BBC Focus Magazine

[Thinker]

I think I may have asked this question many years ago, but I can't ever remember the answer, so I'm going to tell the story (short) and find out what the answer was again.

I was looking out of my bedroom window a few years ago and for one reason or another, I became fixated on a star. I just kept looking at it. It didn't move, but I suddenly noticed that it got brighter and brighter. It kept on getting brighter within about 5-10 seconds and then vanished completely.

Is there a logical explanation for this?

[M Paul Lloyd]

Possibly a supernova Thinker, and I seem to recall one hitting the headlines some 20 odd years ago?
Not sure if that's the one you might have seen but you never know?

This one possibly?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/univ ... nova_1987a

[Thinker]

Twas only a few years ago. But bloody hell! I could have witnessed something amazing then.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Perhaps you did anyway?

[...]

an iridium flare satellite for sure, they ofget up to magnitude -8, which is far brighter than venus at -4 ish, and last just a few seconds, they are moving but, depending on the angle you are observing from, can sometimes look stationary http://www.satobs.org/iridium.html

[Shadowwolf]

A likely explanation that Mr @@ even if a supernova would be more interesting.

[Willxx]

there really should be some sort of "X factor/Britains got a celebrity big dancing queen on ice winner" type joke inserted about here - unfortunatley I don't know any!

[M Paul Lloyd]

there really should be some sort of "X factor/Britains got a celebrity big dancing queen on ice winner" type joke inserted about here - unfortunatley I don't know any!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

[Thinker]

there really should be some sort of "X factor/Britains got a celebrity big dancing queen on ice winner" type joke inserted about here - unfortunatley I don't know any!

Er, I don't follow you.

[Shadowwolf]

I do believe it is an allusion to their generally incredibly short shelf life, course I don't think they get all that bright to begin with.

[Thinker]

Oh I see.