Was it a shooting star?

Question

hi, i have seen many shooting stars but i was out this morning around 5-530 to watch for Perseids shooting stars. i was watching NE but something told me to look in the opposite direction and i saw a big bright white light (about the size of a pencil eraser or smaller) moving SLOW. then it dimmed and became a very small speck that was hard to see and still moved very slowly. do you think it was a shooting star and if so, how did that happen? was it big and lit up as it entered our atmosphere then the inside was left tiny and dim? why so slow? i had time to say to myself what the heck was that and wish i had my binocs out w/me as i usually do. then it turned dim. i thought maybe it was an airplane way up there that the sunrise hit just right but it really didnt look like that. would love your takes on it. thank you!

Answer 1

A shooting star is actually a meteorite usually about the size of an SUV to about the size of a grain of sand.  When these rocks, usually made of iron, enter our atmosphere they are traveling usually 12,000 - 25,000 mph.  Friction between these objects and earth's atmosphere cause most of them to completely burn up before they ever hit the earth's surface.  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I think what you saw was a satellite or the ISS, not a shooting star.

Answer 3

What you saw was an artificial satellite. We have lots of satellites orbiting the earth and they appear to be moving very slowly. The time of day when you saw it would indicate that it was in full morning sun when you first saw it and then it moved out of the sun light (or at least out of the area where it reflected the sun where you could see it) and got dimmer and dimmer until it disappeared.

Answer 4

You are describing the International Space Station.

http://www.calsky.com/

This site will send you e-mail alerts when it is going to pass over your house so you don't miss it.  They ask for donations but it is still free.  Enjoy!

Answer 5

A shooting star is the common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere. A shooting star is also broken pieces of meteors that have become broken off in space.