DEEP SPACE

For those who know me, they realize that I have an interest in the night sky.

Unless one takes the time to look up at the stars, one will never see some fairly amazing things.

You do not need a fancy telescope, although that helps for viewing distant objects. A regular pair of binoculars comes in handy, sometimes; but mostly, just looking with your eyes produces some interesting results.

Someone forwarded me an email with a link to a short video about some Hubble Telescope activity. It truly is amazing to realize that astronomers pointed the Hubble to a dark area of space. What happened amazed everyone. That dark area of space revealed millions, if not billions of distant galaxies - not just planets - but big galaxies.

Sure, we see stars and some planets in the night sky; however, there really are BILLIONS of galaxies in the heavens. The Hubble video is almost breathtaking. Here are some links to it, and I hope they get you to the proper site so you can see this video:

http://www.wikio.com/video/1519366

http://gizmodo.com/5335503/an-amazing-galactic-photo-now-in-3d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAVjF_7ensg&feature=email

Every once in a while I encounter someone who says they have never seen a satellite pass overhead. It is difficult for me to tell if they are pulling my leg. I enjoy watching a satellite when it is passing overhead. It always amazes me that a man made object is orbiting or flying high enough to reflect the light from the sun.

I have been watching for satellites since Sputnik and Echo1.

Where I live, in the "Pacific Northwest" it is possible to see satellites every night - that is, when there is a clear night. I admit it hurts my neck to look at the night sky. However, I resolved that by laying down on a mat. I pick a strategic spot for good north to south, and west to east viewing.

While in the presence of other people, we have seen some fairly amazing things. For instance, some satellites will stop, to a complete stop, pause a few moments, then continue.

Sometimes, a satellite will stop and change direction. Myself and others have seen a satellite make a 90 degree turn, go a short distance, then head in the original direction. We have seen a satellite make a 180 degree turn to reverse its direction.

Then, there are the satellites that stop, and jump forward three or four jumps, then go flat out at high speed, and disappear from sight within seconds. I wonder about those.

When a satellite stops, then jumps forward, stops again, then goes in a zig-zag direction, then in spirals or curly cues, over the course of three or four minutes, it makes me wonder how that happens.

After all, a satellite is in a stationary course in orbit around the earth, isn't it. How then, is it possible for satellites to maneuver?

That presents some interesting possibilities. Someone could be flying a craft high enough to reflect sun light. Or, maybe it is an unmanned craft being controlled by someone. What if these are examples of "hot dog pilots" from a military service from the U.S., Russia, China, France, England, etc.? It is possible that the U.S. military has "super secret" high flying aircraft, as yet unannounced to the public.

Whatever they are, there are some interesting views in the night sky, if you take the time to look. Since 1955, I have seen dozens of unidentified things flying in the sky - mostly at night, but sometimes during the late afternoon or early evening; AND, almost always in the presence of another person or other people. (Without using any alcohol.)

What if these are craft from elsewhere? I do not know the answer to that. However, I am very sure there are people who do know the answer, but they are keeping very quiet about it.