<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; color: #006600'>Hi Vic<br><br>If I may dare a reply, this could of course have been a number of things (apart from an explosion). Although you say it was not moving, the fact that it was of short duration is probably most likely a glint off a flat surface of a high altitude satellite which is otherwise invisible, being too faint. I have seen similar events before. Even geostationary satellites can produce naked eye flashes if the circumstances are good.<br><br>Regards<br>Willie<br><br><hr id="zwchr"><blockquote style="border-left:2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255);margin-left:5px;padding-left:5px;color:#000;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><b>From: </b>"Vic Viviers" <vicviviers@telkomsa.net><br><b>To: </b>astronet@mail.saasta.ac.za<br><b>Sent: </b>Thursday, 5 January, 2012 8:09:29 PM<br><b>Subject: </b>[AstroNet] Reporting an observation<br><br>
<title>Reporting an observation</title>
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<p><font size="2" face="Arial">Good day all</font>
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<p><font size="2" face="Arial">As a new member I wish to report something extraordinary that I have seen during the night on 2 January 2012 at +- 3:00:</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial">While I was lying awake looking at the stars as usual through my window towards the south-western sky there was a bright flash [not moving] that lasted for a split second at the point I was looking at. I have never seen anything like this before and was wondering whether I have observed an explosion of some heavenly object. </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial">Is there perhaps an explanation for this?</font>
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<p><font size="2" face="Arial">I would like to hear from you.</font>
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<p><font size="2" face="Arial">Regards</font>
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<p><font size="2" face="Arial">Vic Viviers</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">____________________________</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">PO Box/Posbus 10, Sedgefield 6573</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">Tel 044 883 1019</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">Cell/Sel 082 459 7413</font>
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<br><span lang="en-us"><font face="Arial">@ </font></span><span lang="en-za"><u> <font size="2" color="#0000FF" face="Arial">vicviviers@telkomsa.net</font></u></span>
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<br>_______________________________________________<br>AstroNet mailing list<br>AstroNet@mail.saasta.ac.za<br>http://mail.saasta.ac.za/mailman/listinfo/astronet<br></blockquote><br><br><br>-- <br><div><span name="x"></span> Mr. W.P. Koorts ( wpk@saao.ac.za )<br> South African Astronomical Observatory<br> P.O. Box 9, Observatory, 7935, South Africa<br> Tel.(27) (21) 460 9334 Fax.(27) (21) 447 3639<br> World Wide Web (Work) http://www.saao.ac.za<br> World Wide Web ( Personal ) http://wpk.saao.ac.za<span name="x"></span><br></div></div></body></html>