Meteorite

[Piers127]

I just saw a meteorite! Shot across from right to left just above Algol. First I've ever witnessed.

Wonder whose satellite that one was...?

[John]

Was it a satellite or a meteor - or did you see both ?.

They are meteors in the sky but metrorites if they get down to the earth.

On satellites, the Heavens Above website will give you the pass times and tracks of the brighter satellites if you set up a login (free) with your location details. You might be able to work out which one you saw from that:

Heavens-Above Home Page

[Piers127]

I stand corrected, thanks! Meteor or satellite I have no idea, I'll check out the link, cheers!

[Piers127]

Interesting, Heavens Above doesn't list a transit at the time I saw. Reckon some debris, then. Quite interesting.

[JamesF]

Stellarium can also show a fair number of satellites if you configure it to do so.

In a couple of weeks time though, we may well have far more meteors in the sky as we get to the peak of the Draconid meteor shower around the 9th of October. There were loads in late July/early August during the Perseid shower -- I think one night I counted at least twelve without even trying and on another had two pass through my field of view in quick succession when I was actually at the eyepiece.

Given there are significant showers almost once a month (ie significant enough to be given a name) it amazes me that people seem to notice so few of them. Maybe they just don't spend enough time looking upwards

James

[John]

It's amazing what you can see up there. In 2008 an astronaut let a tool bag loose from the ISS. It was 20 inches by 12 inches in size but quite reflective. Along with others I'm sure, I was able to spot this with binoculars just ahead of the ISS itself. I think it burned up in the atmosphere a few months later.

Certainly the smallest "off Earth" thing I've even observed, apart from meteors.

[Swift]

I caught some ridiculously bright meteors around 3.30-4am this morning, one around mag -2 which travelled north-south through Monoceros and one that had to be mag -4 or -5! This one ripped east-west through Cetus leaving a scorching violet trail which took several seconds to fade - awesome sight. Anybody know of any special reason why there might be stupidly bright meteors in the southern sky at the moment?

That tool bag is one heck of a tiny object to be able to say you've seen, especially through binos!!!