Mysterious Star --- ???? Anybody???

[Muffit]

Hello all -- last night and tonight I have been looking at a mysterious star (or something). It's half way up in the south eastern sky around 11:00 PM. It's very bright, and pretty much in the same location as Mars was a month ago.

The strange thing is, with binocs it looks /alot/ like the Ship of Lights, with spikes coming out top and sides, and it seems to be red white and blue or red silver and blue. I think it also blinks or flickers quite dramatically.

Anybody know what this is??? Satellite? Space Station? Mini promo? (:))

Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
:muffit:

[amberstar]

Cool Muffit! I have no idea what it could be, but I'm going to take a look at it tonight.:)

[Proximo]

It'll be Mars. It''s going to be very visible fopr a few months yet. I can see it from my bedroom window looking like a very bright pinkish star with those spikes you mentioned.

[Muffit]

Hi Warrior! I'm located in the Central Valley of California. It doesn't seem to move so am not sure what it is. At first I thought it was a distant plane due to the coloration, shape and blinking, but since it never moves... hmm...

Hi Amberstar! That would be cool if you looked too! It really is quite fascinating. I looked at Mars quite a lot but it was always a small pinkish dot, even thru binocs. This one looks almost like the stereotypical biblical star shape, with spikes/points branching out in every direction. Also it is larger than Mars was, and extremely colorful. Really looks like a Ship of Lights except with some red added too.

Hi Proximo! Could it be Mars? It's in the same spot, but it looks /much/ closer and larger. The spikes have me baffled too. And Mars was only pink and static whereas this is tri-color and blinks. Hmm, maybe atmospheric effects?

Anyway, it sure is cool! My very first UFO sighting - yay! (Even if it's not a true UFO).

Cheers all,
:muffit:

[Senmut]

It is Mars. Cylons are orbiting it, last I checked.

[Proximo]

Yes, atmospheric effects will often magnify a star or planet and make it look much larger and brighter than it is. :) All that air swirling and swimming around up there tends to work like a very bent lense at times... and in central california, I presume it's fairly warm, which would create a lot of turbulence. :)

Or it could be the cylons like Senmut says... :D