What is that red/white/blue night 'star' and why is it moving?

[amse]

I have been watching this light for over 2 years now, at first it appeared in the northern sky and would stay fixed in that position for weeks, then gradually it would appear above my head staying fixed in that position for weeks, then slowly graduating to a south west position. The size is 2 to 3 times larger than any star or planet I've ever seen, and the color appears to be of a yellow tint. When it has been in the south west position close to the horizon, I've also observed a 2nd one more eastern close to the horizon also. This is the 1st time I've heard of anyone mentioning it on the internet here in Thailand. On a cloudless very clear night, it appears even larger in size than I've mentioned, and I've never seen it twinkle as others do. I do have my own opinion in regards to what this is, but I'd rather not say now, being so many here are extreme skeptics on the matter. For about 2 months it was not visable, and then 3 evenings ago it made its presence known again almost straight above.

[Jasun]

I thought planets were the ones that didn't twinkle. They twinkly ones are suns.

[LincsLad]

Probably ISS planets track in same plane and slowly. ISS orbits Earth 16 times every day and currently would be lowish down to the East. Color change is due to atmospheric conditions. See @Cmdr_Hadfield on Twitter

It's not the ISS. The ISS is only visible, as a very bright dot, moving across the sky apparently faster than a high-flying aircraft, for a maximum of around 25 minutes horizon to horizon. As its visibility depends on reflected sunlight, it's only visible during the couple of hours either side of sunrise/sunset. It's pretty much unmistakeable for any astronomical object and it will never appear as stationary or slow-moving.

And Chris Hadfield left the ISS a month or so ago and is back on earth. Though he still tweets occasionally, it's not from space.

As someone above said, if you have an Android phone or tablet, try the Google Sky Map app, point your phone at the object and see what it says.

[lucifer666]

The "star" that you are referring to ( which seems to change colour even when seen in Europe) is called Venus. I have seen it myself and spent hours on the internet, studying star charts to see which one it was. The gasses surrounding the planet make it change though the colour spectrum.

Edited June 30, 2013 by lucifer666

[SOTIRIOS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VD5AEn6Y48&feature=share

[Payboy]

I dialed 1771 for a meter taxi last week. Red, blue & white they said. Not here yet!

Its in the sky looking for a parking spot

See what happens when you don't ask for directions.

[Bagwan]

All the heavenly bodies travel through space but space is so vast that they appear to us to remain almost still. They appear to move due to the World's rotation. Their apparent movements are predictable and with the use of an accurate chronometer, a sextant and reference to The Nautical Almanac a vector on which one's position may be ascertained is possible. If heavenly bodies were not constant in their apparent movement through our horizons then astral navigation would not be possible.

The nearest star to Earth (apart from our Sun), is 4 light years away which in terrestial measurement is 37,841,712,000,000 kilometres.

[jimreindeer]

I noticed the same two or three days ago near Buriram. I have never seen before the same.

[jpduggan]

Well it's red white and blue and you mentioned stars so what about the stripes. Don't you read the newspapers it's big brother watching and listening.

[Puschl]

I found this nice 'Mini Astro-Viewer' which lets you check how the sky should look right now (or any other time) from any location:

http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/venus.htm#findvenus

Note that the time is UTC, so substract 7 from local time (e.g. use UTC 17:00 to see the midnight sky).

If the OP indeed looked east (tawan awk), it might have been Vega (alpha lyrae) or Altair (alpha aquilae). Or Venus, if looking to the west (tawan tok). Sirius currently sets before the sun. Still could be a blimp or similar.

[rbrooks]

It's NASA's SR-71, since Thailand did not allow them to come to their country we are just going to fly over and do whatever experiments we want at Mach 3 plus speed.

Edited July 1, 2013 by rbrooks

[dighambara]

UFO = Unidentified Flying Object...

So was the Object Flying and Unidentified...???

Then it was a UFO...

However, by description it is just a mirage of an airplane some distance away.

[BangRon]

(UAV) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, hovering Thai skies surely. Witnessed on a few occasions these drones near east Cambodia boarder, they move and circle about the skies. Past May with a friend in Isan, we both watched in amazement a bright light going back, forth, up, down, at altering speeds, aimed binoculars at it, appeared to have flashing red lights, after hovering for a while with sudden change of increased speed flew directly over us (as we flipped it the bird) and disappeared into clouds. Uncertain about UAV intentions; spotting poachers, tracking wildlife, charting forest conditions or maybe surveillance, intelligence type missions. Mystified, sap son, leuk lap…

[Cuban]

It's NASA's SR-71, since Thailand did not allow them to come to their country we are just going to fly over and do whatever experiments we want at Mach 3 plus speed.

NASA don't have SR71s. (Besides the fact that they are retired from service for fifteen years.)

Weather experiments carried out at March 3 would be useful how?

Suggest you board the next UFO to take you home, or submit for vivisection.

[taotoo]

The ISS was magnificent just now in the western skies.

[Somtamnication]

It's those damn American drones again!!

[Head Snake]

Thai mosquitoes have put up a red white and blue light in the sky. If a person looks up, it must be a falang, then the mosquitoes know who to feed off.

My Thai family want me to stay at the house; but, I know this is another ploy for me to be the sacrificial mosquito satay. I stay at the cheap hotel.