Unexpected sight

[cutepetgroomer]

So I was looking through my 50mm telescope with a focal length of 700mm I saw what appeared to be a white cloud but there are no clouds tonight and I double checked what I was viewing through my telescope with my chart . Apparently I was able to pick up the omega centauri cluster with my telescope a bit. That thrilled me to see some deep space objects. Now what freaked me out an airplane passing right through my sight in the telescope. What awe struck me was seeing with my naked eye a very bright meteor or possible comet it was bright and it came close to earth it seemed before it veered away or faded away. It looked very interesting to me.

[Pete Presland]

i have never seen omega centauri star cluster myself. i dont think it visible from, here but it looks fantastic in the imagesi have seen. as for your "very bright meteor or possible comet" it would be a meteor, comets appear to move much to slower to us on earth. sounds like you had an interesting night anyway!

[ronin]

I assume you can see the Plough (Dipper) from Texas.

Go find the last star in the handle Alkaid, just below it you MAY see a small fuzzy smudge.

It is an incoming comet, another of the PanStarrs discoveries.

A google search should identify what the full name/designation is.

As ever the less light pollution the better.

[cutepetgroomer]

Yes I can see both Ursa Major (Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) from where I'm located in texas. I agree the less light pollution the better. I was simply trying a few eye pieces my instructors lent me and I was trying to locate Saturn but I wasn't paying attention to where I was pointing the telescope. and yes very interesting night indeed.

[aging_hippy]

One of my most memorable sights on a bright moonlit but partly cloudy night was at about 4am. After hearing approaching honking a large skein of about 40 geese flew over at about 50 feet, backlit by a full moon. Unforgettable.