Mystery Star

[Draco1958]

Last night coming home from the Gathering as I came into the apartment complex I noticed 2 stars in the eastern sky.  However the one more south, the brighter one didn't look right.  It didn't flicker like a normal star.  It seemed too big to be a normal star.  I know that according to Space.com there is a comet passing us but they stated you would need binoculars to see it due to it's dimness.  Yet this mystery star seemed to flicker in a way that made me think it's the comet, brighter than expected.  My roommate noticed it looking out our kitchen window.  Did anyone else notice this?  Anyone have a theory?

[kat (1)]

I thought a comet passed us a few days ok? Maybe it's the same one.

[Draco1958]

I just checked on Space.com.  Can't find anything about the comet I had read about which is strange because I remember seeing the article.  They even said do to the brightness of the moon, you would need to spot it with binoculars because it isn't very bright.  Anyway, I did find an article about an asteroid that did a flyby on Nov 8th.  So maybe what I am seeing is the asteroid since it's path is moving away from the sun.  It could still be close enough to reflect sunlight and would explain the weird twinkling it is doing.

[Maureen Falcon]

I saw something with John.. I said, "Is that a plane?" It was so big and bright, I guessed 'planet?'

 

Moe

[Draco1958]

Just now, Moe Falcon said:

I saw something with John.. I said, "Is that a plane?" It was so big and bright, I guessed 'planet?'

 

Moe

Usually something that bright would be a planet.  But what I saw was twinkling, stars twinkle but planets don't.  However since asteroids usually have a rotation, that could explain the odd way it twinkles.  Plus the asteroid, when it passed, was closer to us than the moon by about 30,000 miles.  Going to see if it's visible tonight and maybe video it.

[Maureen Falcon]

Cool! You probably have one of those fancy phones to show everyone

[Draco1958]

6 hours ago, Moe Falcon said:

Cool! You probably have one of those fancy phones to show everyone

No, I was going to use my digital camera with a long lens but got busy working around the house and forgot to go out and try to film it.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

I didn't see it but there are geostationary satellites (man made) that brighten enough to see with the naked eye sometimes due to them being mega reflective. 

[Draco1958]

1 minute ago, Troy Spiral said:

I didn't see it but there are geostationary satellites (man made) that brighten enough to see with the naked eye sometimes due to them being mega reflective. 

I have seen satellites pass in the night sky.  Have also seen the ISS pass by.  They usually are a not twinkling dot of light.  This light was way bigger.  Even larger than when you see Jupiter in the sky.  It could have been the asteroid that Kat mentioned after it passed Earth.  It's course is directly away from the sun.  It passed us a little over 200,000 miles away, closer than the moon.  It's course would have allowed the Sun to light it up and since they usually have a rotation, that could explain it twinkling the way it was.  There was a star not far from it in the sky and the size difference was huge.