A disappearing star, a shooting star or both?

[belnox]

It was twinkling in an April sky-quite a bright star almost as bright as Sirius and it was fairly near to the horizon. I was aware of it for most of the evening being sat outside. After talking with friends I glanced again at the sky and noticed it had disappeared. I should note that during it being there and then disappearing I was lucky enough to see a shooting star race across the sky above our heads-it came from the general direction of the 'star'-it made a noise too i recall as it passed overhead. Maybe I should have looked at the star then to see if it had gone. The sky seemed empty without it. Anyone experienced something similar? I've been in awe ever since.

[djm]

Yes, good weed can do that for you.

djm

[Denny]

quick to judge you are


when they don't share

[belnox]

Hehe nope wasn't on weed, i wasn't intoxicated either i was sat beneath a coincidentally changeing sky and I thought i was going slightly mad...

[Innocent Bystander]

Sometimes when I've seen a meteorite I've heard a sort of "sizzle" if the surroundings are quiet. It does make it more real somehow. Must be a hell of a racket up there, if you can hear it on the ground.

[belnox]

Yep like a 'fffffffffffffffffffffffff' noise i think. Saw its glowing trail too which was pretty cool. I wonder why the star disappeared from the sky or was it a star...

[Nanohedron]

Yep like a 'fffffffffffffffffffffffff' noise i think. Saw its glowing trail too which was pretty cool.

I've had the same experience. I never expected to be able to hear anything, and was thunderstruck.

I wonder why the star disappeared from the sky or was it a star...

My first thought is that the shooting star and the disappearing thingum were probably not one and the same. Not that I exactly believe in them, but a UFO, maybe?

[Coffee]

Something in the distance may have obscured the star as well.

Couldn't have been a UFO though. Why? Because while there is most certainly extra-terrestrial life, maybe even intelligent life, such life forms would have absolutely no good reason to come visit such a backwater solar system.

[Nanohedron]

Ah, but we have Starbuck's.

[jsluder]

Ah, but we have Starbuck's.

Meh. That just means the only visitors we'll get will be the dregs of intergalactic society.

[izzarina]

quick to judge you are

It just somehow needed that.....

[Denny]

[buddhu]

Until it is identified it remains, by definition, a UFO.

If it was visible for most of the evening then it was not a meteor, and it is unlikely that the subsequent shooting star was directly associated with the bright "star".

From your description it sounds more like a planet. I'm a bit rusty on what is where at this time, but Venus and Jupiter are frequently very bright in the sky, and Venus particularly is at it's brightest low in the sky at early evening (or morning, depending when observed) - and it is bright.

Because it's nearer the sun than we are, it always appears roughly in a similar direction to that of the rising or setting sun. I don't think it ever gets further away than about 40 or 50 degrees from the sun as viewed from here.

Without further info, my money would be on Venus. It can be a striking sight. Checked out through a good telescope it does the phases thing like the moon does. Cool.

[Denny]

hah! I'll see yer Venus and raise ya Jupiter!

Skipped right by Mars....

coming soon to a sky near you
http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2008/1 ... ineup.html

[belnox]

It baffles me as it was twinkling (ive heard that stars twinkle but planets dont). Its glow was very slightly golden.

I had a look on web link http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/625665/Venus

Quote " The rotation of Venus on its axis is unusual in both its direction and its speed. The Sun and most of the planets in the solar system rotate in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above their north poles; this direction is called direct, or prograde. Venus, however, rotates in the opposite, or retrograde, direction."

It was quite near to the horizon, so if it was Venus i'm thinking is it possible it slipped out of visual range somehow given its orbit goes the other way-I really have no idea!

Is it possible it was so bright that it gave off a twinkling aura? (not aurora that would just confuse things more!)