Kim Youmans
GeoZay@aol.com wrote:
>>noteworthy dealt with a bright (0-1mag.), reddish,
> starlike object that was sighted underneath the Big
> Dipper, very low in the sky. I know it wasn't just a
> plane, satellite, or the like, as it remained
> stationary and steady in brightness. Also, I did not
> notice it later in my session, although I do not know
> if it just disappeared or became covered by thick
> haze. Can anybody ferret out an explanation for this
> event?<<There's a very good possibility that it was a plane. The key description would be that it was very low in the sky. This would indicate a rather far distance from you. I've seen airliners approaching San Diego airport from the north that seemed to just hang there for a few minutes. All the while it was coming roughly towards me. Any apparent movement would be very difficult to notice after 3 to 6 minutes. I once seen about 30 minutes after sunset, a very short streak (about 1/5 degree long) low on the horizon, that hung there for 7 minutes. It was quite puzzling. I didn't know what it was until I got out my 14X100 binoculars. It was the sunlit contrail of a high altitude airliner traveling away from me. it was obviously very far away, to appear that low in the sky.
GeoZay