Are we being photographed from space?

[rustynails]

Last night at 03.45 (this morning) I was up looking at the stars from an opened window. No planes and no satellites - in fact nothing moving. I saw a flash followed by a second one immediately. It was not lightning and I know what satellites look like. There were a couple of minor shooting stars. The flashes were like flashgun lights whilst taking pictures. I can only guess that a static satellite was taking photographs - am I correct?

[naomi24]

Didn't I just see this question somewhere else - with answers added?

[youngmafbog]

That would be some Megablitz then !

Highly unlikely I would say, certainly if using 'flash'

[naomi24]

Just spotted it again.

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1165482.html

[snags]

rustynails is a bit 'rusty' after 3 years of not posting...

[rustynails]

Are you counting???

[LazarusShort]

well no flash gun would light up the whole planet from space. Probably a plane.

[mibn2cweus]

Geo-sats do not move much. If fact, they do not follow stars as they move across the sky in the course of an evening. They would appear somewhere near or on the celestial equator as seen here - http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120411.html

[mibn2cweus]

By the way . . . Orion's belt lies in close proximity to the celestial equator.

http://www.bisque.com...terns/declination.htm

[mibn2cweus]

Oops, meant to post ^ that ^ here > http://www.theanswerb.../Question1165482.html

[wiltsman]

Further to my reply earlier on your previous post, why are you ignoring the most obvious answer, it has to be an airplane.

The fact you may not hear the sound of engines does not discount it from being an airplane. You cannot judge distance, especially at night, and you have no way of judging how far away are the lights you are observing.

So. simple answer, it's an airplane.

[jomifl]

Prbably an iridium satellite, see link below;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_flare

[BillyBB]

iridium flare, there is a website listing possible viewing times for each area so you could double check.


other flare are available