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Post by stephan on Dec 20, 2018 1:09:34 GMT -5
Not sure where to put this. If the theories on the web are true, it would fit under astronomy, but if it's just a weird cloud, then, not really...  DSC_1269_Weird cloud or trail by Stephan Telm, on Flickr saw this while biking home, and thought it was weirdly bright for a dark sky, so I got a photo. NWS says it might be "a meteor." I don't know about that... It seems like a very strange path for a meteor, but it would explain the glowing. ... Maybe.... Also reading that it could be the undocking of the the Soyuz and the ISS. It seems too low for that. |
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fishnpinball
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Post by fishnpinball on Dec 20, 2018 1:18:15 GMT -5
Looks like a contrail of a fighter. Around sunset it would be lit from below by the sun.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 20, 2018 2:46:55 GMT -5
I was thinking contrail as well. Pretty cool looking.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 20, 2018 4:05:40 GMT -5
Over the years, have been treated to awesome skyshows when missiles are launched from Vandenberg AFB around sunset.  The "strange path" is the ice crystals in the contrail being blown around by the winds in the upper atmosphere, More photos |
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Post by vegasjames on Dec 20, 2018 5:46:44 GMT -5
Does look like it is from a missile launch. Seen some similar ones.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 20, 2018 8:28:20 GMT -5
stephan , can't say with certainty that what you saw was a missile launch, as I didn't find any information of a launch at the time you saw it. Unless technical difficulties or high winds postpone it again, a Delta IV Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch a spy satellite from Vandenberg AFB at 5:31 pm tonight. The viewing should be spectacular! Spy Satellite Launch From Vandenberg AFB Postponed Until Thursday; Will Be Visible in L.A. Area
I have seen the colorful launches mostly from San Diego, but have also seen them from the desert (Ocotillo Wells). I understand they have even been visible from Las Vegas.
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Post by stephan on Dec 20, 2018 8:29:41 GMT -5
Both of those theories make more sense than the meteor/space station theories. Contrail is what I was thinking when I saw it. We do have Travis AFB, not too far away. We see mainly troop transport planes out of there, but the occasional jet as well. I've never heard of missile out of there, but still more likely than the circulated story.
The funny thing is, there was supposed to be that scrubbed rocket launch out of Vandenberg that rockpickerforever mentions, right around that time. I think I'm too far North to see that, in any case.
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Post by parfive on Dec 20, 2018 10:40:25 GMT -5
Looks like F-22 running rings around F-35.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 20, 2018 10:44:13 GMT -5
A friend posted a similar picture of this yesterday
He said it looked like a shooting star and then "blew up"
Ill see if I can post it
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Post by MsAli on Dec 20, 2018 10:45:38 GMT -5
His pictures   |
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Dec 20, 2018 12:27:35 GMT -5
Looks very similar to the Space-x launch from a couple months ago - as viewed in the bay area sky. NRG |
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Post by aDave on Dec 20, 2018 13:22:15 GMT -5
Both of those theories make more sense than the meteor/space station theories. Contrail is what I was thinking when I saw it. We do have Travis AFB, not too far away. We see mainly troop transport planes out of there, but the occasional jet as well. I've never heard of missile out of there, but still more likely than the circulated story.
The funny thing is, there was supposed to be that scrubbed rocket launch out of Vandenberg that rockpickerforever mentions, right around that time. I think I'm too far North to see that, in any case.
You're right about the scrubbed launch. One was scheduled for yesterday, and it's looking like it now might be tonight. We see them fairly often, as we're only a couple of hours away from there. As far as last night's light in the sky, the National Weather Service has speculated on what it is, as mentioned in this story: sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/12/19/did-you-see-the-bright-light-in-the-sky/"The National Weather Service Bay Area is calling this a Noctilucent cloud, a cloud that can be formed from a meteor or space debris entering the upper atmosphere." |
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NRG
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Post by NRG on Dec 20, 2018 14:05:12 GMT -5
I see reports online that's it's a meteor trail
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Post by stephan on Dec 20, 2018 16:57:30 GMT -5
Yes. Me too. I guess there are some weird winds/thermals at that elevation, blowing the trail around.
And it turns out the Geminids peaked about a week ago, and there are some strays.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Dec 20, 2018 20:26:40 GMT -5
A friend posted a similar picture of this yesterday He said it looked like a shooting star and then "blew up" Ill see if I can post it The "blowing up" part makes me think it was a daylight bolide (meteor). The most famous recent one was the well publicized event in Chelyabinsk, Russia a few years ago that actually did damage to the city when it exploded. I've seen two big ones and they can be spectacular. The first was years ago when I was working a summer construction job in Idaho. I'd just handed a piece of lumber to a co-worker and looked up in time to see a bright light streaking across the sky then an explosion with fluorescent red and green streamers. It looked like it landed behind a mountain range about 50 miles away. News accounts the next day said it was visible over the entire western portion of the U.S. and Canada. It left a big smoke trail. The second was during the height of the Cold War. Just at dusk I was crossing a street in Salt Lake City and noticed a blindingly bright object that appeared to be coming northward out the sky right toward me. Then there was a big flash and it disappeared. I was momentarily sure WW III was underway. It turned out to be another bolide that exploded over central Utah. Pieces of the object were recovered later. |
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Post by MsAli on Dec 20, 2018 21:20:39 GMT -5
A friend posted a similar picture of this yesterday He said it looked like a shooting star and then "blew up" Ill see if I can post it The "blowing up" part makes me think it was a daylight bolide (meteor). The most famous recent one was the well publicized event in Chelyabinsk, Russia a few years ago that actually did damage to the city when it exploded. I've seen two big ones and they can be spectacular. The first was years ago when I was working a summer construction job in Idaho. I'd just handed a piece of lumber to a co-worker and looked up in time to see a bright light streaking across the sky then an explosion with fluorescent red and green streamers. It looked like it landed behind a mountain range about 50 miles away. News accounts the next day said it was visible over the entire western portion of the U.S. and Canada. It left a big smoke trail. The second was during the height of the Cold War. Just at dusk I was crossing a street in Salt Lake City and noticed a blindingly bright object that appeared to be coming northward out the sky right toward me. Then there was a big flash and it disappeared. I was momentarily sure WW III was underway. It turned out to be another bolide that exploded over central Utah. Pieces of the object were recovered later. Really amazing you got to see 2 of them. It's kind of freaky Wonder if anyone will find pieces of this if that is what is was |
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Dec 20, 2018 21:43:21 GMT -5
MsAli , yes, seeing 2 of them was a little freaky. Just lucky I guess  . Most are too small to reach the earth and become recoverable meteorites but they can leave impressive trails when thet burn up in the atmosphere (thank you, atmosphere!)
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Post by stephan on Dec 21, 2018 0:39:58 GMT -5
"The weather is fine, but there might be a meteor shower..."
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Post by TheRock on Dec 21, 2018 1:20:44 GMT -5
Cool  |
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Post by stephan on Dec 21, 2018 1:46:00 GMT -5
Both of those theories make more sense than the meteor/space station theories. Contrail is what I was thinking when I saw it. We do have Travis AFB, not too far away. We see mainly troop transport planes out of there, but the occasional jet as well. I've never heard of missile out of there, but still more likely than the circulated story.
The funny thing is, there was supposed to be that scrubbed rocket launch out of Vandenberg that rockpickerforever mentions, right around that time. I think I'm too far North to see that, in any case.
You're right about the scrubbed launch. One was scheduled for yesterday, and it's looking like it now might be tonight. We see them fairly often, as we're only a couple of hours away from there. As far as last night's light in the sky, the National Weather Service has speculated on what it is, as mentioned in this story: sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/12/19/did-you-see-the-bright-light-in-the-sky/"The National Weather Service Bay Area is calling this a Noctilucent cloud, a cloud that can be formed from a meteor or space debris entering the upper atmosphere.""Noctilucent" -- now that is a cool SAT word. It's bright at night, I guess, or at least in the evening, when it can still be illuminated from below. I suppose some of the tiny debris is pretty reflective. |
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. Most are too small to reach the earth and become recoverable meteorites but they can leave impressive trails when thet burn up in the atmosphere (thank you, atmosphere!) 
