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spurtle
23-Jan-12, 19:05
Just saw what I thought was three shooting stars but they had no trails and were slightly zig zagy and all headed in roughly the same direction and were visible for at least a minute and a half. Do you get shooting stars like that? It couldn't have been a plane nor a satalite as it's travel was slightly wonky.
Phill
23-Jan-12, 19:15
Helibopter!
spurtle
23-Jan-12, 19:21
What Three of them? I would say no - far too high up
Phill
23-Jan-12, 19:23
How do you know how high they were?
Maccy
23-Jan-12, 19:40
And who said they didn't believe in UFOs. You are being watched.
spurtle
23-Jan-12, 19:41
I don't know - I just do, I had a friend with me and we both thought it odd, if they'd stayed still they nwould have looked just like the other stars around, they all came from the same point in the sky too and went in an arc like the shape of the horizon
GLENELG
23-Jan-12, 19:47
Mind there people living up there.[lol]
Phill
23-Jan-12, 19:58
I don't know - I just do, I had a friend with me and we both thought it odd, if they'd stayed still they nwould have looked just like the other stars around, they all came from the same point in the sky too and went in an arc like the shape of the horizonDid they stay in formation with each other or did they alter in relation to each other?
singysmum
23-Jan-12, 20:09
HI Spurtle,
We live at Staxigoe and about a week ago when my hubby was letting the dog out for the last time at about midnight, he came rushing back indoors and said that I had to go with him like, NOW!!! I had no shoes on but he insisted and there were 5 'things' in the sky. If they weren't moving they would have looked lilke other stars but they were moving steadily and then one pealed away from the others for a while and did a separate arc then joined the others and disappeared up behind some clouds. Like you, my hubby said that they were very high and as I am very sceptical about UFO's etc I just said they must have been helicopters but it was a still night and we don't have a lot of noise out here and we couldn't hear anything. Very strange. Maybe some military types playing about up there??
Helen
spurtle
23-Jan-12, 20:20
Just watched a video on youtube of satelites being filmed in the night sky and it looks exactly the same to what I saw, but I saw about 5-6 now, maybe because it's so clear tonight that I've seen them. Some are travelling in different directions too.
MrChow
23-Jan-12, 20:48
There were some good viewings of the Northern Lights last night.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16685364

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16685364)More predicted for tonight too!
Mystical Potato Head
23-Jan-12, 21:52
There were some good viewings of the Northern Lights last night.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16685364

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16685364)More predicted for tonight too!

There wont be any Northern Lights tonight,the aurora oval is North of Norways North Cape so no chance of seeing anything.
Tomorrow night and/or the following night however there is a very good chance of seeing them as a strong CME is expected to hit the earth sometime during the 24th/25th

Satellites travel in a straight line,no zig zagging.They can be seen traveling in about every direction possible though.

Space weather have just predicted that the CME will hit the earth tomorrow afternoon so providing it doesnt slow down,tomorrow evening looks like a distinct possibility.
It "left" the sun early on Monday morning so it is very fast which usually means a strong display,the faster the CME hits the earth the stronger the aurora.Its also the strongest M class
flare that there is,the next strongest is the X category and they're the ones that can damage satellites and disrupt the power grid.
Maccy
23-Jan-12, 21:57
Could it have been this.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/biggest-solar-storm-since-2005-pummels-earth-185646088.html
pat
23-Jan-12, 22:12
or chinese lanterns?
Phill
23-Jan-12, 22:27
Caught this one before:
http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy337/Phill_Rawlins/night1.jpg

This one was a bit more lively though:
http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy337/Phill_Rawlins/night2.jpg
Moira
23-Jan-12, 23:00
There wont be any Northern Lights tonight,the aurora oval is North of Norways North Cape so no chance of seeing anything.
Tomorrow night and/or the following night however there is a very good chance of seeing them as a strong CME is expected to hit the earth sometime during the 24th/25th.... <snip>
.......

Thanks for this very informative post Mystical Potato Head.

I was convinced there would be a show of Northern Lights tonight as we have clear, frosty skies here (North side of Wick) but obviously that doesn't follow....

There are some fab photos of last night's light show on the Photography forum here and on Facebook.

I'll look out for the Northern Lights on 24th/25th as you've suggested. Hope you manage to stay awake & get some more great photos to share with us! ;)
Tilly Teckel
23-Jan-12, 23:08
a strong CME is expected to hit the earth sometime during the 24th/25th

I'm so glad Wikipedia is back - now I know what a CME is! I'll be out tomorrow watching the skies :Razz
Kodiak
23-Jan-12, 23:09
Just saw what I thought was three shooting stars but they had no trails and were slightly zig zagy and all headed in roughly the same direction and were visible for at least a minute and a half. Do you get shooting stars like that? It couldn't have been a plane nor a satalite as it's travel was slightly wonky.


Since you could not Identify them that makes them UnIdentified.

Since they were in the Air they were Flying

Since you could see them that makes them Objects.

Put them all together and what do you get?

Too many drams. [lol]
Mystical Potato Head
24-Jan-12, 22:52
Thanks for this very informative post Mystical Potato Head.

I was convinced there would be a show of Northern Lights tonight as we have clear, frosty skies here (North side of Wick) but obviously that doesn't follow....

There are some fab photos of last night's light show on the Photography forum here and on Facebook.

I'll look out for the Northern Lights on 24th/25th as you've suggested. Hope you manage to stay awake & get some more great photos to share with us! ;)

There is a minor storm happening right now and would have been easily visible but unfortunately we're clouded out.There has been a few gaps in the clouds earlier
but judging by the satellite images the gaps are now few and far between.Not to worry,there will be plenty more chances to see the Northern Lights this year and next as
the sun reaches its most active stage.


I'm so glad Wikipedia is back - now I know what a CME is! I'll be out tomorrow watching the skies :Razz

Now you know why i wrote CME