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Bright Object Between the Big and Little Dipper?

-- | June 28, 2012

Question: For the past two evenings (June 26 and 27, 2012) at about 9pm I have seen a bright object in the North at about 40 degrees. It is between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper and it is apparently stationary. It is brighter than Venus. No other objects are visible at this time as there is still too much light. Not even Arcturus is yet visible. It becomes unobservable after about five minutes. I am not what I would call an amateur astronomer, but I know when an object belongs or doesn’t belong. This is out of place. No, it doesn’t even belong. Can a supernova wink on and off? Some atmospheric disturbance? A reflection from the ground due to atmospheric conditions? It has been very clear these last two evenings. I am in Fairmont, WV. — Tim

Answer: Let’s first talk about what it can’t be. The Big and Little Dippers are in the northern sky, far away from the ecliptic, which is the orbital plane of the planets in our solar system. Therefore, it cannot be a planet. There are also no observations of bright celestial events (supernovae, comets, etc.) in this part of the sky that I am aware of. Now let’s think about what it could be. Since it was stationary for many minutes, it is unlikely to be an aircraft (although an airplane or jet traveling directly toward you would appear to be pretty stationary). Since this was about an hour after sunset I wonder if you could have been seeing the “glint” of the sun off of a geostationary satellite? That is about the only thing that I can suggest might have been the bright object you saw.

Jeff Mangum

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