My backyard stargazing led me to notice something weird about satellite flares

I've been watching the sky every clear night for the past year, mostly as a hobby. After a while, I started to see patterns in how satellites move and how planes flash. But last month, I saw something that didn't fit. It was a silent, slow-moving light that changed direction sharply. I learned to use a star map app to rule out planets and stars. Now, I keep a journal of any unusual sightings. It's made me pay more attention to the sky than ever before. Has anyone else tried something like this?

4 comments

4 Comments

moore.beth1mo agoMost Upvoted

You're out there tracking silent lights with a journal and an app, while the rest of us can't even find our own keys in the couch cushions. My most detailed sky observation is noticing my phone screen is too bright in the dark.

the_max11d ago

But seriously, is it worth all that effort? I'm with @lucasw57 on this one, most of that stuff has a normal explanation. It just seems like a lot of work for something that's probably a plane or a satellite. My phone is the only light I'm looking at most nights too.

adams.uma1mo ago

Your phone IS a pretty bright satellite, @moore.beth

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lucasw571mo ago

Honestly, how do you know it wasn't just a drone or something? Keeping a journal for lights in the sky seems like overkill to me.