Star Turning Into Two

[TopHouse]

No, not a double star question, well, not that sort. It was approximately 35 years ago, give or take a couple of years. The lad who lived next door to us and myself were out playing, it had started to go dark and the stars were out. Then one of us noticed it, we both watched it for a good ten minutes, almost mesmerised. There was a star in the sky, that kept turning into two stars, then one again, then two, only a few seconds between it being one and then two. Does anyone know what we could have seen?

[Mick UK]

Perhaps you both seen a bottle of Vodka off each:p:D

[TopHouse]

It was 35 years ago, when kids were still good and chavs hadn't been invented.

[astoc]

Was this in the summer? Perhaps your view of an ordinary double was continually distorted by thermal currents as the ground cooled down.

John

[John]

It could have been a naked eye double star (for example Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major) with the atmospheric conditions making them alternate between resolvable and non-resolvable.

[russ]

I would go with the above ideas from the Johns' of a naked eye double being affected by bad seeing. Sounds very plausible.

Russ

[LukeSkywatcher]

Sounds like the best explanation to me also.

[TopHouse]

Well, if it helps, not being overly familiar yet with what is where. it would have been maybe between 8 and 10pm, it was in a SSW direction and about 40, 45 degrees up, it was splitting sideways, not up and down. Does that help any?

[John]

Well, if it helps, not being overly familiar yet with what is where. it would have been maybe between 8 and 10pm, it was in a SSW direction and about 40, 45 degrees up, it was splitting sideways, not up and down. Does that help any?

If you use Stellarium, try putting the year and approx month in and see what lies in the direction you indicate at that time.

[TopHouse]

You aren't just a pretty face are you jah? I'll give it a go. year and month might be a bit hard though, it was about 35 years ago lol

[astoc]

Unfortunately I think the month would be the most important bit!

[pvaz]

I'm sure it must have been an UFO.