Fast moving, black star-shaped object seen transiting the moon at 144X magnification.
Another Lunar Fast Walker? While observing the moon last night with a three inch (80 x 900 mm) refractor, I saw a black, star-shaped object transiting through the eyepiece field of view at approximately 17:57, EDT. [Please see the attached diagram for more details.] I was observing the Aristarchus - Herodotus area of the moon--near the lunar terminator at this time--with a star diagonal and a magnification of 144X . The waxing gibbous moon was rising in deep twilight, and seeing was excellent. At the time of the sighting, I had just switched to a 12 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow, and just as I was coming to focus with this combination I glimpsed a black, five-pointed, star-shaped object transiting from right to left through the eyepiece field of view (FOV).
All of this happened very fast--probably in less than 1 second--and my impression is that when I first saw the object it had already begun to cross the FOV, and I was only able to observe it as it moved toward the left side of the image. Again, please see the associated diagram for more details. Note that since I was using a star diagonal which gives a mirror-reversed image, the object was actually moving from east to west--the opposite of what is shown in the eyepiece view.
As a point of interest, this is actually the second of these objects that I have seen while observing the moon. The earlier observation took place on June 23, 2016, and there is a report on file with NUFORC. As memory serves--and going back to my earlier report to confirm my recollection--this is exactly the same type of object that I observed last year, and moving in the same east to west direction.
As I am at best a "casual" (as opposed to a systematic) observer of the moon, I am wondering about the reported frequency of sightings of objects of this type. Given that I have now seen two of these within the space of a year and a half, it would seem to me that others must also be seeing them. But what is it, exactly, that I and presumably others are seeing? ((name deleted))
Jacksonville, FL
Another Lunar Fast Walker? While observing the moon last night with a three inch (80 x 900 mm) refractor, I saw a black, star-shaped object transiting through the eyepiece field of view at approximately 17:57, EDT. [Please see the attached diagram for more details.] I was observing the Aristarchus - Herodotus area of the moon--near the lunar terminator at this time--with a star diagonal and a magnification of 144X . The waxing gibbous moon was rising in deep twilight, and seeing was excellent. At the time of the sighting, I had just switched to a 12 mm eyepiece with a 2X Barlow, and just as I was coming to focus with this combination I glimpsed a black, five-pointed, star-shaped object transiting from right to left through the eyepiece field of view (FOV).
All of this happened very fast--probably in less than 1 second--and my impression is that when I first saw the object it had already begun to cross the FOV, and I was only able to observe it as it moved toward the left side of the image. Again, please see the associated diagram for more details. Note that since I was using a star diagonal which gives a mirror-reversed image, the object was actually moving from east to west--the opposite of what is shown in the eyepiece view.
As a point of interest, this is actually the second of these objects that I have seen while observing the moon. The earlier observation took place on June 23, 2016, and there is a report on file with NUFORC. As memory serves--and going back to my earlier report to confirm my recollection--this is exactly the same type of object that I observed last year, and moving in the same east to west direction.
As I am at best a "casual" (as opposed to a systematic) observer of the moon, I am wondering about the reported frequency of sightings of objects of this type. Given that I have now seen two of these within the space of a year and a half, it would seem to me that others must also be seeing them. But what is it, exactly, that I and presumably others are seeing? ((name deleted))
Jacksonville, FL
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Off
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Jacksonville
USA
~1 second
~1 second
30.30
-81.64
other
FL
Occurred : 11/30/2017 17:57 (Entered as : 11/30/17 17:57) Reported: 12/1/2017 8:53:27 AM 08:53 Posted: 12/4/2017 Location: Jacksonville, FL Shape: Other Duration: ~1 second
Fast moving, black star-shaped object seen transiting the moon at 144X magnification.