photographs from space

[rustynails]

Last night (03.45) whilst not being able to sleep I stood by my window and was looking at the beautiful stars when there was a flash followed by another one. It was not lightning but looked like a flashgun on camera. No planes were around and no satellites either, as I know what to look for with those. Nothing moved in the sky after the flashes so I am guessing that it was probably a static satellite taking photographs. Am I right?

[4candles]

Since the lowest possible earth orbit is 100 miles up - no.

[rojash]

That would need to be one heck of a flashgun :-)

[wiltsman]

Living in Wiltshire surrounded by airfields, and under the Heathrow flight path, if I saw a flashing light in the sky then I would know it was a plane or possibly a helicopter.

You say emphatically, there were no planes around which I don't understand. You can't always hear a plane if it is some distance away.

[bibblebub]

maybe aliens are selecting their next subject for a you-know-what probe and now have you on their waiting list

[ChuckFickens]

LOL.... if it was a "static satellite" (i.e. geostationary) it would be at an orbit of 22236 miles.

That would need to be one hell of a flash gun!

[jake-the-peg]

Satelites are constantly photogrphing Earth, not just spy satelites but werather ones, surveying ones, scientific ones thousands of them

They don't use flash

[rojash]

...or Silverlight :-)

[argorstran]

Don't dismiss the possibility that it might have been some form of lightning

[Ellipsis]

Could have been this or something like it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_flash

[argorstran]

Just another thought , are there any overhead power lines nearby or in the middle distance ? It's possible that a tree branch blowing in the wind may have got close enough to the line to cause some sparking . If this happened behind you then you would not have seen the sparks between the line and the tree but you would have seen the flashes . It would also explain why you didn't hear anything .

[mibn2cweus]

Have you ruled out 'Iridium Flairs'?

Select and 'Submit' your location on this map http://www.heavens-ab...pecified&alt=0&tz=CET

Then under Satellites select Iridium Flares | previous 48 hrs.

[mibn2cweus]

. . . but then, (03.45) was probably to early for an Iridium Flare.

[mibn2cweus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_flare

I have spotted geosynchronous satellites blinking as they turn from locations with good seeing conditions, (confirmed with a telescope) but these flashes are barely visible and periodic.

[rustynails]

Thank you all for your responses. Firstly, I realised in hindsight that I should have posted my initial question on the Science section, so in future I will research more carefully and apologies to those of you who felt my question was on the incorrect section.

I live in an area that doesn't have too much light pollution, and not on the Heathrow flightpath. Yes we do have chinooks occasionally at night but they make a heck of a noise and not even a mouse stirred last night. As I said, I watched for a time afterwards and nothing moved in the sky apart from a couple of shooting stars lower in the sky. This was over to the east/south east and below Orions Belt and to Wiltsman no planes were going over and I agree sometimes one cannot hear the planes but you can see the moving flashing lights of planes.

argorstran - there are no overhead power cables and no trees that could cause sparking. This was high up in the sky and if you can work out where Orions Belt was at 0345 this morning in the west country then you can get an idea of the location in the sky.

I also know that when watching satellites they can have the appearance of flashing then not as they spin and catch the light of the sun but as I said nothing moved.

bibblebub - I'll let you know when they do.

[pdq1]

Are you sure you don't suffer from floaters? This is a condition in the eye where the jelly like substance breaks down and if not treated can lead to macular degeneration and the loss of sight in that eye. Its quite a common problem.

[pdq1]

http://www.retinany.com/eye_and_retina2.html

Technical information about flashes

[mibn2cweus]

//I also know that when watching satellites they can have the appearance of flashing then not as they spin and catch the light of the sun but as I said nothing moved.//

See answers here > http://www.theanswerb...4.html#answer-7227015

[wiltsman]

Why did you publish the same question twice in one day. It's confusing and I can't see any reason why you did it. Perhaps you can tell us.

Anyway, I've just put another reply on your other thread.

But - please - I know you didn't sleep very well last night, but you must have known that you were putting the same question on AnswerBank twice!

[rustynails]

Do you know - maybe it is not worth asking questions from this site. I can ask questions using another 'username' but that wouldn't give folk the opportunity to ridicule.

I made a mistake in asking the question twice, but that was because I made a mistake in posting on the first topic area and tried to correct it by going onto the second topic area. I haven't tried to make others feel inadequate and honestly tried to ask a sensible question. It is so easy to pick others apart isn't it? I know what I saw and equally having had an eye examination this past week I know my eyes are healthy and 'NO FLOATERS' detected!!