I think I just saw 2 Gamma Ray Bursts

CometPhoenix · Mar 28, 2008

It was about 11:10 PM Eastern, on I think March 25, or 24, and I looked up at the northern sky for about 3 secs, when I saw a relatively faint flash of light. I stopped and checked my eyes, and looked back up for about 7 secs, I saw another faint flash; fainter than the last but still visible. After the last one, I didn't see anymore.Could this have been a couple GRB's, or were my eyes playing tricks on me? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

MeteorWayne · Mar 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>It was about 11:10 PM Eastern, on I think March 25, or 24, and I looked up at the northern sky for about 3 secs, when I saw a relatively faint flash of light. I stopped and checked my eyes, and looked back up for about 7 secs, I saw another faint flash; fainter than the last but still visible. After the last one, I didn't see anymore.Could this have been a couple GRB's, or were my eyes playing tricks on me? Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV>Most likely it is a flashing satellite or rocket body. They often rotate, and will reflect the sun at a specific angle. I usually see one or two flashers during a night of meteor observing. They're rather common, if you look up enough, as meteor watchers do <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cool.gif" border="0" alt="Cool" title="Cool" />   <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

CometPhoenix · Mar 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Most likely it is a flashing satellite or rocket body. They often rotate, and will reflect the sun at a specific angle. I usually see one or two flashers during a night of meteor observing. They're rather common, if you look up enough, as meteor watchers do    Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV>No, the flashes I saw lit up the whole sky, or at least that section of the sky, because they were so faint. They looked like very, very distant lightning strikes, but there were no clouds, or thundar-clouds around. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

MeteorWayne · Mar 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>No, the flashes I saw lit up the whole sky, or at least that section of the sky, because they were so faint. They looked like very, very distant lightning strikes, but there were no clouds, or thundar-clouds around. Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV>Well thunderstorms from hundreds of miles away can light up the sky, so that's possible. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

qso1 · Mar 28, 2008

Larger meteorites can light up the sky as well, saw a couple do this during a Leonid shower ten years ago. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> My borrowed quote for the time being:There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened. </div>

CometPhoenix · Mar 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Well thunderstorms from hundreds of miles away can light up the sky, so that's possible. Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV> It couldn't have been a thunderstorm, because I'm in NC, and all of the precipitation comes from the west, and southwest and there weren't any storms nearby, as far as the AR/OK area. Not only that, the bursts happened in a northern direction. (I was able to see Polaris)I suppose they could have been meteorites, but what are the odds of seeing 2 in relatively the same area, just a few seconds apart, and that isn't part of a meteor shower? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

qso1 · Mar 29, 2008

The odds of seeing two gamma ray bursts are way lower. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> My borrowed quote for the time being:There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened. </div>

CometPhoenix · Mar 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The odds of seeing two gamma ray bursts are way lower. Posted by qso1</DIV> Are you sure about that? I hear about the astronauts in the ISS seeing flashes of light relatively often, that are claimed to be GRB's. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

derekmcd · Mar 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Are you sure about that? I hear about the astronauts in the ISS seeing flashes of light relatively often, that are claimed to be GRB's. Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV> I've never seen where they have claimed them to be GRBs.  I believe the flashes they see are related to cosmic radiation contacting their eyes and not a physical phenomena out in space.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div> <div>"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</div> </div>

MeteorWayne · Mar 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Are you sure about that? I hear about the astronauts in the ISS seeing flashes of light relatively often, that are claimed to be GRB's. Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV>You're a bit confused. What the astronauts see is cosmic rays hitting their eyes.Believe me, if any GRB's had been bright enough to light up the sky, it would be all over the news, and our atmosphere would be in the process of being destroyed, so you can just cross that off your list. The fact is, you hvae to find an atmopsheric explanation to what you saw. How about fireworks? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

CometPhoenix · Mar 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>You're a bit confused. What the astronauts see is cosmic rays hitting their eyes.Believe me, if any GRB's had been bright enough to light up the sky, it would be all over the news, and our atmosphere would be in the process of being destroyed, so you can just cross that off your list. The fact is, you hvae to find an atmopsheric explanation to what you saw. How about fireworks? Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV> They weren't bright flashes. They were barely visible, that's why I said "maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me." It was as if somebody was taking a picture with the flash on, about 500 yards away. (if you can imagin that) It wasn't fireworks, because I would have heard something in the distance. I don't live in a big city, which means everything around here is for the most part quiet. I live in the suburbs of Greensboro, NC. A LOT of open land here.BTW, what's the difference between GRB's and cosmic rays? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

MeteorWayne · Mar 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>It was as if somebody was taking a picture with the flash on, about 500 yards away.Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV>Maybe that's what it was? After all, that would be the most likely explanation... Let me reply to the other question separately. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

MeteorWayne · Mar 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> BTW, what's the difference between GRB's and cosmic rays? Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV>I'm no expert, but cosmic rays are not really rays at all (except in the duality concept) but are heavt atomic parts; either protons alone or nuclei, accerated to very high speeds.A Gamma ray burst is an event that occurs upon some kind of massive destruction of a star or stars that focuses the resultant energy in a beam out into space. The gamma ray burst in the news occurred 7.5 BILLION years ago, yet still caused enough enrgy to head our way that it was visible in our recoptors (i.e. eye)'s wavelength. That's amazing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

