strange lights over cork

jerry101

Saw a few strange lights over cork the last week or two, it was a bright flashing light, not flickering, but more flashing, red green blue and white, there is currently one similar to this over cork now, at first i thought a star, with the light being altered by our atmosphere, over a 45 minute period i watched it move across the sky, from the east to the west, it moved much more rapidly than the other stars, i still assumed this was a star, and went back inside for about the 5th time over the 45 min period, i returned 10 minutes later to see that the light had moved back to its original place, i know this because i use a tree line to gauge the movement from the same viewing spot each time, i showed two other people this, i then returned the next two nights the dot was in the same spot the 2nd night and completely gone on the third, i have seen it many more times, each time it gauges no representation of how it moves from the stars around it, the first night i saw it i witnessed it glow red for about 5 secs followed by a slow and steady movement to the west, can anyone explain what it is i am seeing??

jerry101

it is currently one of the only lights visible over cork tonight, please take a look if you can and let me no what it is.

endacl

It is....... moment for dramatic pause, imagine a drum roll if you like....... some lights!

No idea. Probably aliens and stuff.

Atlantis50

jerry101 wrote: »

Saw a few strange lights over cork the last week or two, it was a bright flashing light, not flickering, but more flashing, red green blue and white, there is currently one similar to this over cork now, at first i thought a star, with the light being altered by our atmosphere, over a 45 minute period i watched it move across the sky, from the east to the west, it moved much more rapidly than the other stars, i still assumed this was a star, and went back inside for about the 5th time over the 45 min period, i returned 10 minutes later to see that the light had moved back to its original place, i know this because i use a tree line to gauge the movement from the same viewing spot each time, i showed two other people this, i then returned the next two nights the dot was in the same spot the 2nd night and completely gone on the third, i have seen it many more times, each time it gauges no representation of how it moves from the stars around it, the first night i saw it i witnessed it glow red for about 5 secs followed by a slow and steady movement to the west, can anyone explain what it is i am seeing??

Saw something similar last week (also in Cork). I also taught it was a star being altered by the atmosphere or that it might be Algol (a binary star that 'blinks') but Algol doesn't flash (it's a much slower process).

It appeared to me to be stationary (although I only spent 5 - 10 minutes looking at it) in the south-western part of the sky.

Don't know what it could be although you could contact Astronomy Ireland if you're interested and they might have an answer.

On a lighter note, this video suits the thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDZBgHBHQT8

ScrubsfanChris

What side of the city are you on?

I'm on the south side looking north and don't see anything abnormal

jerry101

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

What side of the city are you on?

I'm on the south side looking north and don't see anything abnormal

the first few nights it was over the south-west towards kinsale direction. i also saw it directly over cork and over cobh direction , i saw it from douglas on the southside of the city

Rhys Essien

Next time try and get a few photos or video.

A lot of people phoned up Prendeville about 2/3 years ago about strange lights over the City.

The visitors might be back.:eek:

AugustusMinimus

I saw it too. It's stationary and looked like a star at the time to me. Was flickering a lot.

Not too sure about the position of stars at the moment but just assumed it was Sirius.

AugustusMinimus

Just looked out my window. It's still there.

Position is south south west. Whatever it is, it's the only thing visible in the sky and is flickering like crazy.

Rhys Essien

Are you sure its not Mars?

Mars is above and to the right of the Moon.

Or it could be the star Betelgeuse about to go supernova in the West.

AugustusMinimus

What I'm seeing is prob Mars.

Cú Giobach

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Just looked out my window. It's still there.

Position is south south west. Whatever it is, it's the only thing visible in the sky and is flickering like crazy.

Sirius was low in the SSW at that time, and when it's low like that it tends to flicker quite dramatically and colourfully.
Also at that time Mars was quite high in the sky (above the Moon) and that shines with a steady and distinctive red glow, the planets don't flicker/twinkle like the stars do.

jerry101

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

What I'm seeing is prob Mars.

mars or a star going supernova would explain the flickering and the red glow i was seeing, but seeing a red glow and then flashing, rather than flickering is what put me off. and how does this explain the movement of the light?

BArra

i see it right now, its violently flickering with the above colours mentioned

paulosham

Where? what direction?

Ok, I see it, south west.

aujopimur

Where is it in relation to tonights moon?.

Timfy

Visible from here too (Connemara) All other stars are pretty stable but this ones twinkling like mad! (Technical astrophysics terminology!) It's reasonably high, not on the horizon where atmospherics usually lead to fluctuations like this. Heading for my star chart to see what is over there at the moment!

paulosham

In Cork it's pretty much between Sirius and Procyon but what I'm seeing is a flickering Chinese lantern and nothing else.

BArra

a lantern it is not, its static

Rhinocharge

Anyone got a photo/video of it?

Timfy

It's at a good altitude then if it's visible from North Connemara!!!!

paulosham wrote: »

In Cork it's pretty much between Sirius and Procyon but what I'm seeing is a flickering Chinese lantern and nothing else.

Amtmann

Stellarium suggests it's Arcturus.

paulosham

Not from where I'm looking, it is drifting slowly... hold on... no! I can see it better now. It's.... it's an egg. Is that you Mork?

It's a Chinese Lantern, The euro shops have gotten a batch of them in recently. They are cheap and make people think they are seeing space ships.

Timfy

Not looking for spaceships... but I would be interested in hypothesis as to why one star (and I think you may be correct with Arcturus) would be so "twinkly" when all others around the same patch of sky are pretty stable.

Amtmann

Someone else has asked that question about Arcturus: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5061573/Main/3638932

However, it is twinkling more furiously than any other star in the sky at the moment.

Mountainsandh

I'm in Co Waterford, in a very un-light polluted area, and often look up at night, and yes, I have spotted the same twinklier than others star, and with lovely colour changes too.
From my spot it is really easy to see the colours on a clear day, red, white... blueish...

This one does stand out at the moment. Haven't checked tonight.

Just a star, but great conditions to see it last few days, so more noticeable I guess. I don't see it move.

eskimocat

Yup, caught sight of that star too. It's lovely.