Did we see a rocket?

[EddieWalker]

This morning at about 6:55am, the kids and I were out waiting for the school bus when Alissa said that one of the stars was moving. It wasn't a plane, but she didn't know what it was. I've seen satelites a few times and even the Space Shuttle one time up there, but this seemed brighter.

It was going on a North to slightly North-East direction and the sun was just starting to come up in the East. The brightness of it might have been due to the sunrise, or how high in the sky it was. It went from right over our heads, to out of sight in just a few minutes. It went perfectly straight and it never blinked or changed in brightness. It was there, then it was gone.

My first thought was the rocket that was launched in India. I read that it will orbit Earth a few times before shooting off to the moon, but I don't know where to check or how to find out if that was it or something else.

Anybody know?

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[dmccarty]

My guess is that you saw a satellite. I saw one the other night going from the SSW to the NNE. First one I have seen in a few years. I'm go outside a few times at night and always look up to see what there is to see. Figured I would see more satellites than I have. Kinda disappointed.

I had to google to get the info but the Indian mission was launched at 0622 GMT. I think that puts the launch at 1122 your time. What I could not find was how fast the thing was flying around the earth before it went zinging off to the moon. I would thing two laps around the earth is not going to take long. Seems like some satellites take 90 minutes to do a lap. So that would have had the ship heading off to the moon at 1422 your time.

Assuming my Assumptions are correct.

Still, its very cool to see that non blinking light speeding across the sky. When I saw the one recently my parents were here and I got them and the kids outside to see it before it disappeared. Very neat.

Sometimes, I see planes up there flying in a dispersed formation at night. Lots of distance between them. Sometimes its two. Sometimes its four. But they all are heading NE. Got to be military.

Later,
Dan

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Could have been the ISS as well. Anything in LOE whips across the sky pretty quick because a complete orbit will only take about 90 minutes.

 

[MicroPilot]

No, not ISS. Just checked www.heavens-above.com and it was not visible in Tyler this morning.

 

[Blagadan]

If it was the Space station, chances are you'll see it again tomorrow.

We had a few days of media attention regarding the ISS here last summer. Every evening the radio stations would tell ya what time to go out and look up. Sure enough it would pass overhead, really bright and fast moving. My wife, kids and I would lay back flat on our trampoline out in the yard and wait for it to pass overhead. Pretty cool to think there were astronauts in that spec of light moving across the sky.

Check the ISS website, i think they give the track of the station on there some place.

 

[LBrown59]

Was it a shooting star?

 

[denmansoft]

Just at sunrise you are going to get a much 'brighter' reflection from satellites than normal for 2 reasons: 1) the angles are better than when the sun is up (above the satellites) and 2) the contrast will be better in the twilight.
Ian

 

[Skyco]

Could have been an Iridium "flare".
They can be pretty bright-

Iridium Flares

 

[MicroPilot]

Could have been an Iridium "flare".
They can be pretty bright-

Iridium Flares

Very cool to see, but they only last a few seconds, from nothing, to flare, and back to nothing in 10 or 15 seconds.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I would tell you - but They would kill me

Quick, where is my aluminum foil hat?