# Moving "stars" in the sky at night,what could they be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405 "2003-06-26T00:39:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/21 "2003-06-26T19:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by commasense \* > \*\*I don’t believe that any geostationary satellites are visible to the naked eye. They are at least 100 times farther from us than LEO satellites, and therefore would be only 1/10,000th as bright, all other things being equal. \*\* True, and even if you _could_ see them I don’t know how you would know it was a satellite compared to a star as it wouldn’t move. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/22 "2003-06-26T20:02:10Z")
At night, a 200 metre geostationary satellite would be clearly visible; there aren’t any, but they could be built (or perhaps inflated) if there was any need for them. Such a satellite would not move, of course, but the rest of the sky would move past it- and this relative motion would be clearly visible in binoculars. * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html) ---
**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:** [June 26, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/23 "2003-06-26T20:18:33Z")
If you want to really freak your friends out…there are the “NOSS” satelites (National Oceanic Surveillence System) that orbit the Earth in groups of three that form a triangle moving amongst the stars. You do need to use binoculars though, they are faint (Mag ~5.2 - 9.0+) depending on your location and sun’s reflection. There are 3 sets of these NOSS triplets, labeled: Noss 2-1 B Noss 2-1 C Noss 2-1 D Noss 2-2 C Noss 2-2 D Noss 2-2 E Noss 2-3 C Noss 2-3 D Noss 2-3 E Take an ignorant friend (everybody has at least one!) and after you find the orbital elements and are familiar with the night sky, take this friend out to just look at the stars and satelites with your binoculars. _Accidentally_ find these satelites (or are they UFOs?) flying in a pattern and then let the friend see it and let them run with it for a while. Very entertaining evening indeed! I found these satelites by accident when I was looking at the Big Dipper last year and a shiver ran through my spine when I saw these 3 “stars” move together in triangular formation. After searching Google (which lead me to the Heavens Above site), I found out that they are satelites designed to locate (by triangulation) and eavesdrop on ships in the ocean, and possibly land targets as well. Can’t link it to Heavens Above, you have to be a registered user (which is easy to do). Go to the “Select” a satelite from the database and type in “%NOSS%” on the third field to get all the NOSS satelites listed. Pick one of the satelites (use the 2-2 or the 2-3 groups, 2-1 won’t be listed) I listed above and then click on the “passes” to get all the info you need. The site is also great for finding the best Iridium Flares for your location…very cool site. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/24 "2003-06-26T20:20:00Z")
Argh…National = Nautical for “NOSS” ---
**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:** [June 26, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/25 "2003-06-26T20:21:51Z")
Dammit! Nautical = Navy for “NOSS”… ---
**Author:** ![BenjaminRam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BenjaminRam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenjaminRam)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/26 "2015-08-08T21:54:34Z")
Me and my gf was sitting outside on our balcony smoking a cigaret. Suddenly we see a weird moving light slowly moving over the sky it flash a white light with a second between the ‘‘flash’’ - when it dosen’t flash it looked like a star. - when the ‘‘star’’ come nearby two other stars who have stand completely still in the time we have looked on the other flashing star, one of stars begin to fly and fly with the other flashing star, then they fly over our appartment and i run to our bedroom to look after these two ‘‘stars’’ are they both gone. ( i stand in our bedroom for like 5 minuts, for see if i could see them or at least the the flashing one ) but no, both gone. - But we see moving stars often here in Denmark. - any advise for what it could be? 🙂 Btw i dont know how to make my own post… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/27 "2015-08-09T00:49:48Z")
> [@BenjaminRam](#): > > Me and my gf was sitting outside on our balcony smoking a cigaret. > … > > - But we see moving stars often here in Denmark. > \*\* > - any advise for what it could be?\*\* 🙂 > > Btw i dont know how to make my own post… 🙂 Better weed than I can get? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/28 "2015-08-09T04:18:15Z")
> [@bernse](#): > > True, and even if you _could_ see them I don’t know how you would know it was a satellite compared to a star as it wouldn’t move. The geostationary satellite (if you could see it) would stay in one spot above your head in the sky. Stars don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/29 "2015-08-09T14:47:42Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > The geostationary satellite (if you could see it) would stay in one spot above your head in the sky. Stars don’t do that. It’s been 12 years since the guy you quoted guy posted. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/30 "2015-08-09T14:55:54Z")
Set the alarm early, drag the kids out of bed and see the greatest show not on Earth 🙂 > [@](#): > > Quite possibly the best meteor shower of the year — the Perseids — will be coming to a sky near you next week. ~~~~ > > The Perseids can be best seen during the pre-dawn hours from Tuesday through Aug. 14, according to [Earthsky.org](http://Earthsky.org), with the best show on Aug. 13. > > [Here comes the Perseid meteor shower!](http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2015/08/06/perseid-meteor-shower/31221011/) ---
**Author:** ![muckalusha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@muckalusha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muckalusha)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/31 "2015-08-09T15:36:21Z")
I watch the sky all the time, and I always see a satellite or two after dusk and before dawn. I saw an Iridium flare and it is something to remember. Thanks, bernse, for familiarizing me with the term. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/32 "2015-08-09T19:03:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’s been 12 years since the guy you quoted guy posted. Well, then those stars must certainly have moved in the sky in all that time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/33 "2015-08-09T19:17:37Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’s been 12 years since the guy you quoted guy posted. " Aliens. " ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405/34 "2015-08-11T13:49:19Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Very likely you’re seeing planes in an oval holding pattern. I’ve seen much the same thing from Jones Beach, LI – planes circling (ovaling?) JFK looking like slow-moving fireflies. Twelve years ago, there’s my answer. I often take a one hour evening relaxation drive that includes Ocean Parkway (Jones Beach) and I wondered what they were. My guess was maybe Homeland Security type helicopters hovering. As I was driving, I didn’t watch them long enough to detect movement. Ignorance fought! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-stars-in-the-sky-at-night-what-could-they-be/184405.md?page=1)