Strange Anomaly in the Sky 18 Nov 1835Z
 

Anyone else see the phenomena below around 1835Z, Monday morning 18 Nov Zulu Time. Our position was around Lake Eyre, 27S 136E heading 110 at FL370. It was about 45 mins before sunrise. Both pilots noticed a strange small bright circle of light about 1 finger width diameter at full arms length. Its location was near the constellation Centaurus, not far from the two pointers Alpha and Beta Centauri, ie around the Southern Cross. It appeared to have a bright centre like a star and a spiral structure, similar to the first image below. Over the next 20 mins the phenomena expanded to about 3 finger widths and slowly dissipated until there was nothing visible, as per the second image. There was no cloud in that area, the phenomena was at extreme altitude and there was no relative motion between the image and the stars in the area.

My guess is that it was Noctilucent cloud (which is cloud formed at extreme altitude by water vapour) and was formed by a meteor. As the other pilot said, it was like a star had gone supernova !

Any ideas ?


Image 1
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....49069f9ae4.jpg



Image 2
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6b2ad2d97d.jpg

If it was visible for 20 mins while flying at cruising speed, simple geometry indicates it must have been several thousand kilometres high. Probably a rocket exhaust plume illuminated by the rising sun. Most likely the boost stage of something like a GPS (or Russian) high orbit satellite.

Edit: Chinese: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018...43-satellites/

May have been the launch of the NASA/Northrop Grumman Antares rocket carrying supplies for the ISS Space Station.

I saw the same effect back in August. Spotted a similar anomaly to your first pic, except it looked like a three leaf clover with the bright central dot.

Turned out to be the third stage firing of the Parker (sun) Probe over Western Australia. Visible about 45° up from western horizon from east coast of Australia. Impressive stuff.

I also noticed it, somewhere around overhead YCMU at FL370, east bound. I initially thought it was a smudge on the windscreen/ my glasses 🧐. If we are talking about the same thing it was well and truely visible well after first light.

Antares was launched Saturday 0901 GMT. Also the line of sight from aircraft position to the anomaly was basically south to Antarctica. I wouldn't have thought there would be too much launch action in that direction, but you never know ?

Ionospheric swamp gas refraction

Weather balloon.

Wouldn't "ISS Space Station" make it the International Space Station Space Station... ;-)

"Swamp gas, swamp gas, it was swamp gas"