[vsnet-chat 1870] (fwd) query from chris adamson

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

Forwarded query from Chris Adamson:

From: "chris adamson" <adamsonfamily@home.com>
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 23:35:35 -0600
Subject: question

Okay, believe it or not...
About 10:45pm tonight 5/10/99 (USA Mountain Standard Time) I step outside to
begin viewing through my binoculars, only out for a couple minutes, eyes
nowhere near dark adapted.  I look up at the Big Dipper, about a few degrees
out from Alpha Ursea (Dubhe), 2-3 degrees heading towards Polaris, I see a
very bright object (I would estimate -1 or so); stationary, bright and
seemingly very out of place.  In fact, it looked like Venus (in magnitude);
but new though I am, I knew this would not be located there.  As I looked
and wondered for probably less than a minute (I had no idea how long it had
been there), it began to dim and disappeared in a 10 second or so time
frame.  Note it did NOT move, it simply faded. Very strange.  This was all
with naked eye; as I had not actually taken my binoculars out of there case.
I checked my star atlas and Burnham's and did not see any variables that
would get nearly this bright.  Any idea how to check up on these type of
things (what could it have been) or who to report things to?  I have only
been at this for about 8 weeks, but I was not seeing things.  Any other
reports?  Any ideas?
Thanks,
Chris Adamson

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