blinking stars?

[tfg111]

Has anyone seen the grid of twinkling lights in the night sky? They form a grid and have a distinct pattern almost like a string of satellites. Does anyone know what they are?

[Dave In Vermont]

You are describing artificial satellites, which sometimes are in a chain of the same type. True stars may 'twinkle' a bit due to atmospheric refraction, but not as a 'grid.'

Where did you see this?

Dave

[barkis]

Probably some folks celebrating some event or other, a Birthday, or wedding perhaps.
The lights could be Chinese Lanterns. The flame that keeps them aloft in their pink paper bags will be the twinkling you perceive.
They send them up in groups, and not the first time reports of this kind are made because of them.
Stars do twinkle of course, as they are point sources, and an unsteady atmosphere can cause them to disappear and re appear in quick time.
I'd bet on the Lanterns at a distance. I would ban them, they can be dangerous, and at times have caused fires when they land still lit.

[Stu]

4 hours ago, tfg111 said:

Has anyone seen the grid of twinkling lights in the night sky? They form a grid and have a distinct pattern almost like a string of satellites. Does anyone know what they are?

Are these lights moving against the background stars, or fixed in relation to them?

[acey]

NOSS satellites move in a triangular pattern, which I've seen, but I wouldn't call that a grid or string as the OP suggests, and they don't twinkle. A thread about NOSS is here:

Other possible explanations: Chinese lanterns (most likely) or the optical llusion of thinking that stars are moving when they aren't. I've seen both on many occasions. The "moving star" illusion is very striking, and it's only by noting positions relative to the horizon that I can be sure the stars are doing no more than their usual celestial slow motion on the sky.

If none of those then aircraft.