Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Pixie on 27/03/2009 16:36:20

Title: What is this????
Post by: Pixie on 27/03/2009 16:36:20
While sitting in our livingroom at our old place, we spotted something going into the sky (We could see pretty much the entire town from the front window so we had a good view of it).

It goes vertically upwards and shoots acroos at such speed that my partner copuldn't keep up with it! It also leaves a crzy vapour trail behind it. Someone said it might be a test flight for a B2 bomber or something else but we don't have any military test sites there (that I know of!)

Here's the link to the clip (Apologies for my partner's language by the way!)- tell me what you think?

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=9195592
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Title: What is this????
Post by: Vern on 27/03/2009 20:21:55
That looks similar to a space shuttle launch seen from a distance. Maybe it was a rocket of some sort. It didn't look like a normal condensation trail.
Title: What is this????
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 27/03/2009 20:48:21
Vern - I was thinking rocket too.

Pixie - Do you have a lot of open space near you? There are quite a few small groups that launch them from all sorts of places.

Looking at it again, I'm pretty sure that's what it is.
Title: What is this????
Post by: RD on 27/03/2009 21:15:41
Rocket launch sites in Scotland ...

Military (Uist)...  http://wikimapia.org/4153290/South-Uist-Rocket-Launch-Site

Amateur (Largs) ... http://www.gbnet.net/orgs/staar/irw/travel.html
Title: What is this????
Post by: Pixie on 27/03/2009 23:38:17
Quote from: RD on 27/03/2009 21:15:41
Rocket launch sites in Scotland ...

Military (Uist)...  http://wikimapia.org/4153290/South-Uist-Rocket-Launch-Site

Those have got to be the most helpfully specific links I've had in answer to any question I've EVER posted online! Thanks muchly! Will check them out and let you what I find out! :)
Amateur (Largs) ... http://www.gbnet.net/orgs/staar/irw/travel.html

Title: What is this????
Post by: RD on 28/03/2009 01:01:19
Here is a youtube video of the amateur rocketeers at Largs ...

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Title: What is this????
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 28/03/2009 01:04:22
I think you've pleased a Pixie  [;D]
Title: What is this????
Post by: Pixie on 28/03/2009 15:55:52
Quote from: DoctorBeaver on 28/03/2009 01:04:22
I think you've pleased a Pixie  [;D]

Most definately! That is wicked! I want to go see one of those launches for myself if I can. I thought you had to go to America to see stuff like that. Oh, we are taking a trip!
Title: What is this????
Post by: LeeE on 28/03/2009 23:39:22
Why is the vid sideways?

It certainly does look like a rocket launch, and rather a large rocket too - it would need to be large to carry enough fuel to burn for so long, and as it's burning for so long, it's going very high.  Because of it's size, and the likely height that it's going to hit, I'd suspect a military, rather than an amateur rocket.  Amateur rocket groups might have difficulty getting the NOTAMS clearance for a very high-altitude flight.
Title: What is this????
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 28/03/2009 23:51:26
Do the British military have large rockets these days? The last 1 I remember was Blue Streak and that was phased out in the 60s or 70s, I think. I didn't think military rockets were tested in the UK anyway.
Title: What is this????
Post by: RD on 29/03/2009 04:37:35
Quote from: LeeE on 28/03/2009 23:39:22
It certainly does look like a rocket launch, and rather a large rocket too - it would need to be large to carry enough fuel to burn for so long, and as it's burning for so long, it's going very high.  Because of it's size, and the likely height that it's going to hit, I'd suspect a military, rather than an amateur rocket.

One of the amateur rockets launched at Largs allegedly reaches 10,000 feet (almost 2 miles high) ...
   
Title: What is this????
Post by: Karen W. on 29/03/2009 05:07:46
Those are so cool!
Title: What is this????
Post by: Raghavendra on 29/03/2009 09:45:54
It's crazy!!
Title: What is this????
Post by: LeeE on 03/04/2009 18:40:09
Quote from: DoctorBeaver on 28/03/2009 23:51:26
Do the British military have large rockets these days? The last 1 I remember was Blue Streak and that was phased out in the 60s or 70s, I think. I didn't think military rockets were tested in the UK anyway.

Nope, me neither re UK testing of large rockets.  I think you're right about Blue Streak being the last UK designed large rocket but it's possible it was a Trident launch test.  However, I think Star Chaser are making some orbital class rockets now too, so it might have been a test of one of those.

If you look at the video, at the brief point where the camera pans back down (across?) to the horizon, you can see that the plume still looks very substantial and has only been twisted by the wind but not dispersed by it.  This also suggests that it's a large rocket and I think that when you consider how long the burn appears to be, it's going a lot higher than 10000ft.

If I was a rocket scientist, I'd probably have some idea of what fuel was being used from the plume i.e. the plume is light and not dark, but I'm not, so I don't.

It's very surprising that nothing appears to have been reported in the media; I would have expected many people to have seen this and got on to the papers about it.  In fact, because of the lack of media reporting of it, I'm inclined to think that it's either a hoax or an unintentional/accidental Trident launch that's had reporting restrictions put on it.
Title: What is this????
Post by: RD on 03/04/2009 22:29:30
The good ol' boys in Alabama have posted an amazing amateur rocket video on youtube ...
 
Title: What is this????
Post by: Mr. Scientist on 09/04/2009 21:39:46
Possibly a home-made rocketlike system using the most general types of fuel, since it's leaving behind a vapoue trail.
Title: What is this????
Post by: wanhafizi on 16/06/2009 07:21:55
Chemtrails? Conspiracy stuff...
Title: What is this????
Post by: neilep on 25/07/2009 19:50:19
Does this topic need to be sticky ?...Unless I receive numerous protestations, I will unsticky it in a few hours !
Title: What is this????
Post by: neilep on 26/07/2009 01:04:38
I have ' unstickified' it !