Unidentified flying object?

Chat with fellow forum users. No adverts or trade links in here please.
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Unidentified flying object?

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Was yesterday trying to photograph some decent shots of the milky way when this appeared... what could it be?

Image

Max
WHL
Posts: 6862
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 2:43 pm

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by WHL »

Could it be the NASA space station, I have seen it fly past several times.
User avatar
Dominic
Site Admin
Posts: 14932
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:00 pm
Location: Polemi
Contact:

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Dominic »

A satellite, probably. The perils of long exposure.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Earlsfield
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:11 pm

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Earlsfield »

If it was on a long exposure then it could have been the Space Station, most likely a meteor
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Perhaps it helps: here my camera setting: F2.8, 10sec, ISO 2500, 24mm.

Definitely no meteor as they are much faster than what occurred that moment, but faster than a aeroplane...

Max
User avatar
Paul
Posts: 613
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 12:39 pm
Location: Choulou

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Paul »

Shooting Star or not!

Varky
Posts: 1189
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:44 am
Location: Anarita

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Varky »

Earlsfield wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:38 pm If it was on a long exposure then it could have been the Space Station, most likely a meteor
Surely if it was on a long exposure the stars would also have a 'tail' as the earth turns on its axis and the stars remain fixed.
Earlsfield
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:11 pm

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Earlsfield »

Long ish...I suppose, the ISS moves pretty fast!
Earlsfield
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:11 pm

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Earlsfield »

Happy in Cyprus wrote: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:00 am
Varky wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:53 pmSurely if it was on a long exposure the stars would also have a 'tail' as the earth turns on its axis and the stars remain fixed.
Correct...and there are no tails from the stars.

Earlsfield, the ISS actually moves pretty slowly. My money's still on a meteor.
I would tend to agree it’s a meteor...although the ISS does move quite rapidly across the night sky! No doubt you have seen it, as it is often seen in the Cyprus sky..and it shifts!

Ancient History
Posts: 213
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:53 am

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Ancient History »

Looks to me like a meteorite, they do travel quite fast at times...
boycott
Posts: 364
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2016 12:25 pm
Location: Limassol

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by boycott »

Its Father Christmas out with the reindeers doing a fitness check to make sure there are fit for the big day!
User avatar
Dominic
Site Admin
Posts: 14932
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:00 pm
Location: Polemi
Contact:

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Dominic »

Ancient History wrote: Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:12 am Looks to me like a meteorite, they do travel quite fast at times...
Max said it was a 10 second exposure which would be far too slow for a meteorite.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
User avatar
71 Trans Am
Posts: 685
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:17 pm
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne and Paphos

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by 71 Trans Am »

As it looks totally out of proportion with everything else on the picture – I dragged and dropped the picture onto the desktop and then zoomed in and it becomes digitally pixelated and the rest of the background does not so could it be a hair on the lens ?
User avatar
LouiseCastricum
Posts: 1698
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Pegeia/Peyia/Πέγεια since 1994

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by LouiseCastricum »

Max, can't find your latest village post anymore.
Louise :)
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by cyprusmax47 »

LouiseCastricum wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 9:31 am Max, can't find your latest village post anymore.
As it disappeared I replaced it now...and it is not Argaka Louise. :)

Max
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by cyprusmax47 »

71 Trans Am wrote: Fri Aug 30, 2019 11:28 pm As it looks totally out of proportion with everything else on the picture – I dragged and dropped the picture onto the desktop and then zoomed in and it becomes digitally pixelated and the rest of the background does not so could it be a hair on the lens ?
Definitely no hair on the lens. Here another pic how aeroplanes appear with the same 10sec setting...
Image

Max
User avatar
Dominic
Site Admin
Posts: 14932
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:00 pm
Location: Polemi
Contact:

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Dominic »

Varky wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:53 pm
Earlsfield wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:38 pm If it was on a long exposure then it could have been the Space Station, most likely a meteor
Surely if it was on a long exposure the stars would also have a 'tail' as the earth turns on its axis and the stars remain fixed.
Not in 10 seconds, nor 30 seconds for that matter.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by cyprusmax47 »

In the end I believe that I was lucky enough to photograph the space station. Here some explanation from NASA:

"Can you explain how to identify the space station in the sky? Did I see the space station last night?"

The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesn’t have flashing lights or change direction. It will also be moving considerably faster than a typical airplane (airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles (965 km) per hour; the space station flies at 17,500 miles (28,000 km) per hour).

and: "The space station is visible because it reflects the light of the Sun – the same reason we can see the Moon. However, unlike the Moon, the space station isn’t bright enough to see during the day. It can only be seen when it is dawn or dusk at your location. As such, it can range from one sighting opportunity a month to several a week, since it has to be both dark where you are, and the space station has to happen to be going overhead."

Max
Varky
Posts: 1189
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:44 am
Location: Anarita

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Varky »

Dominic wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:05 pm
Varky wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:53 pm
Earlsfield wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:38 pm If it was on a long exposure then it could have been the Space Station, most likely a meteor
Surely if it was on a long exposure the stars would also have a 'tail' as the earth turns on its axis and the stars remain fixed.
Not in 10 seconds, nor 30 seconds for that matter.
So we agree it wasn't a long exposure, which was the intent of my response to Earlsfield's post.
User avatar
Dominic
Site Admin
Posts: 14932
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:00 pm
Location: Polemi
Contact:

Re: Unidentified flying object?

Post by Dominic »

Max already said it was a 10 second exposure.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Post Reply