Saiph · Mar 30, 2008

Cosmic rays are very high energy (read as: really fast!) atomic particles.  These particles are just normal atoms, but accelerated to insanely high speeds (0.99c for instance) by various mechanisms such as random ejections from stars, supernovae, and other high energy phenomena.When they hit atoms in our upper atmosphere they break apart into smaller components, and other particle types (Muons are an example) just like we try to do in particle accelerator experiments.  When they break apart, these fragments hit more air atoms, breaking apart further, creating  a cascading shower of partles and subatomic particles that hit the earth.  It's the monitoring of these showers that provide the main source of information on cosmic rays.   <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

CometPhoenix · Mar 30, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Maybe that's what it was? After all, that would be the most likely explanation... Let me reply to the other question separately. Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV> It would be the most likely explanation, if there were houses in the direction of the flashes, and it was the time of year people had parties outside, and the fact that it was a work day at 11:00 PM. Ok, I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say that it was my eyes playing tricks. I was having problems with my right eye that day, and I didn't have my contacts in. (I had my glasses on, but they aren't as good as my contacts.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

MeteorWayne · Mar 30, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>It would be the most likely explanation, if there were houses in the direction of the flashes, and it was the time of year people had parties outside, and the fact that it was a work day at 11:00 PM. Ok, I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say that it was my eyes playing tricks. I was having problems with my right eye that day, and I didn't have my contacts in. (I had my glasses on, but they aren't as good as my contacts.) Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV> Were eye to guess, I'd still go with distant thunderstorms, but there's really no way to tell for sure, other than it wasn't a GRB

Your eyes could have been playing tricks, of course, but this doesn't sound like one of the common ones. As a meteor observer, I get to know all the tricks eyes can play, and that is one of the least common <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif" border="0" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

aphh · Mar 31, 2008

I saw this phenomena several times last summer here in Helsinki, brief flashes that momentarily brighten the sky like a lightning or a flash light or a explosion of a grenade. Just no sound and no clouds.

alokmohan · Mar 31, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I saw this phenomena several times last summer here in Helsinki, brief flashes Such   close  gamma   rays   may   harm  us.that momentarily brighten the sky like a lightning or a flash light or a explosion of a grenade. Just no sound and no clouds.  Posted by aphh</DIV> Such   close   gammay  rays   are  not  good   for   survival.

CometPhoenix · Mar 31, 2008

Here's the thing with the thunderstorm theory: I would have seen more flashes if it was a thunderstorm, and I was outside for a good 1-2 minutes. I've seen flashes from distant thunderstorms, and I always see more than just 2 flashes. They are always a short burst of flashes, not just one camera-like flash, wait 7 seconds, then another flash, then no more flashes. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

qso1 · Mar 31, 2008

The flash could easily result from rather large meteors passing through the atmosphere. I saw this phenomenon during the November 1998 Leonid (IIRC) shower which was pretty spectacular and in one case, my back was turned and the sky briefly lit up as tho in a thunderstorm but the night was clear that night.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> My borrowed quote for the time being:There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened. </div>

CometPhoenix · Apr 1, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The flash could easily result from rather large meteors passing through the atmosphere. I saw this phenomenon during the November 1998 Leonid (IIRC) shower which was pretty spectacular and in one case, my back was turned and the sky briefly lit up as tho in a thunderstorm but the night was clear that night.  Posted by qso1</DIV> I don't doubt it could have been a meteorite, but it would be kinda rare to see 2 of them so quickly, when it's not in a meteor shower. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> What ever happens, happens/Just call me Phoenix </div>

qso1 · Apr 2, 2008

Far less rare than back to back GRBs.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> My borrowed quote for the time being:There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened. </div>

duck_theory · Apr 3, 2008

To say they were GRBs and ignoring the countless and hugely more likely explanations is stretching it about as far as one can stretch it. Imagine how many stars in our galaxy. How many of those go supernova? About 1 every 50 years. How many satellites are there? Thousands. How many things hit the Earths' atmosphere every day? Millions. I saw a duck today, and although possible, I did not say it was a space alien in disguise

<div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. </div>

qso1 · Apr 3, 2008

Your right, good point on supernovas. The only one I know about that has happened this century in our galaxy actually happened in a satellite galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> My borrowed quote for the time being:There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened. </div>

Guanaco · Apr 8, 2008

Most likely what you saw was an Iridium Flare.  An Iridium flare is caused by the sun being reflected from one of the three main mission antennae (MMA) of an Iridium satellite. The MMAs are flat, highly polished aluminium surfaces, and when the angles are just right, they can reflect the sun just like a mirror.  If you would like proof that this is what you saw, you can observe another and compare.     To predict when another will happen, go to http://www.heavens-above.com/ and enter your location.  Then come back here and let us know what you see. For more info on Iridium Flares see: http://www.heavens-above.com/iridiumhelp.aspIf it were a GRB we'd all be dead. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

I think I just saw 2 Gamma Ray Bursts

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