A friend of mine, likes to sit outside at night and look at the stars. However, there is one star that is much brighter and bigger than a normal star. Even when there are no stars out at night, that one is still out and brighter than ever. It also seems to move. One minute it is in one place and the next it is in a totally different place. He claims that it isn't a star, that it is a satellite put there to help the law watch people. I say he is crazy because if that was the case, more criminals would be going to jail. Has any one notice this star or know what this could be?
2007-10-02 09:49:30 · 11 answers · asked by JENNIFER S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
it could be a planet, seriously
about what time does it come out at night? it if comes out before ANY, literally ANY other star, i guarantee you it's Venus
another huge hint: does it 'twinkle?' it might be kind of hard to tell, but if you can both conclude that it is NOT twinkling, then it's not a star
2007-10-02 09:58:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Satellites can look like moving stars, but they don't go here and there and back again. They move steadily across the sky at about the same apparent speed as a high flying airliner and disappear over the horizon in a few minutes.
The planet Jupiter looks like a bright star in the southwest at sunset, and the Planet Venus looks like a very bright star in the east at sunrise. These would not move though, at least not in one night.
2007-10-02 10:40:12 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend has essentially described a sattlite- they travel quickly, and seem to flash different colored light. However, most of them are communications, and weather sattlites.
The sattlites that observe humans are called "Keyholes" like KH-11's, and are operated by the NSA and the CIA.
If its a bright light, and moves with the rotation of the earth and its late at night or early in the morning its probably Jupiter, the planet. If its even brighter, and its just before sunrise or after sunset, its probably Venus.
2007-10-02 09:57:35 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be a satellite.
I've watched something like that before, then it died out as if it were blocked by something.
What I saw was probably either a satellite or a planet.
Probably the same with what your friend saw.
2007-10-02 11:53:54 · answer #4 · answered by Michelle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would help if we knew where your friend is, what time and in what direction he sees this "star".
It could be Jupiter (if its early in the evening in the southwest), it could be Venus (if its just before sunrise in the east), could be Mars (if its in the south before sunrise).
It could be the ISS, and it could be an orbiting satellite.
2007-10-02 11:32:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a geostationary satellite (one that stayed in place above your location, instead of going around the earth several times a day) would be extremely small and impossible to see
more likely it's a planet
2007-10-02 10:04:45 · answer #6 · answered by MrPotatoHead 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is either an airplane or a satellite.
Both would move in a relatively straight line unless the airplane is turning.
2007-10-02 09:56:16 · answer #7 · answered by vpi61 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is Venus, a planet. Sometimes known as the morning star.
j
2007-10-02 09:57:27 · answer #8 · answered by The man 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We need more information.
Is this object apparent even on cloudy nights?
How does it move---does it move from horizon to horizon, or does it move back and forth?
Is it there every night?
Where are you located, approximately?
2007-10-02 09:59:41 · answer #9 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is probably right about it being a satellite.
It could also be a plane:)
2007-10-02 13:14:41 · answer #10 · answered by Hyu Nor 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