7 replies to this topic

[LordBishop]

Hello.  First post here.  This looks like a nice forum/website.  I stumbled across it yesterday when I was looking for info on a giant Isopod.  I used to be a member of Coast 2 Coast's streamlink forums.

Anyhow, I was curious to know if there are any visible stars during the daytime hours in the northern hemisphere.  I live in Sacramento, CA.  On the 4th of July, my co-worker and I was standing out front - it was warm, but not hot, and few high clouds.  All of a sudden he goes, "What the hell is that thing?!" and he's pointing up.  I would say it was about 20 degrees north of Polaris (if Polaris was visible).  This could not have been a airplane as it wasn't moving, at least I don't think it was.  The clouds sort of created an illusion, but I don't think it was moving - if it was, it was moving forward, and then back to the same spot.  I thought it was a star, similar to the star that was seen in Mexico a few years back that everyone who seen it thought it was a UFO.

[leadbelly]

I had the same exact experience, about a month ago. I am near central Texas. I had just returned home, about 2:00 p.m., when I noticed what looked like a star in the daytime.
It was mid-way above the horizon, and twice as brilliant as Venus would be at night.

It just sat there for about five minutes. I had never seen that sort of thing, before. It did not scintillate, if I recall, but was like an arc lamp in the sky. Yet, it was not pure white. There was a trace of hues, but it was very steady in luminosity. And, against a blue sky.

There were no planes, at first. Then something seemed to go flying near this thing, perhaps a plane. Then, it retreated. It just moved directly away, until it was too small to be seen.

I am aware that planes can glint brilliantly when the sun is lower than mid-day. They can momentarily relect the light of the sun. But, this thing appeared stationary for about five minutes.

I checked with a NASA related research facility, which is thirty miles away. They launch a variety of instrumented balloons, but had nothing that month. And, the oil and gas people
launch balloons in west Texas, to monitor pipeline activity for several hundred miles around. I have never actually spotted one, though, because they are dull latex.

Perhaps it was a plane or a helicopter. I have no idea.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

20 degrees to the North of Polaris is a bit of a deceptive description. Polaris represents a point directly above the North Pole and so north of Polaris on the ground would depend on where you were viewing it from.

Venus and Jupiter can both be visible in early morning or late evening twilight. However they would not be visible at 2.00pm when leadbelly saw his (I have seen aircraft that glint and appear stationary for long periods if they are flying directly towards you and then turn they can give the impression of being stationary and then shooting off).

Unfortunately LordBishop doesn't give a time for his sighting. Venus is currently visible before dawn, so it probably wasn't Venus (Venus is responsible for more UFO sightings than any other object). Jupiter is visible in the evening sky. If it was just before night fall that could be your culprit.

If you want further help my I suggest yo post your sightings in the Sightings, Reports & Experiences. You may get a few suggestions there that may be of help (and some that may not).

[frogfish]

It could of been a plane...I live with 4 major airports within 1 hr from me...and sometimes a plane can look stationary when flying right towards you...

[LordBishop]

Quote

20 degrees to the North of Polaris is a bit of a deceptive description. Polaris represents a point directly above the North Pole and so north of Polaris on the ground would depend on where you were viewing it from.

Venus and Jupiter can both be visible in early morning or late evening twilight. However they would not be visible at 2.00pm when leadbelly saw his (I have seen aircraft that glint and appear stationary for long periods if they are flying directly towards you and then turn they can give the impression of being stationary and then shooting off).

Unfortunately LordBishop doesn't give a time for his sighting. Venus is currently visible before dawn, so it probably wasn't Venus (Venus is responsible for more UFO sightings than any other object). Jupiter is visible in the evening sky. If it was just before night fall that could be your culprit.

If you want further help my I suggest yo post your sightings in the Sightings, Reports & Experiences. You may get a few suggestions there that may be of help (and some that may not).

Sorry about that, I thought I posted the time.  It was around 4:25pm - PT.

Well, I didn't know how to explain that what I seen was "north" of the Polaris.  I guess what I meant was that it was 20 degrees above Polaris.  It was almost directly overhead, but not quite that far.  I already stated that I am from Sacramento, CA.  I don't have the coordinates for that, but it's in Northern California.

Yes, I've seen Jupiter during the day and early evening - but usually during the late summer through the winter months - like last winter.  That thing was so bright - every night I would think that it's an airplane on approach (I live about 2 1/2 miles from the airport).   I think when I get home I'll reinstall my star chart program and set it for the time of day that I seen this object and see if there are any bright stars in the vacinity.

Anyhow, this object was faint, not reflective at all.  There were no shimmers or looked like something was reflecting off of it.  I wasn't reporting a UFO.

Edit -

I just found a star chart online.  I believe the star could have been Vega, Arcturus or Altair.  If you look at this start chart, this is exactly how I see the sky (making note of Polaris and how I said 20 degrees above that.   This is exactly the location of how I see the northern hemisphere).  http://skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn0607.pdf

If that don't work, go to http://skymaps.com/downloads.html and check out the sky map for July.

Edited by LordBishop, 12 July 2006 - 08:06 PM.

[frogfish]

Quote

Vega, Arcturus or Altair

Those stars, although the brightest in the area, aren't bright enough to be seen at 4:25 PM.

[Science_Guy]

Venus is the only "star-like" object visible during the day.  It could have been a iridium flare from a satellite, they appear to glide slowly across the sky.  They can be magnitude -8, meaning their brightness would be:

Crescent Moon x6
Venus x40
Jupiter x250
Sirius x300
Vega x1500
Polaris x10000

Edited by Science_Guy, 22 August 2006 - 10:25 PM.

[ex infernis]

The only star that i could think of that's visible in the day is the Sun