Question Unknown Object

Mar 15, 2021
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Hi everyone
I took a picture of some stars last April with my Nikon. This was the first time I have ever taken pictures of stars and I'm still very much new to all this. I actually took about 20 or so pictures and was just really trying to get the grips of it. Think I captured a shooting star which was nice, but I was curious to the object top middle right.
It looks like a star but it has a burst effect coming out each side. This picture is original not been edited.
As I'm all new to this I'm sorry if i havent really explained it properly, but ill try now to attach a picture.
Any help with an ID would be great.
Was using a Nikon d3400 with a 35mm lens F/1.8, 15 Sec Exposure, ISO 400



Thanks
Greg
 
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Nice meteor streak here. Not sure what you are looking at, nothing seems unusual to my eyes. I did see some nebulosity and some double stars in the view. Stellarium could help you by recreating the view of the sky at the time and location the picture was taken or Starry Night. MS WWT too.
 
Mar 9, 2021
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Greg; pretty good effort for a first timer. Was the camera mounted on a tripod? Also, do you have a cable release for the shutter?

At first, I thought you might have bumped the tripod or that you'd somehow managed to capture the Andromeda galaxy as that portion of the photo was being scanned, but it is too localized for a bump or shake, and the position in the sky is wrong for Andromeda.

It may be that something passed between the camera and that star around the moment that set of pixels were recorded. Or there may be a smudge on the lens. You'd have to compare the other photos to see if there is a comparable smear in the same position (which would indicate something on the lens).

Keep on trying!
 
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Mar 15, 2021
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Greg; pretty good effort for a first timer. Was the camera mounted on a tripod? Also, do you have a cable release for the shutter?

At first, I thought you might have bumped the tripod or that you'd somehow managed to capture the Andromeda galaxy as that portion of the photo was being scanned, but it is too localized for a bump or shake, and the position in the sky is wrong for Andromeda.

It may be that something passed between the camera and that star around the moment that set of pixels were recorded. Or there may be a smudge on the lens. You'd have to compare the other photos to see if there is a comparable smear in the same position (which would indicate something on the lens).

Keep on trying!

Hi there, yes was using a tripod and a remote control for shutter. The lens seems fine at the time as I took about 20 similar shots that night and no issues on them.
Thanks
Greg
 
Mar 21, 2021
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Not Andromeda galaxy. Looks like it could be a satellite that flared during the exposure. The "meteor" is not a meteor but a satellite. Notice how the ends of the track are sharply truncated? Images before and after should also have shown this satellite track on one side or the other of the one in this image.
 

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