On 06 Jul 2003, Rick Foster <spoker@concentric.net> wrote:
Okay, so does anyone know what the orange/goldish looking light is, in
the Eastern sky? I live in Florida, (West-Central) and when it is
clear, we have spotted this *star* quite clearly, on several occasions.
The thing is, I have never seen a *star* with a color as unique as this.
Just wondered if we are seeing one of the big asteroids supposedly
headed to destroy us.
It is visible in our area midnight to 3 am.
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Since you're looking eastward, and sunrise isn't
until about a quarter of seven this time of year
in your general location (I'm using Tallahassee),
with any prominently-visible celestial lights in
the vicinity of the eastern quadrant (above your
local ascendant 84W17 30N26), after midnight EDT
and for whatever reason disappearing around 3 AM,
then your mysterious orangish-yellow object must
be in Earth-orbit, probably a satellite glinting
in the Sun. You see, if it's only visible in the
eastern part of the sky, not rising at 12 AM nor
transiting your local meridian three hours later,
it can't be a natural caelestial light. It could
be a UFO for all we know, but I bet if you check
out some of the websites that maintain lists and
up-to-date tracking data for known satellites in
Earth-orbit, you're going to solve the "mystery".
E.g., try downloading the current visual TLE set
from this website http://www.celestrak.com, then
load it into an astronomy program (SkyMap et al).
If the mystery satellite is geosynchronous, then
it will appear relatively stationary since it is
moving with Earth's rotation. The fact that it's
quite clearly--your own words--visible to the un-
aided eye says it's in the "100 or so Brightest"
category under the "Special-Interest Satellites".
Enjoy!
Daniel Joseph Min
*Min's Home Page On The World Wide Web:
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=0XNKAO4L37773.8337962963@Gilgamesh-frog.org
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| User: "Min Ph.D." |
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| Title: Re: Light in the sky... |
06 Jul 2003 10:19:26 PM |
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"Rick Foster" wrote:
Min Ph.D. wrote:
On 06 Jul 2003, "Rick Foster" wrote:
Okay, so does anyone know what the orange/goldish looking light is...
It is visible in our area midnight to 3 am...
<snippity snips>
We have "noticed" it, between these times, and I didn't mean to indicate that
it is stationary in the sky. I have never seen it rise, but I am sure it must.
At 3AM it is fairly high in the sky, but I have never stayed up later to see it set.
We watched last night, as the Earth rotated, and this golden "star" moved along
the top of the apt. building we live in.
We had images of ufos, but were more concerned if it was a large asteroid, the
gov. simply wishes to keep quiet about at this time.
Thanks for all the info, I will use it, and see if I come up with a solution.
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First, if an asteroid were on a direct collision path
with Earth, we'd all know about it when "big brother"
did. Asteroids don't announce their arrival, but just
knock very very loudly on your door to make sure that
you are very much aware that the asteroid has arrived.
Unlike the government, there's no chain of command to
slow channels of communication...Hello, I'm the giant
asteroid that just blindsided Earth. Nice to meet you.
Second, an asteroid large enough to be so easily seen
from Earth would have put all other local, regional &
world news on the back-burner. The headline: ASTERIOD
TO STRIKE EARTH TOMORROW! ALL LIFE FACES ANNIHILATION!
Third, you stated hereinbefore that "it is visible in
our area midnight to 3 am". That's interesting, since
yours is a stark contradiction to what you've already
stated in your follow-up to wit "I have never seen it
rise". Any star or planet would have to have risen by
around midnight for you to see it, as you say "fairly
high in the Eastern sky @3 AM"...your words, not mine.
So the question is How could you know that this light
is visible around midnight, but not observe it rising?
The only way you could possibly see it at 12 AM is to
have seen it rising in close proximity to the horizon.
Fourth, you can pull up your exact observing location
in Astrolog, SkyMap, or any worthy astronomy software
using the JPL ephemeris and examine this for yourself.
Include known asteroids and comets while you're at it.
I picked Tallahassee, FL in "SkyMap Pro 9", which you
or anyone can download the full-function demo version
of from this URL <http://www.skymap.com/smp_eval.htm>,
and click Tools>Phenomena>Daily Events..., and voilla,
all planetary risings, transits & settings for Monday
07 Jul 2003 EDT at your location are shown as follows:
01:36 Moon sets
03:38 Neptune transits the meridian
04:57 Uranus transits the meridian
05:05 Start of astronomical twilight
05:19 Pluto sets
05:20 Mars transits the meridian
05:41 Start of nautical twilight
05:50 Venus rises
05:57 Saturn rises
06:14 Start of civil twilight
06:41 Sun rises
06:50 Mercury rises
08:58 Neptune sets
09:23 Jupiter rises
10:31 Uranus sets
10:50 Mars sets
12:52 Venus transits the meridian
12:55 Saturn transits the meridian
13:42 Sun transits the meridian
13:55 Mercury transits the meridian
14:25 Moon rises
16:04 Jupiter transits the meridian
18:16 Pluto rises
19:54 Saturn sets
19:54 Venus sets
20:21 Moon transits the meridian
20:43 Sun sets
20:59 Mercury sets
21:10 End of civil twilight
21:43 End of nautical twilight
22:13 Neptune rises
22:19 End of astronomical twilight
22:44 Jupiter sets
23:18 Uranus rises
23:45 Pluto transits the meridian
23:47 Mars rises
^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^
But you can't possibly be talking about Mars...can you?
If so, at 3am Mars is past South-East and moving South,
i.e. Mars is in the Southern sky 3 AM, not the Eastern.
At 3 AM, Mars is near azimuth 137*05' altitude +34*49'.
Nothing personal, but if you can't tell the difference
from South and East, or your nextdoor neighbor planets
from secret government asteroid conspiracies, then you
might think about taking a nice and restful sabbatical.
That's my advice,
Daniel Joseph Min
*Min's Home Page On The World Wide Web:
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=0XNKAO4L37773.8337962963@Gilgamesh-frog.org
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| User: "Never anonymous Bud" |
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| Title: Re: Light in the sky... |
07 Jul 2003 12:03:53 AM |
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Separating himself from Baghdad Bob, Min Ph.D. <professor.min@astronomy.stanford.edu> whined:
Danny Boy, you're STILL an ignorant twit,
but keep posting, you are THE most laughable thing on the Net.
To reply by email, remove the XYZ.
Lumber Cartel (tinlc) #2063. Spam this account at your own risk.
It's your SIG, say what you want to say....
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