Big blue flash in the south, anyone?

[ollypenrice]

Probably too low for the UK but last night (6 Jan) three of us saw a brilliant blue flash at 10.27 french time (+1hour over UK.) We are at 44.19 north 05.38 east. The flash was a tad west of due south and about 15 degrees elevation. Not like a firework, which is spikey looking, but somehow smooth. It was suffieciently long lived to get us all to look up after we caught its reflection in the snow but it was a flash rather than a sustained light. No isea what it was.

Also got a nice view of the Rosette in our little Pronto using a 35 Panoptic and 2 inch O111. It showed very easiy as a milky glow arund the NGC2244 cluster. Lovely.

Olly

[Coco]

Olly

I saw a flash around 11.00 / 11.40 PM it was to right of M42. I was looking at M42 and peered up over my scope.

I thought to myself what if it was a gamma burst from maybe an exploding star, I thought that was odd, what if all astronomers who saw it were blinded by it, would the government issue dire warnings of the dangers of stargazing ... Seriously !

How strange, glad i wasn't imagining something

Guy

[DavidB]

This is spooky.

I saw a big blue flash in the south on 28th December at 5:40 a.m. from near Warminster in UK (59deg 9min North 2deg 2min West)

I had been observing Mars and Saturn and the flash was very bright between these two planets but nearer Saturn. The coordinates were approximately azimuth 190deg alt 43deg.

I asked on this site what it might have been and was given the space station as a possibility. But on going to Heavens Above site it did not seem that the space station would be visible there and then. I still do not know what it was but it was really really bright.

[Towa]

Hi Olly

I live in Mega-Watt valley, or as we called it during our NBC training in school, Mega-death valley.

Not only were we a primary target, but the Soviets had 2 follow up nukes to finish us off.

It's quite common for me to see a blue flash in the sky during certain weather conditions, in my case

it is the power stations and overhead lines which are about 7 miles from me.

I also get the same effect but on a smaller scale from the high-speed electric trains as they speed

up and down the East coast mainline.

[ollypenrice]

I hadn't realized that iridium flares reach mag-9 so it might have been that, but surely 15 or so degrees would be too low for the satelleite to catch the sunlight? Maybe not.

Coco, your eyes wouldn't see a gamma ray burst though some Finnish amateurs did manage to image a visual aftermath a few years back.

Olly

[LeoLion]

Hi , There is an All Sky Camera in operation 'dans la sud de francais' or thereabouts ( very schoolboy franglais ) . Here is the link All Sky Camera, Station d'observation video de meteore, Cerilly (Auvergne, France) . It may be worth making contact with Stephane Jouin . The maps on the site show the area his camera covers. There are some other active fireball all sky operators in France. There are links from Stephane's site .

What is winter like down your way ? Colder by the day here in West Yorkshire,

Bonne annee ! (sorry no accent !! on the e !)

[G-James]

I could swear I saw something like this on the 28th, at about 9pm.

It was just below Orion. I thought I was imagining things, but maybe I wasn't...

[Phil Fargaze]

I live not very far from some railway lines and I have noticed that sometimes from my location, when the conditions are right I sometimes see a blue flash, which will be the electric arc from the rails or cables. `Towa` mentioned trains as well. Looking at your location though I don`t think there is a railway line nearby.

[haitch]

Olly

what if all astronomers who saw it were blinded by it, would the government issue dire warnings of the dangers of stargazing ... Seriously !

Guy

No but if you hear a clicking noise after that'll be the Triffids.