In the early morning of Friday nov, 9th at 0300 I saw something bright in the sky. What was it? Mars? comet?

Question

I've done some research and I'm now even more confused. was it a ufo

so for the lack of details! I am in Labrador, Canada. Located in the northeast. It was located in the area where mars is... I think.It was flashing like crazy! It wasn't sparkling like a regular star, it was flashing bright and dull and then extreamly bright and dull, etc... It didn't look as though it had an orange tinge.I work at an FBO (private airport ). When I first saw the object it was very low and looked as though it was an aircraft. Then I realized it didn't have the correct headlights, so I assumed that it was a helicopter. I followed it for about 30 mins and realized that it wasn't a helicopter either. This first occured at about 0300. Eventually, after about an hour or so, it seemed as though it was getting furthur away ( perhaps because the sun was almost rising??? ) Anyway, I called the FBO where I work and got in contact with the control tower. They assured me that there were no aircrafts in the sky. I took a few video's on my cell phone e-mail me if u'd like to see

It was definatley in the east. My guess is that it was about 180deg from the little dipper. Very low in sky at 0300 - starting to rise by approx 0400 .. I've looked at some charts and it seems to be located near mars.I haven't been able to spot it since. Was the strangest thing I ever saw in the sky ( labrador is sparcly populated, and we don't have any major cities. I can see the nite sky perfectly! ) I've always watched the "northern lights" and have clear views of the sky all the time. I have NEVER seen anything like this. I see all kinds of shooting stars, and satellites. This was much larger ( or closer to me) than any planet or star I've seen in the sky. ( With the exception of the moon ) I greatly appreciate any answers you have to offer me, as my research has me asking more questions. I have a lot of ideas of what it was... would like to find the real answer! have a video of it on my phone. E-mail me and I can send it. Plz help.apologies for my ignorance! Thats my I'm askinglol

P.S. When I said UFO , I meant unidentified flying object... not aliens! LOL

Answer 1

As always with questions like this, we need to know exactly WHERE you're located and WHICH direction you're looking in, in order to give an accurate answer. From where I live (about 45° N) the two brightest objects in the sky at 3 a.m. on November 9 were the star Sirius, 27° above the southern horizon, and the planet Mars, 66° above the southern horizon. Venus wouldn't have risen yet and Comet Holmes is quite faint compared to Sirius and Mars.

[Edit] OK, I've set Starry Night up for Gander. It shows Venus rising just about at 3 a.m. in the east, and Sirius 24° above the horizon in the south. You say the object was in the east, but you also say it was 180° from the Little Dipper, which would put it in the south. The flashing you describe sounds much more like Sirius than Venus, which usually shines with a very steady light. Sirius at low altitude flashes many different colours, and often gets reported as a UFO.

Answer 2

Sounds like Venus (rising at about that time). Mars is already a bit high at that time.

Give us some info about time and apparent altitude (use the width of your fist held at arm's length if you have no other instrument).

I've often seen Venus shimmer in very strange ways when it is very close to the horizon in the arctic and sub-arctic. Flahsing with colours that I thought were impossible for stars.

I once saw Venus during the day and I was convinced that it had a metallic glint to it (I was sure it was some kind of aircraft).

Answer 3

I'm just disappointed that there were so many people answering this question, who didn't know what they were talking about. So I'll just try to add my two bits for the minority who gave you the good answers. Eri and Geoff, as usual, have given good answers. Lindajune, I'm surprised you suggested the comet. It is not bright by any means. You're usually right on target, but not with this.

(Although, eri, you do sound a bit testy tonight. Has it been an excess of UFOphiles, or moon landing hoax nuts?) )

Answer 4

Mars was near Orion. Venus was up before sunrise. I'm guessing that you don't look up very often, since you can't tell the difference between a planet and a star and a comet. You'll notice that you don't hear UFO stories from astronomers - that's because we look up all the time and we know what we're looking at. You hear them from people who never look up and then get confused when they do. Does it seem more likely that someone who looks up once a year gets confused, or that someone who looks up every night never sees a UFO that the person who looks up once a year managed to see?

No, of course it wasn't aliens.

Answer 5

I particularly have observed this in Dublin one morning at approximately 4 o clock. I particularly have a pair of Russian Binoculars ex u.s. 20x60 that I appeared at this merchandise with . it particularly is rather staggering and prefer a great White celebrity or Planet, i could no longer bump into any element in it, The Binos have been wobbling a pair of bit and desires a Tripod to hold stable . ought to or no longer this is the gap Station, it particularly is curious ??

Answer 6

Halley's Comet passes by the sun every year, and this October, there was a large amount of asteroid debris, otherwise known as "shooting stars." These shooting stars will be sporadically visible into early next year. You saw a meteor; a shooting star. And, I sat outside for three nights for four hours each looking to see one, and a few days ago, I just casually looked up and finally saw one.

Anyway, for your further edification, each time Comet Halley swings by the sun, solar heating evaporates about 6 meters of ice and rock from the nucleus. Comet debris particles are usually no bigger than grains of sand (although this year, many were the size of a golf ball), and much less dense. Although they are very small, these tiny 'meteoroids' make brilliant shooting stars when they strike Earth's atmosphere because they travel at tremendous speeds. The Orionids meteor shower happens each year when Earth passes through the debris stream of Comet Halley, and meteoroids hit the atmosphere at nearly 90,000 mph.

I hope you remembered to make a wish on your shooting star.

Answer 7

It would help if we knew where you were located, where in the sky (what direction, how high up, etc.).

"Something bright in the sky" could have been Mars (if it was reddish and in the east), the brightest star in the sky Sirius, comet 17P/Holmes (in the constellation Perseus).

Answer 8

It could have been an irridium flare. You don't really describe what you saw or what part of the sky it was in so its hard to tell.

Answer 9

there was a comet in the sky visible in KC Mo on Nov the 9th. I did not see it but my father did.

It was comet ....Holmes 17/P

Answer 10

I forget the name of it but there's a comet that exploded recently and it is visible to the naked eye. At least it was, might not be as obvious now.