Did I just see a star "die"

[JimNotJon]

I'm no Brian Cox, I can't play the Keyboard for a start however I am fairly into my astronomy. I'm the first to admit that I don't know a great deal about the subject, compared to my friends and people I know, I know a lot more than them so I guess I am better than average on the subject.
Anyway, last night I was laid in bed, next to my window and was looking up at the stars. There were these two stars in quite close proximity to look at, I couldn't tell you what constellation I was looking at as I was laying in bed so my view was restricted. However, after looking at this star for less than a minute, it gradually got bigger then a bright flash from it, split second sort of speed, then the star was gone. Would this had been the star dying? A supernova perhaps? Whatever it was, looked pretty cool. I can rule out tiredness so it wasn't my eyes playing tricks, and the star wasn't moving, prior to what happened just looked like any normal distant star.

[TheEnd]

If it was a supernova, you'd have heard about it on the news by now.

[davepoth]

More likely a meteorite that was coming nearly straight at you.

[moleamol]

Much more likely to be an Iridium Flare where a bit of a satellite was reflecting directly at you.

[Mr Sparkle]

I wouldn't have thought a supernova would dim so quickly(?) Thought it might take a few years since it is so big.

Edit: Why is the advert space so big now?

[rhinochopig]

A Bright green flare you say...drawing a green mist behind it; a beautiful, but somehow disturbing sight.

My gues would be that it's minds immeasurably superior to ours, drawing their plans against us.

[Eric Mc]

Might have been what is referred to as an Iridium Flare.

This occurs when a satellite in relatively low earth orbit rotates and the sun reflects momentarily off its body or solar panels.

[TheHeretic]

rhinochopig said:

A Bright green flare you say...drawing a green mist behind it; a beautiful, but somehow disturbing sight.

My gues would be that it's minds immeasurably superior to ours, drawing their plans against us.

Dun dun duuuuuuur

[Hooli]

rhinochopig said:

A Bright green flare you say...drawing a green mist behind it; a beautiful, but somehow disturbing sight.

My gues would be that it's minds immeasurably superior to ours, drawing their plans against us.

That won't happen, they chances are a million to one they said.

[kowalski655]

Hooli said:

rhinochopig said:

A Bright green flare you say...drawing a green mist behind it; a beautiful, but somehow disturbing sight.

My gues would be that it's minds immeasurably superior to ours, drawing their plans against us.

That won't happen, they chances are a million to one they said.

But still they come

[Manicminer]

kowalski655 said:

But still they come

As for the OP, no it seems pretty unlikely to see a Supernova supposedly it takes weeks or months for them to dim.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_supernova_...

[zb]

Could have been a pulsar?

[arfur daley]

[zb]

Prefer these ones Arfur

[Mojocvh]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsmeans/9433936840/in...

M-74 with supernova 8/3/13 - Pflugerville, TX

[smolWhiz]

i created an account to say

this post was in fact 11 years ago and so i frankly have no idea how i came across this

[Simpo Two]

smolWhiz said:

i created an account to say

this post was in fact 11 years ago and so i frankly have no idea how i came across this

You have a time machine AICMFP.

[Monkeylegend]

smolWhiz said:

i created an account to say

this post was in fact 11 years ago and so i frankly have no idea how i came across this

I reckon you were the one who stole OP's tent.

[JimNotJon]

I still have my tent