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medieval1
super member


Reged: 12/18/08
Posts: 160
Loc: Colorado Springs
What did I see ??
      #3364331 - 09/29/09 05:29 PM

Last Sunday I had my PST out around 3:30pm MDT.

While I'm sitting there taking in all the wonderful details of the sunspots and prominences a round object passed over the sun. It moved pretty quickly, taking no more than 2 seconds to traverse the face of the sun. It moved from left to right in my EP. I was using a 9mm EP at the time.

It was quite round for sure. Size...hmmm...maybe 30 to 40 would stretch from edge to edge on equator of the sun.

I've seen clouds, birds and airplanes cross while viewing but not this "ball".

Any idea of what I may have seen? I looked for "errant" balloons but did not see any.

Much thanx.

--------------------
Jim West
Meade LX200-ACF 8"
Coronado P.S.T
Canon 40D (unmodified)
Meade DSI Pro II w/color filters
Galileoscope
astro.jameswest.com


Lifetime member of Colorado Springs Astronomical Society


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swisswalter
sage


Reged: 03/29/09
Posts: 414
Loc: Eastern-Switzerland
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: medieval1]
      #3364367 - 09/29/09 05:44 PM

hi jim

sorry, we had already night at that time

walter

--------------------
only dust in the wind, TAK on GM8, Lunt 60, DMK31,still greenhorn, but as a golfer used to be humble


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brianb11213
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 02/25/09
Posts: 2119
Loc: 55.215N 6.554W
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: swisswalter]
      #3364431 - 09/29/09 06:10 PM

Very likely a weather balloon.

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Matt Wastell
super member


Reged: 07/05/09
Posts: 139
Loc: Paddington, Brisbane, Australi...
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: brianb11213]
      #3365374 - 09/30/09 04:49 AM

errant tennis ball!
2 seconds is a longish time - probably local?
My eyes are average at best! I remember seeing lots of fast moving blobs - they were stunning - happened to be stuff floating on my eyeball!

--------------------
Look up, look good!

http://www.freewebs.com/mattwastellastroimages/index.htm

Matt


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marktownley
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 08/19/08
Posts: 2267
Loc: West Midlands, UK
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: Matt Wastell]
      #3365383 - 09/30/09 05:04 AM

I've had quite a few balloons, normal sized, filled with helium, drift through the fov a few times now. That would be my guess.

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stets
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 04/13/06
Posts: 2263
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: medieval1]
      #3365503 - 09/30/09 07:59 AM Attachment (10 downloads)

Good morning,

Hmmm, I see that you are in Colorado Springs. I attended Colorado College in the late seventies; we often went to the Black Forest to observe. For a kid who had lived in the glow of the lights of NYC, the dark sky in CO was a revelation. What a great place for star parties.

My daughter just started at CC this school year, and I am looking froward to visiting the Springs again after many years.

About your observation: Could it have been a satellite? The attached images were captured with a webcam while one of my students was imaging the first-quarter moon. He was watching the computer screen, and he noticed what appeared to be a "black fly" moving across the screen. We went back frame-by-frame and found his satellite observation.


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stets
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 04/13/06
Posts: 2263
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: stets]
      #3365507 - 09/30/09 08:01 AM

Spaceweather, Heavens-above, and Calsky all provide information about satellites.

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brianb11213
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 02/25/09
Posts: 2119
Loc: 55.215N 6.554W
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: stets]
      #3365685 - 09/30/09 09:53 AM

Quote:

We went back frame-by-frame and found his satellite observation.



Looks awfully big for a satellite, unless it was the ISS. Bird?


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medieval1
super member


Reged: 12/18/08
Posts: 160
Loc: Colorado Springs
Re: What did I see ?? new [Re: brianb11213]
      #3365745 - 09/30/09 10:23 AM

My guess too was either a satellite or balloon. Going thru some satellite data to see if that was the transit object. It was pretty cool though.

--------------------
Jim West
Meade LX200-ACF 8"
Coronado P.S.T
Canon 40D (unmodified)
Meade DSI Pro II w/color filters
Galileoscope
astro.jameswest.com


Lifetime member of Colorado Springs Astronomical Society


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