What kind of object is this I've caught while viewing VV 1606 just now?

[Martin Meredith]

15s subs

 

[Bill S]

Just a suggestion. Something like Cosmos 2227 rocket. Mag 2.2. But that's from Lincolnshire not Spain. May be worth looking on Heavens Above.

Or Starlink...

Cheers

Bill

 

 

https://heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?&satid=22285&mjd=59322.904717832

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Bill S

[Martin Meredith]

Thanks Bill. Here's part of one sub. It looks like something with a light flashing every 3 or 4 seconds since its a 15s sub. Distant plane? (ignore the two stars -- just a coincidence)

also on the *same* series is this one

which looks like a closer version of the same thing except that the 'flash' only occurred on one sub as it passed through. Both needed the same amount of time (~2mins) to cross the field (approx 0.44 degrees). Perhaps a fllght path towards Madrid or something but strange that I've not seen it before as the scope is quite often pointed that way at a similar altitude.

I often get things crossing the field but these were atypical...

Martin

[Paul M]

I say it's navigation lights and strobes on an plane.

I ve used Flightradar24 extensively to identify aircraft but there are a surprising number of them that don't carry ADSB transponders so they don't show on there. ADSB is fast becoming mandatory around the world so coverage is improving.

Many light aircraft and military aircraft won't show and also some commercial aircraft don't show.

Anyway, premium subscribers can replay air traffic movements and it might be possible to identify the aircraft in those subs.

It gets more difficult at lower elevations because more distant traffic is in the line of sight. Was it a close but low altitude plane or a distant high altitude plane?

[Martin Meredith]

Thanks Paul. The second one seemed to be closer (brighter flash) but who knows? Their apparent speed was more or less identical though, which is interesting (close and slow versus less close and faster...). 

[RobertI]

Interesting, so there seem to be 4 subs there, so does that mean it took 60 seconds to move across the FOV? If so that seems far too slow for a plane and unusually slow for a normal satellite. Also my initial thought was the flashing was due to satellite ‘tumbling’?