Saturn and satellite in the EP?

[Madhatter]

A few nights ago i was observing saturn at about 10pm, something moved through the EPs field of view, it moved from north to south just to the right of saturn very quickly-mabey 1 third of a second. it looked like a normal satellite does too the naked eye, just much faster moving.

Does this sound like a satellite? or mabey space debris?

[david o]

Could be, have checked it out on Heavens Above ?

[Madhatter]

Hi David, i did not check out that website but i did have stellariam running with the satelite hints turned on, nothing was passing close enough to saturn on that program.

But a satelite would look considirably bigger in the EP than with the naked eye? thats whats confusing me too, it looked just like a satelite does with the naked eye, but through the EP.

[david o]

Possibly not, after all they are quite small in the grand scheme of things.

Still, it could be space debris the amount of litter and junk we leave behind us wherever we go...

[Madhatter]

Thats very true, i just thought it must be bigger at a much higher mag than the naked eye.

Do you have any idea what kind of speeds space debris can travel at? it would have to be moving awfuly fast too pass my FOV that quickly..

technicly i think this is my first UFO, i dont think its an alien spacecraft or anything crazy though:D

[david o]

You'd be surprised how fast things can pass through your FoV !

[Madhatter]

I guess it is a very small space for the object to travel:)

If you had too hazard a guess at what i saw, satelite or space debris? it wasnt showing on stellariam but i guess there must be alot of sats that dont.

[david o]

Your guess would be just as good as mine, TBH

But I'd go for satellite, if only because my mental image of space debris is that most of it would be too small to spot.

Could be wrong though, wouldn't be the first time

[yeti monster]

There's a lot of used rocket bodies etc. drifting about up there, and orbital velocity, even for these, is in the 1,000s of Kpm.