Bright flash

[Rustang]

I've seen a few small flashes before but tonight I just saw a really bright flash high up towards the North, I'm pretty sure I saw a much smaller one just below it a few seconds later. It was as if someone flicked on and off a torch really quickly. Anyone else seen any random flashes in the nights sky before!? 

And no it's not a plane! 😊

[Gfamily]

21 minutes ago, Rustang said:

I've seen a few small flashes before but tonight I just saw a really bright flash high up towards the North, I'm pretty sure I saw a much smaller one just below it a few seconds later. It was as if someone flicked on and off a torch really quickly. Anyone else seen any random flashes in the nights sky before!? 

And no it's not a plane! 😊

Iridium satellites used to be frequent sources of 'flares', and being in Polar orbits, they were often see at high latitudes. 

However, many of the older satellites have been de-orbited, and they are being replaced with smaller antennae, so they don't produce the same effect as before.   

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

4 hours ago, Rustang said:

I've seen a few small flashes before but tonight I just saw a really bright flash high up towards the North, I'm pretty sure I saw a much smaller one just below it a few seconds later. It was as if someone flicked on and off a torch really quickly. Anyone else seen any random flashes in the nights sky before!? 

And no it's not a plane! 😊

The simple answer is "yes". Keep looking and eventually something will startle or intrigue you... 

The last time was about three weeks ago at dusk. From the garden I saw two lights blink in the distance. One even changed from white to red. Then 'poof' both gone. I ran for the 10x50s and after maybe a minute discovered the culprits... silhouetted against the sunset was the distinct shape of a hot air balloon and basket beneath... It's hard to judge but anywhere from 5-10 miles distant.

I guessed the lights were the burners being switched on/off and the flames changing colour.

At a very late hour last year I was out observing and actually got spooked by two lights appearing from nowhere, travelling for a few seconds then off again. Same apparent distance, perpendicular to each other but seemingly widely spaced and moving at the same speed, like in formation. Probably satellites catching sun light, but slightly unnerving at the time.

As for iridium flares and other random flashes, again, yes on several occasions. I put down the flashes as meteors on a steep trajectory - I imagine if it's coming straight at you, there will be a flash as it fizzles out and no tail. Either that or alien spacecraft decloaking.

[wxsatuser]

6 hours ago, Rustang said:

I've seen a few small flashes before but tonight I just saw a really bright flash high up towards the North, I'm pretty sure I saw a much smaller one just below it a few seconds later. It was as if someone flicked on and off a torch really quickly. Anyone else seen any random flashes in the nights sky before!? 

And no it's not a plane! 😊

Almost every imaging session.
Single bright flashes or the on and off of a tumbling sat.