what I saw (same brightness), does it look like what you saw also CHD ?

Very similar, alot higher up, it was over passing planes. Wasn't as bright.

Honda08

Calibos wrote: »

Airliners on approach to Dublin airport. lot of traffic coming in off the Irish sea tonight. Depending on which runways are in use, some opened and closed at various different times due to maintenance, wind direction. Or landings in the opposite direction on the same runway due to wind direction etc All of a sudden for a while one see's airliners flying nearby or over or in a part of the sky one doesn't usually see them etc

In Dundalk you saw them to your SE. In Bray I saw them to my NE. I'd see the headlights of a plane coming on a SW track for a few minutes until it turned due east over Dublin bay for final approach to Dublin airport. Because it was basically heading straight at me for those few minutes it looks stationary from my perspective until they did their right turn. You were seeing other planes on a NW track before they did their left turn to due west over Dublin Bay.

The latter is actually the track my flight back from skiiing in Livignio this year took. Was traveling NW towards Dublin bay and then we banked left and basically flew over bull island and the north dublin suburbs.

Last year there was major work on one of the runways and a load of approach traffic was flying due north straight over Bray head and Bray for a few weeks. Damn the headlights on airliners are bright!!

Its not suprising they are visible to you in Dundalk and me in Bray when the plane is pointed in our directions. Of course when they turned due west for final approach we were off axis to the headlights but to far away to see the wing tip and tail running lights.

aircraft dont put on their landing lights until under 10,000 feet, i doubt that they would be under 10,000 feet passing over dundalk.

the 10,000 feet rule depends on the sop's of the airline...