Any ideas?

[martin_h]

I didnt quite know where to post this, but here goes...

3 consecutive images taken across midnight on the 10/11 - 04 -12

Image 1(left) 10/04/12 -23:45

Image 2(middle) 11/04/12 - 00:02

Image 3(right) 11/04/12 - 00:17

The image is of M101, these are the original fits images converted to jpeg with no processing done to them.

So...where did the extra star come from, and where did it go?

Any ideas?

[dmahon]

Dunno, but something odd going on in lower left quadrant too (looking with my phone, apologies if obvious what it is)

[Shibby]

Martin, how long is each exposure?

[martin_h]

Martin, how long is each exposure?

15 mins each

[Shibby]

Hmm! Not something that was moving then... Unless it only flashed for the briefest moment.

[Damo636]

Intriguing one this

[richbyers]

mmm gonna keep checking back on this one, not an imager so dont know whether this could be an image artifact or not? is that possible?

[martin_h]

mmm gonna keep checking back on this one, not an imager so dont know whether this could be an image artifact or not? is that possible?

It could well be an artifact, but it looks like a star, to big for a hot pixel!! Whatever it is, it was only there for a maximum of 15 mins, and ist hasnt moved across the frame and out again...no trailing on it that I can see.

[Digz]

How intriguing, there also appears to be something, bottom, to the left on the central image as well.

Does look like the something happened to the sensor, but as you say its too big to be a hot pixel. Doubt its blooming as you would clearly see this elsewhere....really fascinating, I hope we find out what it was / is.

[martin_h]

The lower left marks are artifacts i get them a lot...here is a 400x zoom on them...you can see that they are pixel sized...unlike the blob(star?)

[Digz]

Ah, ok, yeah that explains those, but not the other 'artefact'

Could it be a really, really fast supernova lol

[martin_h]

Here is a 400x screen shot of the blob, the small white dots are hot pixels...it does look like a star..but a 15 min supernova????? LOL

[eddy]

Wow im watching this with Intrigue, by no means am i a spooky dooky or else "A beliber!" but, yeah bit of a weird one this!

[Digz]

Here is a 400x screen shot of the blob, the small white dots are hot pixels...it does look like a star..but a 15 min supernova????? LOL

lol, exactly. Im really struggling to see what could cause that on the sensor.

[martin_h]

Now you see it - now you dont!! 400x zoom on the area, bottom frame is 15 mins later......who knows!

[richbyers]

very very intersting this

[StuW]

Very unlikely, but a perfectly head on meteor maybe?

[Asur84]

Im very intrigued as my first guess was mine field in space but I have just been playing some space shoot em ups though

[iwatkins]

Cosmic rays?

Head on meteor would work. Or space junk burning up.

Would love to think it was a 15min nova, but I don't know how likely that is?

Intriguing.

Cheers

Ian

[richbyers]

wasnt the star T-Bootes a nova that flared up and has never been seen since?

my text book says that they take several days to flare up to about a factor of 10power3 of its original brightness, and then longer to die down again though

[Ganymede12]

How much light pollution was in the area when this was taken? Is it possible that its a glare from a light that shined into the scope?

Or is it....could it possibly be....Aliens?

Probably not. What about a pulsar star? That perfectly head on meteor theory is quite likely. Still, it's spooky!

Try submitting it to Sky At Night, see what they make of it.

[knobby]

I'd say its E.T. at a star party pointing to Earth with a Laser pointer telling his kids. ' I went there '

[swamp thing]

Hi Martin

Why not try posting in the imaging section? The peeps on there may well know.

A lot of strange stuff picked up on camera can be easily explained by these guys n gals.

Regards Steve

[mike.brightmore]

Hi Martin

A SN would look exactly like the image but of course would be around for days, if not months. I think its worth a look by the professionals.

[richbyers]

How much light pollution was in the area when this was taken? Is it possible that its a glare from a light that shined into the scope?

Or is it....could it possibly be....Aliens?

Probably not. What about a pulsar star? That perfectly head on meteor theory is quite likely. Still, it's spooky!

Try submitting it to Sky At Night, see what they make of it.

pulsars are usually found by other means than visible light