Green Flash in Night Sky.. what was it?!

[mgg505]

So I've got home after coming back from the cinema and I was admiring the night sky. Completely clear over the North Yorkshire Moors and I was amazed (as usual) at the stars. I was looking at Orion to see if I could make out his sword when suddenly I saw a bright green flash  just above the belt. Obviously thought I was seeing things and it happened again about 30 seconds later, then again about 10 seconds later. It was like the green flash on a sunset but in the middle of the night?? Can anybody please enlighten me as to what I saw? I've never seen anything like it and my boyfriend doesn't believe me which makes it all the more annoying!

I've googled it and most people seem to think its an Iridium Flare, but this it was definitely not - it didn't last more than a tenth of a second.

[bomberbaz]

I would say a small shooting star exploding. Although you don't mentiopn seeing anything before hand other than the flash which is a little strange.

Oh and welcome to SGL too 

Edited September 28, 2013 by bomberbaz

[nerointegrale16v]

maybe a charged particle released from the sun which has caused single piont in the sky

a whole cloud of particles travelling in the solar wind and the right conditions produce the northern lights

or could have been a laser pen

[nytecam]

Plenty of geo-stationary sats below Orion's Belt - maybe a glint off one or a rocket that put it there :-)

[mgg505]

Thanks for your replies! Yeah, there was nothing before the flash it just seemed very random - hence why I thought I was just seeing things!! I'll be looking out again tonight if its clear .

[Oily]

Sounds like something from Jeff Waynes' 'War of The Worlds'

Edited September 28, 2013 by Oily

[Paul M]

The geostationary satellite belt is a long way out, some 22,000 miles above the sub satellite point. It would be some glint at that range! But you never know.

Another angle to consider is a phenomenon within the human eye.

Some time ago I started to see occasional flashes in the night sky always in my peripheral field but very realistic. A bout the same time I started to develop a lot of quite bad "floaters". Both these symptoms can indicate retinal detachment. I've had my eyes checked out all ways up and there is no retinal damage.

What has happened is that as we age the gelatinous fluid in the eye (vitreous Humor) can contract leaving debris that we see as floaters and it can pull the retina away with it. More often than not it just gets "twanged" by the movement of the Vitreous Humor and generates impulses we see as flashes.

It caught me out a few times. Particularly if I made a rapid eye movement. The eye ball moves but the inertia of the fluid causes a lag and drag on the retina.

There are very few things that can cause momentary visible flashes in the night sky. Iridium flares are actually relatively slow and have an easily discernible rise and fall time and an obvious movement of the object.

Anyway, might be worth considering...

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'm going to go along with the eyeball theory. It can and does happen that when in the dark we see minute flashes of light. Its very annoying while observing a meteor shower because every time it happens,i think i missed a meteor in my peripheral vision. I usually see red or white flashes.

[Scott]

Sounds like something from Jeff Waynes' 'War of The Worlds'

C'mon Oily... the chances of anything coming from mars are a million to one (they said). .

Sorry mgg505, can't help I'm afraid.

[Pig]

C'mon Oily... the chances of anything coming from mars are a million to one (they said). .

Sorry mgg505, can't help I'm afraid.

I thought I was cheesy

[Scott]

I thought I was cheesy

Haha...maybe you are, I'm just cheesier

[Pig]

Age is a pain, I hope my retinas don't become detached

[Scott]

Age is a pain, I hope my retinas don't become detached

I see what you're saying, well I would if I could find my damn glasses...........I'll stop now

[Kaili]

I created an account so I could respond. But now I'm seeing it's from 2013 😔 I hope it's still active. I have been trying to figure out what this tiny little green flash is in the sky for years I've seen it multiple times every once in a while I've had a friend see it as well and just about 2 weeks ago my mother saw it with me too and I've been in two different locations when I've seen this and I have not for the life of me been able to figure out from anybody what it could possibly be. but it is a tiny neon green flash almost like a very very far away camera flash itty bitty very isolated. And only once have I ever observed it Flash and then flash again a few seconds later but in a different spot and then again a few seconds later and in a different spot. I'm thankful that I have witnesses and in different types of people but still just no answers. 

[Astro Noodles]

 

21 hours ago, Kaili said:

I created an account so I could respond. But now I'm seeing it's from 2013 😔 I hope it's still active. I have been trying to figure out what this tiny little green flash is in the sky for years I've seen it multiple times every once in a while I've had a friend see it as well and just about 2 weeks ago my mother saw it with me too and I've been in two different locations when I've seen this and I have not for the life of me been able to figure out from anybody what it could possibly be. but it is a tiny neon green flash almost like a very very far away camera flash itty bitty very isolated. And only once have I ever observed it Flash and then flash again a few seconds later but in a different spot and then again a few seconds later and in a different spot. I'm thankful that I have witnesses and in different types of people but still just no answers. 

 

Hi Kaili

Whereabouts in the sky did you observe this?

[MKHACHFE]

I would suggest that it's a meteor that's heading in your general direction. Plenty of them are green and I've seen many flashes that I took to be what I suggested.

 

But who knows eh?

[Barry Fitz-Gerald]

I do not know if this is the same thing, but on a number of occasions I have seen a very bright point like flash somewhere in the region of mag -5 or brighter in various parts of the sky. A second or two later there is a repeat flash, at a slightly different position, but less bright sometimes followed by other much dimmer ones again displaced from the original location. I have got my bino's onto the part of the relevant part of the sky a couple of times and I have seen a feint point of light moving from the position of the original flash, and again with the occasional further but dimmer flashes occurring.  I am guessing that this is a satellite - not a geostationary one as it is clearly moving - that presents a broad surface or solar panel to the sunlight at the point where the bright flash is seen. Why we see only a few flashes might be down to the configuration of the satellite, how it is rotating, viewing angle and so on - but I am satisfied that they represent man made space litter.

I used to get quite excited at seeing a satellite when I first started observing in the 1960's as they were pretty infrequent - the other night I saw 3 simultaneously in the field of view of my 10x56 binos.   I did not get excited, but I did sigh a little.

 

Barry.