A bit of a strange one

I keep reading of people seeing the International Space Station overhead. No idea of direction or timing but from what people have said suggests a longer light progressing across the night sky.

David

David, I've seen the space station on several occasions. It just looks like a bigger star but travelling across the sky relatively quickly, about 3 minutes to go from horizon to horizon. This sighting, I am sure, wasn't ISS. It looked too small but it was the 2 to 3 seconds of extremely bright white light that then reverted to 'normal' star appearance that had me intrigued. Was it a military plane 'on exercise' in view of the noise, or could it have been a satellite which are quite commonly seen but, of course, are silent? I guess I'll never know but it's surprising what is seen if one looks up on a clear night.

Could it simply have been an aircraft that changed direction, so that whatever light was showing was head on to you, then at an angle again after banking? 

I love a dark sky. As you say, fascinating what you can see.

John

From what you are describing, my guess would be a fighter jet possibly a F 35.What you could be seeing is the afterburners coming on for a short period.

This would rule out an Eurofighter Typhoon as you would have see two short bursts of bright lights.

Fozzie, are F35s used by the American Air Force in that area? If so, your suggestion would make sense as the owner of the CL had told another guest that most of the aircraft noise that was heard daily was the Americans. Being at very high altitude it could still be catching a bit of daylight and looking like a star.

John,not being a military plane buff,but i do regularly attend the Royal International Air Tattoo rally at Fairford.

The RAF fly F35's out of Marham nr Kings Llyn,unfortunately we will never find out the reasons why it was flying.