Bizarre red moving object

[Neilos]

Hi all, first post here but hopefully the first of many.

I was out with my friend earlier tonight in East Yorkshire watching/trying to watch (thanks, unforecast patchy cloud) the Delta Aquariids/Alpha Capricornids. At about 12:20am or so my friend saw a fairly slow-moving red 'thing' and pointed it out to me. We watched it in confusion, not really knowing what we were seeing, but definitely seeing it.

It was first spotted midway between the horizon and zenith in the south, and moved overhead towards the north, going out of sight in the clouds/light glow close to the horizon in the north. It took around 8-10 seconds to make this journey.

It was a 'lump' rather than a point of light, reasonably large (I didn't measure at the time but I'd guess a thumbnail at arm's length) and had a dull, reddish appearance, without well-defined edges. It left no trail and its brightness didn't seem to change. There was no sound at all and no wind.

I've never seen anything like it before so can't even compare it to anything (except maybe an owl which had swallowed a chinese lantern). But I can rule out a plane, helicopter, kite, bat, bird, balloon and chinese lantern.

I was just wondering if anyone had any idea at all what it might have been?

Thanks!

[Neilos]

Ah, forgot (and I can't seem to find an edit post button) - it wasn't 'bright'. Far, far duller than even a quarter moon, can't really compare it to anything due to it being red and not a point of light. I know that's slightly unhelpful, sorry!

[kalasinman]

Interesting. My son in Oregon was taking some star pics with a 150mm tele and imaged a very similar sounding object, except color was blue. He took a series of images. It was moving opposite to the apparent star rotation.

[PaulABS]

Someone mentioned to me these could be flying paper lanterns  celebrating the last day of Ramadan (don't quote me on this), but it could be an explanation.

Cheers,

Paul.

[wxsatuser]

You say "slow moving" but it traversed 3/4 of the sky in 8>10 seconds, that ain't slow.

[Neilos]

Someone mentioned to me these could be flying paper lanterns  celebrating the last day of Ramadan (don't quote me on this), but it could be an explanation.

Cheers,

Paul.

 

I'm fairly sure it wasn't one of those - only very light wind, the 'thing' was moving against the direction it was blowing and didn't look like any lantern I've ever seen. Timing would be right though (Eid is today, so 'thing' appeared 20 mins or so after it started).

[Neilos]

You say "slow moving" but it traversed 3/4 of the sky in 8>10 seconds, that ain't slow.

Now you mention it, no, I suppose it's not. I just perceived it as being slow-moving at the time - none of the abrupt zippiness of the meteors, but then they only travel short distances.

[leelee970]

I have to say it could be a Chinese lantern. 

 

The first time I saw one of these at night - it moved across the still sky; slower than an aircraft and obviously without sound or flashing port/starboard lights.

 

It had an orange/red glow to it.

 

Then it was followed by another a few minutes later, and then another.

 

Then someone on here mentioned a Chinese lantern and all fitted into place.

 

 

Lee

[Scott]

Hi all, first post here but hopefully the first of many.

I was out with my friend earlier tonight in East Yorkshire watching/trying to watch (thanks, unforecast patchy cloud) the Delta Aquariids/Alpha Capricornids. At about 12:20am or so my friend saw a fairly slow-moving red 'thing' and pointed it out to me. We watched it in confusion, not really knowing what we were seeing, but definitely seeing it.

It was first spotted midway between the horizon and zenith in the south, and moved overhead towards the north, going out of sight in the clouds/light glow close to the horizon in the north. It took around 8-10 seconds to make this journey.

It was a 'lump' rather than a point of light, reasonably large (I didn't measure at the time but I'd guess a thumbnail at arm's length) and had a dull, reddish appearance, without well-defined edges. It left no trail and its brightness didn't seem to change. There was no sound at all and no wind.

I've never seen anything like it before so can't even compare it to anything (except maybe an owl which had swallowed a chinese lantern). But I can rule out a plane, helicopter, kite, bat, bird, balloon and chinese lantern.

