anyone else see bright object high in western sky around 7pm est?

Question

I first I was sure it was a comet but it faded pretty fast . also has changed against background stars many degrees in the past half hour now 7:30 just west of cassiopia and fading fast. I'm in Northern Maine

Answer 1

I've heard one recently that seems interesting
they claim its a Centaur upperstage of an Atlas V rocket delivering a satellite into orbit

he said he saw it with his binoculars

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmMSDlwtQb5HnRXi_yqYrg0Bxgt.;_ylv=3?qid=20071210171705AA0l27f

here are the stats I found on wiki about the recent launch


2007-12-10

serial-no AV-015
luanch site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_41
payload- NRO L-24 Reconnaissance satellite
orbit -Success

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=11016&mid=221256

Answer 2

THANK GOD SOMEONE ELSE SAW IT!!! I'm not going crazy. I'm in Savannah, Georgia and I was walking to my apartment when all of a sudden this huge comet looking thing appears in the sky. I was thinking that maybe I hadn't kept up with Comet Holmes and something had happened. I ran upstairs grabbed my telescope and after setting it up I knew it was a comet. WAY to fast to be a comet. In that half hour it must have moved more than a quarter of the sky. With the telescope though I could see a little tiny object traveling with it. It was towards the southern part of the streak. At first this shiny object (kinda looked like a star but you could tell it wasn't) was very bright. However, as the streak faded so did this object. There was reports of an asteroid traveling close tonight but that was not it. The reports said you needed a decent size telescope to see it, but this was clearly visible with the naked eye. If anyone else knows what this is please let me know too.

PS: I've seen the ISS before. Let me say this before I get more criticism. I have been into astronomy for about 2 years now. I have seen all the common stuff: satellites, comets, iridium flares, meteors. This was none of those.

Answer 3

These are parts of e-mails that some friends of mine sent in a group forum:
______________________________________

At first I thought it was an existing satellite that had come to grief, but in fact it's been tentatively identified as the spent upper stage of an Atlas-Centaur rocket that was making quite a show, jettisoning propellant, above Florida
______________________________________

A launch of an Atlas Centaur 5 rocket was followed by a huge fuel dump.

The results were spectacular - a hazy blob twice the size of Comet Holmes
and about magnitude -1 (!). Through binoculars, it looked a lot like a comet
with a tight nucleus (actually the rocket) and a huge, fan-tailed coma (the
dispersing rocket fuel). It was moving rapidly from Cygus into Cassiopeia
and by 7:45pm or so had just about faded away. But just a little after 7pm
EST this evening, it really produced one of the most amazing spectacles!!!

I knew that no comet was in that area so it couldn't have been an unexpected outburst, and after a few minutes, its apparent motion across the sky became obvious so it was obviously in Earth vicinity.

Answer 4

I think you saw the ISS. It just passed over Maine, according to the website on my reference link below.

Miarmy - if your object was in the northern sky, then you probably saw it too.

EDIT: On second thought - if it's staying in the sky for as long as you two say, then it might not be, but that sure is a coincidence that the ISS was over your house when you posted this.

Answer 5

no way it was ISS, it was about 1/6 the size of the moon! I saw it from NC. My guess is a head on meteor from the Germinid shower. It was amazing

Answer 6

Sounds a bit like a Nike smoke missle. I don't know if they do those anymore.

Answer 7

Dang-it ...I ran outside and looked but we have too much cloud cover. I am in Nashville Tn. sorry

Answer 8

I saw it here in Central Florida , 3200 pheatheon perhaps???? It was truly awesome!!!!