# What was that flash I saw in the sky last night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204 "2003-08-14T18:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/1 "2003-08-14T18:35:32Z")
I was watching for some perseids last night when I saw a bright flash out the corner of my eye; I couldn’t see the form of the flash, just the resultant light (like when a bolt of lightning occurs outside of your direct vision). I’m wondering if perhaps I saw a rather large meteoroid burning up explosively, from head-on? Would that create such an effect? ---
**Author:** ![Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olive_The_Other_Reindeer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/2 "2003-08-14T18:42:10Z")
It probably was a meteorite - it’s time for the annual Perseid’s meteor shower. Maximum is 3:30 am on the 13th of August (hey, that was yesterday!!!). Fotos and I were laying out in a field trying to watch for them (otherwise, how the heck would I have known something like this???) We saw a few, then found other things to occupy our time. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/3 "2003-08-14T18:49:23Z")
I know it’s Perseid time - hence why I was watching the sky at 3:30 am. I’d like to know of the observed flash is consistent with seeing a Perseid burn up in a head-on perspective. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/4 "2003-08-14T19:14:39Z")
Could it have been an Iridium Flare? [Heavens Above](http://www.heavens-above.com/iridium.asp?lat=43.667&lng=-79.417&alt=119&loc=Toronto&TZ=EST&Dur=2&Date=37845.8060648148) says that a flare would have been observed in Toronto (and generally on a North-South line from there), in the West sky, at 4:03am. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/5 "2003-08-14T19:18:18Z")
I thought the Perseid was kinda dull this year… Thanks for the links on the Iridium Flares, **CurtC** ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/6 "2003-08-15T22:26:04Z")
Ya, the perseids weren’t too thrilling. Well, at least not on the peak evening. The following night (aka, last night), during the throws of the massive blackout, I had a spectacular view of the sky from my suburban home. I managed to see quite a few perseids, actually. Its really quite incredible how many stars are out there… ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/7 "2003-08-15T23:17:25Z")
If you guys are trying to observe the Perseids, the moon is greatly hindering your attempt… That’s probably why the shower didn’t seem as spectacular as other years… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/8 "2003-08-15T23:29:38Z")
It may have been somebody testing their 1920s style “death ray”. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-flash-i-saw-in-the-sky-last-night/195204/9 "2003-08-16T01:44:27Z")
**Jinx** , I got a good view during the few hours of darkness before the moon got above the horizon. With all the lights out, it was pitch dark.