I was just wondering if anyone had any idea at all what it might have been?

Thanks!

That really is a fair lump, the full moon is only that size .

I've no idea really what could be that big. if it was a lantern, it wouldn't of been more than about fifty feet away?

[Neilos]

One can never be 100% about anything in life, but I'm as close to certain as I can be that it wasn't a lantern. Seen plenty of those and it was nothing like one - moved far too quickly, against the direction of the (very light) wind, much duller colour and not as bright, wasn't rising and the flame of the lantern tends to create a subtle flicker (especially at low altitudes), which this didn't have.

[kalasinman]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fb1gsvxmj4cg73r/BlueObject.zip Link to my son's series about the similar (?) blue object

[kalasinman]

so here is a stack of the images and a crop.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Insect being lit up from below by street light?

[kalasinman]

My son is a military trained observer. Not an insect. A blue street light???

[Scott]

My son is a military trained observer. Not an insect. A blue street light???

Are you certain Paul was answering you or was he answering the O.P.? I don't think anyone is suggesting your son is an insect.I'm unsure what being a military trained observer is. Is it something to do with strange unexplained blue objects.  I don't know what the streetlights are like where your son is but in Sydney, some streetlights have a blue tinge about them. I also think your question mark key is broken, there's three where one would have sufficed.

People are trying to help the op by providing logical and experienced answers. 

[Joseki]

OP - Just a comment on the wind front - wind direction can change with height so its not possible to say whether it was moving against the wind based on just surface based observations. Assuming it was a lantern that would fit with it being faint ie it was high.

[LukeSkywatcher]

My son is a military trained observer. Not an insect. A blue street light???

OK maybe not a street light. It could just be ambient light reflecting off of it. I still think its an insect.

[Cornelius Varley]

so here is a stack of the images and a crop.

The "blue blob" is diagonally opposite the brightest object in the image (Jupiter ?) . The blob is most likely an internal reflection in the camera's lens.

[cotterless45]

If it's slow, bizarre and red it'll be a Routemaster bus.

[Cornelius Varley]

If it's slow, bizarre and red it'll be a Routemaster bus.

Another one will be along in a minute

[michaelmorris]

It does sound like a low flying Chinese lantern that is going out (hence only dull red).  Wind directions and strength can change rapidly with high so the ground level wind direction may sometimes be a poor indicator of wind directions higher up.

[Zakalwe]

It does sound like a low flying Chinese lantern that is going out (hence only dull red).  Wind directions and strength can change rapidly with high so the ground level wind direction may sometimes be a poor indicator of wind directions higher up.

Very much this. The wind travels at different speeds and directions depending on height. Any glider pilot of anyone that's ever been in a hot-air balloon will confirm this.

[michaelmorris]

so here is a stack of the images and a crop.

So that we can get an idea of speed across the sky, the following information would be helpful.

Approximate field of view (degrees), length of each exposure, time between each exposure. I assume this is a stack of six exposures - is this correct?

Regards

[Neilos]

so here is a stack of the images and a crop.

What I saw was similar to those, but more pronounced and (obviously) red. But similar sort of vague edges.

[Neilos]

It does sound like a low flying Chinese lantern that is going out (hence only dull red).  Wind directions and strength can change rapidly with high so the ground level wind direction may sometimes be a poor indicator of wind directions higher up.

True, but ground conditions were almost entirely still (Met Office observation history said 2 mph), and we were in the middle of a high-pressure area.

For the wind to propel a non-powered item across the sky as quickly as this thing went, it would need to have been at least 10 times stronger at a level not far above the ground (any higher than 30-40 metres, a lantern would have appeared too small for this object). Probably 20-25mph if it was around average pigeon flight height (it was moving slower than a pigeon flying low overhead appears to, and I believe that's 30-35mph-ish) - and I couldn't realistically see that happening in those conditions.