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APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 4:07 am
by APOD Robot
Image How to Identify that Light in the Sky

Explanation: What is that light in the sky? The answer to one of humanity's more common questions may emerge from a few quick observations. For example -- is it moving or blinking? If so, and if you live near a city, the answer is typically an airplane, since planes are so numerous and so few stars and satellites are bright enough to be seen over the glare of artificial city lights. If not, and if you live far from a city, that bright light is likely a planet such as Venus or Mars -- the former of which is constrained to appear near the horizon just before dawn or after dusk. Sometimes the low apparent motion of a distant airplane near the horizon makes it hard to tell from a bright planet, but even this can usually be discerned by the plane's motion over a few minutes. Still unsure? The featured chart gives a sometimes-humorous but mostly-accurate assessment. Dedicated sky enthusiasts will likely note -- and are encouraged to provide -- polite corrections.

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Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2021 Nov 14)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 8:42 am
by habib.chehade@gmail.com
The UFOs are missing !
The answer : UFO should come as:
Is it really big? --> No -->Is it Moving? -->Yes-->So quickly you almost missed it? --> Yes --> Is it extra super bright --> No --> Is it rotating? -->Yes (UFO) ; NO (Meteor)

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 9:46 am
by Rauf
A polite correction here:
As this chart is dated, I think it needs an update which adds Tiangong, as the ISS is no longer the only space station which is home to astronauts!

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 12:11 pm
by Christian G.
Another one: If it's blinking but appears too high to be an aircraft, or even more mystifying, if the blinking is irregular! - it's a tumbling satellite.

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2021 Nov 14)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 12:57 pm
by divad27182
Starting at "Bolide":

Are there more?
No: Bolide
Yes: Fireworks

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 1:06 pm
by Capt. Obvious
Polite correction:
Instead of Astronauts waving (cannot actually see them), try "Is it going straight?"
Yes - Satellite or ISS. No - UFO. :shock:

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2021 Nov 14)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 1:45 pm
by stargazer2024
With the rise in launches from various countries over the last 20 yrs or so, some parts of the world are now treated to the sight of failed boosters and/or 3rd stages in the night sky.

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 1:55 pm
by wilddouglascounty
Or in certain parts of eastern Europe/Middle East: exploding alternative to bolide could be a missile shot down by defensive missile

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2021 Nov 14)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 2:03 pm
by MevetS
rwlott wrote: Mon Nov 15, 2021 12:49 am My first thought upon seeing today's APOD was that this is one of Randall Munroe's XKCD comics, as he often uses flowcharts to humorous effect. Here's an example: https://xkcd.com/1688/
It made me think of this one: https://xkcd.com/2633/

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 3:17 pm
by florid_snow
Christian G. wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2024 12:11 pm Another one: If it's blinking but appears too high to be an aircraft, or even more mystifying, if the blinking is irregular! - it's a tumbling satellite.
Yep, and slow but steady brightness changes would likely be the giant tumbling rocket body stage left in orbit after releasing a satellite, I saw one of those recently, very beautiful the way it slowly dims and brightens up again.

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 3:51 pm
by Roy
Interesting to see how other languages use diacritical marks on Roman letters to indicate sounds that would otherwise require an invented letter. Of course, English is replete with spellings left over from the monks trying to spell Old English sounds which have since gone silent. Example - knight; the German cognate “knecht” has all letters pronounced.

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 4:08 pm
by Chris Peterson
Roy wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2024 3:51 pm Interesting to see how other languages use diacritical marks on Roman letters to indicate sounds that would otherwise require an invented letter. Of course, English is replete with spellings left over from the monks trying to spell Old English sounds which have since gone silent. Example - knight; the German cognate “knecht” has all letters pronounced.
Almost. The "ch" in German is a digraph just like the "gh" in English.

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 4:51 pm
by johnnydeep
Does anyone else see it? No - you might be hallucinating, or having a brain aneurysm.

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 5:01 pm
by Ann
Chris Peterson wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2024 4:08 pm
Roy wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2024 3:51 pm Interesting to see how other languages use diacritical marks on Roman letters to indicate sounds that would otherwise require an invented letter. Of course, English is replete with spellings left over from the monks trying to spell Old English sounds which have since gone silent. Example - knight; the German cognate “knecht” has all letters pronounced.
Almost. The "ch" in German is a digraph just like the "gh" in English.


Then again, the Swedish "knekt" has all its letters pronounced! :D

Ann

Re: APOD: How to Identify that Light in the Sky (2024 Jun 09)

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 6:21 pm
by lefthip
Just a word about your APOD translations. You haven't included "Francais" as an option and you have so many Canadiens who love your web site and they also love to spend winters in the shadows of the Cape Canaveral launch site. Must've been an "oversite"!