Is this an Ursid Meteor?

[lilewis]

I'm new to astronomy and also new to night photography, but have recently taken an interest in photographing star trails and anything else interesting in the night sky with my Olympus E5 outfitted with a Triggertrap intervelometer.

Last night I saw on timeanddate.com that the Ursid meteor shower may be visible in my area at almost due north about 30+ deg over the horizon between 7pm and 10pm, so I set my camera up hoping to catch meteors crossing start trails.

I took over 500 18 second shots with  2 second gaps and stacked them using the Startrails software.  Upon viewing the final stack, I found one streak starting on the left side of the photo and fading out near the center.   I assume this is an Ursid meteor but I am confused because when I went back to look at the individual photos where this appeared, there were 2 photos that made this capture.  Each was 18 seconds. 

It was my impression that these meteors show up and are gone in the blink of an eye. The two second gap gives me a good reference as to how long this event lasted and I'm guessing it was +/- 30 seconds.

I think the speed indicates it to be an airplane, but all of the airplanes I've captured have two parrallel streaks from the wingtips and a pulsating red light.

So my question here is:  Is this a meteorite or an airplane?

[wxsatuser]

Could be ISS........in your location it was around at approx at 18.28utc

[ronl]

Looks like an Iridium flare http://milnersblog.com/2012/08/16/the-iridium-flare/

this will explain it.

[ronin]

If the duration was in the region of 30 sec then not a meteor, as you say they are over in a matter of 2-4 seconds as a rule. Only something the size of the one over Russia lasts any real length of time.

Iridium flares again last 8, 10, 12 seconds, longer then a meteor but not 30 seconds, additionally the image shows whatever gaining in brightness, so you would have the fade down as well which is much the same duration. So if an iridium flare it would be around 60 seconds duration and that is too long by a significant amount.

Very much suspect one of the many satellites that are circling around above us. Think there are about 20-25000 of them, so taking images as you were it is almost a certainty that you would get at least one and a bit odd not more.

If a N/S path it could have been an Iridium satellite, just not one that produced a flare at that time. They do not go round flaring all the time.

Reason for the brightening will be that it is exiting the earths shadow and coming into sunlight. There are a couple of sites that list the brighter/important satellites: heavens-above and calsky. You could enter your co-ordinates in, wind the time back and see if anything fits. Problem still is they may list 100 or 200 satellites but as said there are many thousands up there.

[lilewis]

Thank you all for  your replies.

The camera was pointing north/northwest. The streak was coming from the south.  CanI assume that is the direction that ISS and any/all  irridium satellites move (from my location) at this time? I will look up the sites that you mention above to see if I can ID it.

[DRT]

I think the path of the ISS seen from you location would be from SW to NE. Depending on how clear it is near the horizon it is visible for around three minutes.

[lilewis]

Thank you, DRT

[Charic]

nice shot, whatever it is?

[LukeSkywatcher]

The gap in the middle leads me to think its a satellite flare (Iridium).