Unidentified Object

[Hazel Massey]

Hi, my name is Hazel and I've just found and joined this forum as I wondered if anyone knows what I saw on Sunday night (17th July 2022).

I decided to sleep outside on one of our sun loungers as it was something I always wanted to do and took the opportunity as it had been so hot.

It was a beautiful clear sky, full of stars and it was difficult to sleep as all I wanted to do was watch the sky.  At around 11.00 pm I was thrilled to see the ISS pass over.  I had seen it many times before and followed it with my binoculars until it disappeared over the horizon.

However, when I told my husband the next morning, he said it couldn't have been the ISS as it was completely the wrong route and he said it must have been a plane.  I know 100% it was NOT a plane as it zoomed across the sky, had no lights and was bright just as I had always seen the ISS in the past.  In fact, we just watched the ISS fly over our house at 10.18 pm this evening (Tuesday)  I said, yes, that was what I saw!!  But, of course, the one I saw was flying in the opposite direction.

Can anyone throw a light on this?  I don't know if this makes any difference but we live in Suffolk.

[LukeSkywatcher]

A satellite. 10 to a dozen in the night sky. They are nowhere near as bright as the ISS. Perhaps an Iridium satellite.

Edited July 19, 2022 by LukeSkywatcher

[Gfamily]

There isn't any other satellite that is anywhere near as bright as the ISS, so if it wasn't the ISS it probably wasn't a satellite . 

The Heavens-above website gives the times for ISS passages, and on 17th July they were at their max height at about 10:20 and at 11:58, so it wouldn't have been the ISS (if your timing was accurate). 

Are you saying that the track you saw on Sunday started in the East and travelled towards the West?  That would be very unusual in a satellite (as they tend to use the Earth's spin to give them extra speed at launch so tend to traves from West to East. There are many satellites that have a North/South orbit, which might have 'looked like the wrong direction', but it's hard to say for sure. 

NB the Heavens-Above website doesn't suggest any bright satellites moving from East to West on Sunday. 

[Elp]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

I've checked an old version of stellarium I have, don't know how accurate it is now but any ISS transit it is bang on. I can't see any E to W satellites, the only ones I've found atm are the following:

Delta 2 rises in W and sets in E:

 

Titan 4B RB rises in NNW and sets around E:

 

Cosmos 2221 rises around S and sets in N:

 

The latter two are later than 11pm though.

[Hazel Massey]

Hello.  Thank you for the information above.  I actually went on to the Heavens-above website the next morning and after my husband said it couldn't be the ISS, I checked and saw that the timings of the ISS that night did not match the time I saw it or, of course, the direction.

To clarify, it went across the sky coming from the south and definitely went very fast across to the north. where it disappeared.  It was as bright as the ISS and there was no doubt in my mind at the time that was what it was until I was told that it couldn't have been.  I'm familiar with the sky and the satellites (10 to the dozen) which Luke Starwatcher mentions, we see all the time and was nothing like those.  I was watching it through binoculars, go across the sky at the most for 2 minutes or less, too fast for a plane.  I confirm I saw it just before 11.00pm.  Perhaps it will remain a mystery!

[newbie alert]

The ISS passes from horizon to horizon in roughy 6 mins..  my experience with iridium satilites you only see for a spit second hence the name iridium flare as the sunlight reflects off them..

[neil phillips]

Dont forget military satellites. They do exist. And some are likely not listed. 

[Greymouser]

First, hi Hazel and welcome to the forum.

I would agree it would be a satellite and suggest you try one of the several satellite tracking apps out there. Orbitrack used to be good, but it now seems to have gone to pot. There are several on Google and I would presume on Apple if that floats your boat. Worth a try anyway, especially if you can find a free one.

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi  Hazel, welcome. There's plenty up there these days. 

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire  :-)