# I just saw something weird in the sky **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 21, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560 "2006-08-21T06:02:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/1 "2006-08-21T06:02:22Z")
I’m pretty sure I don’t believe in aliens. That said, I saw something and have no idea what it was. I’m hoping somebody here will be able to tell me what it could have been. Ball lightning, odd satelite… It was at 10:30 tonight and I was outside with my three wonderful dogs. I live in a woodsy area with no street lights. So there was a light in the sky. It was about the size, shape and colour of a really bright star. It moved along silently and was going faster than plane but much slower than a meteor and had no tail. It seemed to be as far away as a small plane usually flies. The light went out, then two lights came on and they went in opposite directions. Then both of the lights faded and went out. Thats it. At first I thought it must be a plane way up because it made no sound but then i realized that when a plane is up that high, it appears to move very slow. I’m a skeptic, I like being a skeptic. I would be very happy if someone came in here and said “oh, it was just so and so”. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/2 "2006-08-21T07:10:14Z")
Likely a satellite. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/3 "2006-08-21T07:14:44Z")
> [@towlie](#): > > I’m pretty sure I don’t believe in aliens. That said, I saw something and have no idea what it was. I’m hoping somebody here will be able to tell me what it could have been. Ball lightning, odd satelite… > > It was at 10:30 tonight and I was outside with my three wonderful dogs. I live in a woodsy area with no street lights. So there was a light in the sky. It was about the size, shape and colour of a really bright star. It moved along silently and was going faster than plane but much slower than a meteor and had no tail. > > It seemed to be as far away as a small plane usually flies. The light went out, then two lights came on and they went in opposite directions. Then both of the lights faded and went out. > > Thats it. At first I thought it must be a plane way up because it made no sound but then i realized that when a plane is up that high, it appears to move very slow. > > I’m a skeptic, I like being a skeptic. I would be very happy if someone came in here and said “oh, it was just so and so”. You have absolutely no way of knowing how far away it was. Depth perception is limited by how far apart your eyes are and they are too close to distingush betweem “small plane close” and “large plane far”. Without knowing how far away it was you can’t judge how fast it was going either. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/4 "2006-08-21T07:25:00Z")
> [@](#): > > You have absolutely no way of knowing how far away it was. An exact distance? No. But distinguishing between a plane and a satellite should be pretty simple. The casual viewer may not see it, but if you’ve seen enough satellites floating through the sky, you can tell when your looking at one, and that of a plane. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/5 "2006-08-21T07:51:30Z")
> [@towlie](#): > > I’m a skeptic, I like being a skeptic. I would be very happy if someone came in here and said “oh, it was just so and so”. Oh, it was just so and so. Of course, it could be an alien ship–part of the first wave of the invasion of Earth. Like **ParentalAdvisory** said, you more than likely saw a satellite. Nothing to worry about, Gort isn’t going to klaatu barada nikto anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/6 "2006-08-21T07:57:20Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Oh, it was just so and so. > > Of course, it could be an alien ship–part of the first wave of the invasion of Earth. > > Like **ParentalAdvisory** said, you more than likely saw a satellite. Nothing to worry about, Gort isn’t going to klaatu barada nikto anytime soon. That made me laugh 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/7 "2006-08-21T08:28:51Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Likely a satellite. Not sure how many satellites split and start travelling in opposite directions/fading out suddenly… Statistically speaking though, between the possibility of it being an alien vessel that split into two and faded out or something more mundane–mundane is my bet. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/8 "2006-08-21T09:23:25Z")
I would say depending on where the satellite is in orbit in relation to the amount of sunlight it receives, the satellite will give off different lighting effects. The most common is a constant white dot. But as it orbits Earth, that light will change, and sometimes disappear, and then come back again. Even when the satellite is still in the same hemisphere you’re viewing it from. It’s strange, but that’s how I’ve witnessed them. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/9 "2006-08-21T10:35:36Z")
But you can still see satellites orbiting the Earth, right? As these white dots of light moving steadily across the sky? Because I got into an argument last weekend with some friends of mine who were of the opinion that what I claimed were satellites were just airplanes flying high in the sky… Granted, we saw three dots at the same time, moving in slightly different directions, one much dimmer than the other two, but I’ve always thought that they were satellites. [conviction held from childhood in danger of being debunked…_whimper_] ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/10 "2006-08-21T10:53:19Z")
> [@auRa](#): > > But you can still see satellites orbiting the Earth, right? > **[Night Sky - Stargazing and Night Sky Watching](https://www.space.com/skywatching)** > > Learn about skywatching, astronomy, star gazing, and comets in the night sky at SPACE.com. View astrophotography and images of celestial bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/11 "2006-08-21T15:34:39Z")
I observed something every similar a few years ago, and started a thread on it. The OP is almost identical to the one here! I don’t think we ever actually figured out what it was. [I Saw Lights in the Sky. What Were They?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=174614) ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/12 "2006-08-21T15:39:16Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > An exact distance? No. But distinguishing between a plane and a satellite should be pretty simple. The casual viewer may not see it, but if you’ve seen enough satellites floating through the sky, you can tell when your looking at one, and that of a plane. I agree that satellites look different than planes, but it’s not because you can distinguish the distance. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/13 "2006-08-21T15:42:10Z")
You saw by definition: 1. An object. 2. It was flying. 3. You could not identify it. So I guess it was a legitimate Unidentified Flying Object (UFO). ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/14 "2006-08-22T07:01:09Z")
I’ve been away for the day. Thank you for your replies. **ParentalAdvisory** thank you, that was exactly the type of reply I was hoping to get. **Ellen Cherry** I know just how you felt about typing that up and hitting enter. I know I worried that i’d come across as some sort of nutter. **Hampshire** you’re right 🙂 I think i’ll go along with **ParentalAdvisory** and write it off as a satelight. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/15 "2006-08-22T07:15:05Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > But as it orbits Earth, that light will change, and sometimes disappear, and then come back again. It’s strange, but that’s how I’ve witnessed them. That would be caused by the shape of the satellite. It won’t reflect light in certain directions from certain angles. Or it could be passing through the shadow of the earth. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/16 "2006-08-22T07:28:06Z")
It was the moonlight, reflected thru swamp gasses in the lower atmosphere. Nothing to see here… ::talks unintelligibly into his sleeve:: ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/17 "2006-08-22T18:21:03Z")
Register and Log-In at [Heavens Above Website.](http://www.heavens-above.com/) You can go back to the time and location to match the particular satelite that you saw within 24 hours I believe. You need to know your latitude and longitude coordinates and your elevation. A really cool site to look for satelites, the Hubble, International Space Station, Iridium Flashes, etc. Also, you can see more than one satellite at a time as well…sometimes they will cross paths from your point of view. Some satellites will even travel in pairs or triples (in triangular fashion - I discovered that on accident…quite freaky!) ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/18 "2006-08-23T03:30:19Z")
Sort of sounds like a [fireball](http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/03nov_taurids.htm) or an [earthgrazer](http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/leonids_commentary_011116.html) . About the diverging of the lights, it could be that it broke up druing enrty or passing through the upper atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/19 "2006-08-23T03:35:58Z")
You people and your “satellites”… c’mon! A guest asks a serious question and you respond with this? Anyone ever seen a satellite? I thought not! It was probably demons, this kind of thing happens all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560/20 "2006-08-23T18:05:36Z")
Is it possible that you saw a military aircraft dropping flares? Maybe they turned off external lights prior to dropping the flares in some type of flight test or post-maintenance check flight. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-something-weird-in-the-sky/369560.md?page=2)