satellite question for an idiot!

[girl]

i live in newcastle uk and i've noticed there are a lot of very bright objects in the sky at night that shine like stars but aren't stars.. they're angular and big.. i'm quite a bit stupid and would like someone to tell me if these are satellites.. if so, when did they take over the skies above tyne & wear?? how many are there?? what's their purpose? i apologise in advance for my stupidity!

[rowan46]

welcome to sgl, not a stupid question there's no such thing. except for the ones I ask this site will tell you what's up there and when

Heavens-Above Home Page

[Starlight 1]

what's their purpose?

TV, moble phones, GPS, Weather, Just about any thing you can think of.

[Stu]

Are you talking about objects which move across the sky quite quickly or just move with the background stars each night but change position over successive nights?

The two bright 'stars' to the west in the evening are Venus and Jupiter. The bright red one in the south is Mars.

The only really bright satellite is the space station and Heavens Above will tell you when that is visible - at the moment I think it's going over early morning around 4 or 5 am. Any other satellites are just small points of light moving across the sky. Iridium flares can go very bright for 10 seconds or so, then fade away again.

I'm guessing however, that you are referring to the planets I mentioned first. Does all that rambling help at all?

Stu

[SeedyF]

Satelites aren't stationery objects - you might see them moving slowly across the sky, some suddenly appear very bright then dim quickly. Some are REALLY bright like the space station. And there are thousands up there!!

If they have flashing lights they're planes, but I'm sure you're not confusing them

[girl]

thank you all for your replies - and for not saying i'm an idiot! i think these objects must be satellites as they're so huge and bright and move and disappear.. i haven't really spent any time observing them but will now.. i just like to look at the sky now and then and these objects puzzle me. can someone get them to move, please.. they're spoiling my view of the sky.. thanks!

[Stu]

Well I'm none the wiser so do let us know what they are! They sound more like helicopters to me if they move and disappear.

Which direction are they in? Do the appear in the early evening and disappear down below the horizon later on in the same direction as the sun. What makes you describe them as huge, just that they are bright?

Am intrigued

Stu

[Cornelius Varley]

Satellites that quickly grow brighter and then disappear again are known as Iridium Flares. You can see predictions for these satellites in Heavens-Above.

Peter

[Daveb3650]

I'm Tyne and Wear too,,,, I havent noticed anything weird here....I know where Mars is......I know where Venus and Jupiter are.... there are lots of those stars with wings here,,,er,,,,,I mean planes

[Stu]

I actually think it is Jupiter and Venus. They are the only things bright enough to be noticed in this way, they move and disappear in that they are visible in the early evening and then set later on. Also, with the two moving noticeably in relation to each other that may explain girl thinking they are satellites.

I could be wrong, but that's my bet

Stu

[ronin]

They are not satellites as they are small and move rapidly across your view.

Angular and big is pretty precise, but does not match with anything I can think of.

Chinese lanterns perhaps, people do tend to set them off - are they an Orange/yellow colour ? If the skies are stable the they could hang around, we have had a high pressure over us for a few days.

Next thought was that there were a series of lasers being shone skyward about 2 weeks ago, same colours as a rainbow. Wonder if what you can see is related to that.

I guess you are not looking at Jupiter and Venus in the western skies?

[SteveA]

i live in newcastle uk and i've noticed there are a lot of very bright objects in the sky at night that shine like stars but aren't stars.. they're angular and big.. i'm quite a bit stupid and would like someone to tell me if these are satellites.. if so, when did they take over the skies above tyne & wear?? how many are there?? what's their purpose? i apologise in advance for my stupidity!

Aircraft ?

[Davey-T]

Obviously theyre UFOs surveying Newcastle as a possible landing site to take over

the World

Dave T

[SeedyF]

Obviously theyre UFOs surveying Newcastle as a possible landing site to take over

the World

Dave T

They haven't seen Geordie Shores yet....will be at least 4 light years before that gets out to the next star systems and gets the alien tourists flooding in.

[Stu]

So girl, here's the test. Are your lights there now? Are they in the west (ie where the sun set)? Is there one bright one almost vertically above a slightly dimmer one? If so, it is Venus above Jupiter.

Cheers

Stu