blinking stars last night

[xxxtiggerxxx]

my hubby and i were out veiwing the meteor shower last night and say some strange things in the stars. the one that bothered us the most was the red star in taurus. it was changing colors.... red&nbsp; blue&nbsp; white and so on... it also seemed to be moving in up/down motions as well as side to side. i thought the atmosphere was disturbed there, and then recalled an artical on blackholes. could the blinking of the star and movement be caused by a blackhole, or is something else going on with that star.&nbsp; i did notice that a lot of stars rising in that part of the sky were doing the same thing, just not as pronounced. the taurus star happened at about 2 am mountain time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; by the way, we say at least 4 dozen shoting stars from midnight to 5 am!!!! it was spectaculr!!!!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; auto <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[crazyeddie]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>my hubby and i were out veiwing the meteor shower last night and say some strange things in the stars. the one that bothered us the most was the red star in taurus. it was changing colors.... red&nbsp; blue&nbsp; white and so on... it also seemed to be moving in up/down motions as well as side to side. i thought the atmosphere was disturbed there, and then recalled an artical on blackholes. could the blinking of the star and movement be caused by a blackhole, or is something else going on with that star.&nbsp; i did notice that a lot of stars rising in that part of the sky were doing the same thing, just not as pronounced. the taurus star happened at about 2 am mountain time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; by the way, we say at least 4 dozen shoting stars from midnight to 5 am!!!! it was spectaculr!!!!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; auto <br /> Posted by xxxtiggerxxx</DIV></p><p>The red star in Taurus is Aldebaran, and I assure you, the motion you perceived was not caused by a black hole. &nbsp;What you probably observed was ordinary twinkling caused by atmospheric turbulence....unless you are actually suggesting that you saw the star blink on and off? &nbsp;As stars go, it's a rather ordinary orange-giant, although it does hold the distinction of being the star that Pioneer 10, the first man-made object set on a trajectory out of the solar system, will pass by in about 2 million years.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The red star in Taurus is Aldebaran, and I assure you, the motion you perceived was not caused by a black hole. &nbsp;What you probably observed was ordinary twinkling caused by atmospheric turbulence....unless you are actually suggesting that you saw the star blink on and off? &nbsp;As stars go, it's a rather ordinary orange-giant, although it does hold the distinction of being the star that Pioneer 10, the first man-made object set on a trajectory out of the solar system, will pass by in about 2 million years. <br />Posted by crazyeddie</DIV><br /><br />Actually, when atmospheric turbulence is very pronounced, stars do blink off all the way for a few milliseconds. Aldebaran is quite low in the sky before dawn right now. From where I have been observing the Perseids for the last month, Rigel just clears the NJAA Edwin E Aldin Lecture Hall building during the hour before twilight. Some mornings it blinks off and on like crazy, alomg of course with all the colors. </p><p>As far as the motion is concerned, I assure you that it an optical illusion. Stars that are indeed fixed in position appear to do that. Even for someone like me who watches the whole sky over a hundred hours a year. It's just the way the eye-brain system works. It can be particularly pronounced if you are tired.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Meteor Wayne</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Aaupaaq]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Actually, when atmospheric turbulence is very pronounced, stars do blink off all the way for a few milliseconds. Aldebaran is quite low in the sky before dawn right now. From where I have been observing the Perseids for the last month, Rigel just clears the NJAA Edwin E Aldin Lecture Hall building during the hour before twilight. Some mornings it blinks off and on like crazy, alomg of course with all the colors. As far as the motion is concerned, I assure you that it an optical illusion. Stars that are indeed fixed in position appear to do that. Even for someone like me who watches the whole sky over a hundred hours a year. It's just the way the eye-brain system works. It can be particularly pronounced if you are tired.&nbsp;Meteor Wayne <br /> Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV></p><p>I was enjoying the shooting stars last night when I saw a satellite flying above us.&nbsp; It seemed to disappear and reappear out of nowhere.&nbsp; Then I saw a faint hint that it was cloudy.&nbsp; The sky looked clear, but I guess it was starting to have scattered clouds, and very unnoticeable too. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> We always walked on water, like skating! </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

<p>Hi Aaupaaq,</p><p>&nbsp;Different phenomena.&nbsp; A satellite winking in and out is most likely due to rotation.&nbsp; As the "bird" rotates there is an opportunity for the sun to glint off its reflective surfaces, generally the solar arrays.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Hi Aaupaaq,&nbsp;Different phenomena.&nbsp; A satellite winking in and out is most likely due to rotation.&nbsp; As the "bird" rotates there is an opportunity for the sun to glint off its reflective surfaces, generally the solar arrays. <br /> Posted by adrenalynn</DIV></p><p>He attributed it to scattered clouds, which of course will also produce this effect.&nbsp; ;-)&nbsp; But the glinting of spacecraft can be interesting.&nbsp; Iridium satellites are the most famous examples of this, although the ISS has been observed to "flare" in much the same way as it moves its solar arrays. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>He attributed it to scattered clouds, which of course will also produce this effect.&nbsp; ;-)&nbsp; But the glinting of spacecraft can be interesting.&nbsp; Iridium satellites are the most famous examples of this, although the ISS has been observed to "flare" in much the same way as it moves its solar arrays. <br />Posted by CalliArcale</DIV><br /><br />Typically, during afew hours of meteor observing I see several satellites that vary in brighness, ranging from bright flashes, where the satellite is invisible in between, to those that vary mor smoothly in brightness.</p><p>On slow meteor nights, I find satellites are great company.</p><p>Here in NJ, clouds are always brighter than the sky, so you can see them (too) easily.&nbsp;In a true dark sky, clouds are just holes where stars (and satellites) disappear.</p><p>MW</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Aaupaaq]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Hi Aaupaaq,&nbsp;Different phenomena.&nbsp; A satellite winking in and out is most likely due to rotation.&nbsp; As the "bird" rotates there is an opportunity for the sun to glint off its reflective surfaces, generally the solar arrays. <br /> Posted by adrenalynn</DIV></p><p>Hi, Adrenalynn.</p><p>I think we see that same star too and we say it is a satellite, because all the rest of the other stars around this do not, and I say do not twinkling shine in different colors.&nbsp; But, as always, I might be wrong.&nbsp; It's just that the gravity is working on this "Mirage Effect" I think. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> We always walked on water, like skating! </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

<p>Umm.&nbsp; No.&nbsp; &nbsp; Gravity doesn't have anything to do with the effect.</p><p>Twinkling stars and Flaring satellites are well known, well documented, well explained effects.&nbsp; </p><p>We used to have a twinkling thread here on the forum we received so many questions.&nbsp; I ran out one night and shot two stars twinkling just to try to let everyone know that YES THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.&nbsp; I may have to do the same with sat flares...</p><p>Anyway - the videos were here: </p><p>Arcturus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shg5quUvmzA</p><p>Capella: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F143umtSZU&NR=1</p><p>Both flickering due to atmospheric distrubance.&nbsp; For satellite flares, I'd set my telescope up to track them so that one can actually SEE it rotate.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>