What am I seeing?

[Baradium]

I put a little page up with star charts so you can look at them and decide if the sky looks the same.  I think Sirius is a good potential candidate for your mystery light, but as I didn't see it, I'll leave that determination up to you.

http://switchtech.us/StarBeacon/SkyBeacon.htm

JBS 

I thought Sirius was radio? 

Looks like Sirius could definately be a great candidate for it.  I don't think I tried to take a picture, next time I'll definately try to.

I'd never seen a star changing colors like that before, was really something else.

Room mate saw it the other night coming from Galena to Fairbanks.  He said it really looked high on the horizon to him, of course that's at 25,000 ft.

[switchtech]

In a warm or turbulent atmosphere the stars flip colors like that close to the horizon pretty often.  Regarding the thing being higher up a few days later, remember that a given star rises above the horizon about 4 minutes earlier each day.  And of course altitude of the observer makes a big difference.  Once well away from the horizon the colors should stabilize (though it might have some color shift and twinkle even high up).

jbs

[Baradium]

In a warm or turbulent atmosphere the stars flip colors like that close to the horizon pretty often.  Regarding the thing being higher up a few days later, remember that a given star rises above the horizon about 4 minutes earlier each day.  And of course altitude of the observer makes a big difference.  Once well away from the horizon the colors should stabilize (though it might have some color shift and twinkle even high up).

jbs

Keep in mind that it gets weird up here closer to the poles.  I don't believe the stars in the big dipper ever go *under* the horizon this time of year.  Once it's dark enough to see stars it's already there and then it almost just rotates.

It seemed well away from the horizon when I saw it too, in both cases still had the obvious color shift.  I think it's also interesting that these specific light is known to seemingly always make this light shift.

[Baradium]

In a warm or turbulent atmosphere the stars flip colors like that close to the horizon pretty often. 

Warm?

I'm in Alaska.      It's 30 degrees below zero right now!   I mean, it's really dry so it only feels like 30 above or so (I still like this better than 40 degrees in GA, about the same as 50 degrees there), but it's still -30 for flat temperature. 


Although, we get major temperature inversions near the surface around here, not so much down towards Anchorage though I don't believe...

[undatc]

In a warm or turbulent atmosphere the stars flip colors like that close to the horizon pretty often.

Warm?

I'm in Alaska.      It's 30 degrees below zero right now!   I mean, it's really dry so it only feels like 30 above or so (I still like this better than 40 degrees in GA, about the same as 50 degrees there), but it's still -30 for flat temperature. 


Although, we get major temperature inversions near the surface around here, not so much down towards Anchorage though I don't believe...

Isnt it possiable with a strong temperature inversion that it could be warm.  Relativly speaking.  Im not saying its gonna be 70, but at whatever height you were at it could have warmed up 10 or 20 degrees and that could effect it.

And im completely lost on those star map things, guess ive been out of astronomy too long.

[Baradium]

At altitude it's about 40 below still... we're still at 21,000 ft.  But it's not going to be too far from that at the surface in some areas.  In this case it was like 10 degrees above in the Anchorage area.  In Fairbanks it was 0 to 10 below.

Right now it's 30 below and I can't get my truck started... put a charger on it and hope it starts tomorrow... otherwise this doesn't bode well for cold spells...

[switchtech]

In a warm or turbulent atmosphere the stars flip colors like that close to the horizon pretty often.

Warm?

I'm in Alaska.      It's 30 degrees below zero right now!   I mean, it's really dry so it only feels like 30 above or so (I still like this better than 40 degrees in GA, about the same as 50 degrees there), but it's still -30 for flat temperature. 


Although, we get major temperature inversions near the surface around here, not so much down towards Anchorage though I don't believe...

Well, warm is a relative term.  But the air only really needs to have movement and some temperature difference.

jbs

[Baradium]

We can have pretty substantial changes.  It can be 30 degrees warmer in the hills around Fairbanks than in town.

[Baradium]

Sunday night, Jan 7th.    9:15 PM AST,   70 miles north by north by northwest (magnetic) of the Anchorage VOR (349 degree radial, direct line between ANC and FAI VORs).  The light was at a position of approximately 120 degrees magnetic from the aircraft.   I tried to take some pictures, but it'll be a few weeks before I fill that camera and get it developed.

[Gulfstream Driver]

You're still using film?   

[YawningMan]

35mm is still superior to digital, IMO.  I will admit, digital has come a long way, but I think you'll be paying more for the quality.  Then again, professional grade 35mm cameras are not very cheap, either.

Now, if you're just talking about a disposable camera, well...   You can't beat the price, anyway.