# Saw something in the evening sky -- what could it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617 "2002-10-03T00:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/1 "2002-10-03T00:23:49Z")
My kids pointed something out to me in the sky just a minute ago. It was like a golden streak moving across the sky and (slightly) down toward earth. It was 7 in the evening, and it is twilight outside. We are in Houston, Texas and we were looking west. The streak was moving south. Does anyone know what we may have seen? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/2 "2002-10-03T00:28:13Z")
Contrail of a jet illuminated by sunlight ? The high altitude ones can glow pretty strongly even after local sunset. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/3 "2002-10-03T01:53:01Z")
It might also have been a noctiluminescent cloud kicked up by hurricane Lili. There’s a picture of one [here](http://www.gdargaud.net/Antarctica/AntarSky.html). They form at 12-30 miles altitude, so the sun illuminates them long after local dusk. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/4 "2002-10-03T02:47:49Z")
How fast was it moving? And was it coming from a specific source (like a dot in the sky) or was it just the line itself moving? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/5 "2002-10-03T07:27:46Z")
When you said moving, did you mean it’s extending? ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/6 "2002-10-04T01:41:36Z")
It was moving kind of fast, I would say faster than an average airplane. It wasn’t extending; the jet explanation sounds kind of right. I was hoping it’d be something cooler than that, though. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/7 "2002-10-04T01:50:26Z")
Could it have been a meteorite? ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/8 "2002-10-04T02:28:49Z")
It sounds like most of the meteorites that I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/9 "2002-10-04T02:32:31Z")
Have you noticed a burning sensation in your rear since the “encounter”? ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/10 "2002-10-04T03:27:55Z")
Now that you mention it, cainxinth… 😃 Friedo, I have never seen a meteorite, so I wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/11 "2002-10-04T07:47:56Z")
Then you probably saw a meteorite. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/12 "2002-10-04T10:12:10Z")
Judging by the time of day you saw it, I’d say it was almost certainly a jet (plus contrail if it was a long streak) illuminated by the last rays of the sun. It can look pretty weird. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/13 "2002-10-04T13:25:34Z")
Sounds to me more like a test missile launch. We had one of those two weeks ago here in SoCal, and it made the weirdest, golden streak in the sky. I, too, thought it might be the trail of a jet illuminated by the setting sun, but it just seemed too bright. I called my hubby for his input, and he just excitedly said, “Oooh! Test missile launch! Gotta go, wanna see!” Listening to news radio the rest of the ride home, it was confirmed. The announcer said “For all of you calling in about the interesting lighted streak in the sky, it’s nothing to be concerned about. There was a test missile launch from blah blah blah air force base about 15 minutes ago.” Sure made for a cool image. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/14 "2002-10-04T13:50:13Z")
Ahh thats what they shot up at edwards a few weeks ago We thought they were testing soemthing and it blew up (over the years with all the odd hings you see in the air around you you just assume the air force is testing soemhting ) But at furst we thought a plane blew up heh and was looking for a parachute … ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/15 "2002-10-04T16:14:40Z")
A lot of Dopers seem to be reporting “maybe meteorites” lately. Is there a reason? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/16 "2002-10-04T17:15:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \* > \*\*Sounds to me more like a test missile launch. > Sure made for a cool image. \*\* Yup, that makes a [pretty cool image](http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020926.html). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/17 "2002-10-04T17:24:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \* > \*\*Sounds to me more like a test missile launch. > Sure made for a cool image. \*\* Yup, that makes a [pretty cool image](http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020926.html). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/18 "2002-10-04T20:59:26Z")
OK, someone’s got to make the nitpick. It’s only a meteorite after it lands. While it’s just minding its own business out somewhere in the Solar System, it’s a meteoroid. And when it’s streaking through the atmosphere and producing a pretty sight to see from your back porch, it’s a meteor. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/19 "2002-10-05T14:26:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squink \* > \*\* > Yup, that makes a [pretty cool image](http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020926.html). \*\* That was it! I couldn’t for the life of me remember the name of the air force base from which it was launched–all I could remember is that it _wasn’t_ Edwards. But ah! Vandenberg! That was the one. Right date, too; saw it driving home from our Back to School Night at work. Pretty cool pic, eh? ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617/20 "2002-10-05T15:41:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*OK, someone’s got to make the nitpick. It’s only a meteorite after it lands. While it’s just minding its own business out somewhere in the Solar System, it’s a meteoroid. And when it’s streaking through the atmosphere and producing a pretty sight to see from your back porch, it’s a meteor. \*\* The bright light is the meteor–so it’s still a meteoroid, right? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saw-something-in-the-evening-sky-what-could-it-be/130617.md?page=2)