Re: Daylight Bright Object
JRBURCA@aol.com
Sat, 13 Mar 1999 03:45:06 EST
ykchia (chiayk@singnet.com.sg) wrote:
<< On my way to work this morning Mar 12 99 ( 07:37am local time) I
notice a bright object in the Western Sky. After disembark from the
train I am surprise the object is still there and I observe till 07:43.
I get a colleague to be my eye-witness as well. His remark is what a
bright star. ( non skywatcher)
The Sun is up and in broad day light it is unusual to see a bright
white -stellar-like object ( size I guess is x3 times Mars [from early
AM memory] now ~34 arc seconds) against a pale blue sky. Visual
brightness ~ -4Mag Venus in 'dark sky'. Object appears to be
stationary. I lose sight of it after I went for a my usual coffee as the
sky clouded up again. No chance to verify again. >>
<snip>
Hi ykchia,
This might have been a weather balloon or some other type of balloon. Being
in the western sky with the sun low in the east, there could have been a nice
reflection against the blue sky. "x3 times Mars" hints in the direction of it
being a balloon. If there was not much wind at its altitude, any motion might
not have been apparent in that short of a time with no reference points in the
sky.
Certainly no satellite is that bright, for that length of time. If there is
one, I'd sure like to know about it and see it for myself ! Daylight Iridium
flares seen with the unaided eye are visible for only 1 or 2 seconds.
Many years ago I saw a weather balloon in the western sky but it was backlit
by the just set sun in early evening. It caught a lot of people's attention
(Houston, TX 1969 or 1970) and made the local news. It moved very slowly.
After I had looked at it with binoculars, it was easy to see that it was a
balloon, with the pear-like shape. It was quite a sight though.
-- Jake Rees
Burbank, California