New Searchlight

In case anyone is wondering what the 'strange light in the sky' is to their South if in Dublin, to their Southeast if in West Dublin and to their north if in Wicklow.

Well its the bungee ball thing at the funfair on Bray seafront.

Thats just the light that reaches to zenith. There is massive skyglow from that end of the beach reaching up about 40º, most of it also coming from this yoke. Its all moot to me anyway as I have a building blocking that area of sky from my yard but anyone trying to observe from their back gardens down the seafront area wont be pleased. Don't know how localised this skyglow effect would be though.

OMG!! Hang your head in shame Keith!!:blush: :laugh:

The searchlight may have been a contrail and the skyglow was the moon!! :blush: :laugh:

:lol: :lol: :lol: An Unidentified Floating Object!!

If it wasn't a con-trail, it might have been a line of wave or lenticular cloud, which often sets up due to the Wicklow mountains. Wind blowing from the west hits the mountains (on the Curragh side) and gets deflected upwards. When it reaches an inversion layer (sharp temperature gradient) it condenses out to form a lenticular (lens shaped) or long line of cloud and gets deflected back down. This deflection process can be repeated several times before it runs out of steam and peters out, out over the sea. Hang glider pilots dream of flying in wave as it guarantees lift for miles... or guarantees gut wrenching sink if you hit it out of phase!!

Phil.



http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?showimage=4626
cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?showimage=4626

Note to self. Don't second guess yourself.

The coincidence wasn't a contrail looking like a searchlight and the moon looking like light pollution. The coincidence was later that night seeing a contrail crossing the searchlight at right angles and looking very similar in appearance and the moon rising in the same area of sky as the light polution, thus making me second guess myself.

Tonight the contrail/searchlight was scanning around the sky and spotlighting the underside of clouds and the moon hadn't risen and yet the light pollution was still there. Last night the searchlight was switched on but stationary which is how I later thought it was just a moonlit contrail.

And guess what, theres another searchlight at the north end of the beach too! Grrgggh!! Not that its a problem at the moment seeing I haven't seen a night worth setting up for in months.

BTW. Amazing to see the cloud wave effect when the footage is sped up.

What a cool video!
Thats a thumbs up from me for the cloud appreciation society !! :ohmy: