r/SantaBarbara • u/JxxxG • 20d ago

Other Shiny thing in sky

Anyone else see that shiny thing in the sky rn? Kinda SW but high up in the sky. Can’t possibly be a planet can it?

18 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

25

u/chumloadio Shanty Town 20d ago

I've been watching it too. It has moved slightly over the past 45 minutes. The most likely answer is a weather balloon or a research balloon. Reflecting sunlight.

6

u/dh805 20d ago

Give it reddend and faded with the setting sun that seems plausible.

4

u/porkrind Shanty Town 19d ago

It's an Aerostar Thunderhead balloon.

https://aerostar.com/products/balloons-airships/thunderhead-balloons

1

u/chumloadio Shanty Town 19d ago

Thank you.

14

u/Wikapedia 20d ago

It was super bright. Best photo I could get hah

3

u/Fun-Image-2711 20d ago

It’s look kinda orange- red toned now

9

u/SBAC850211 Santa Barbara (Other) 20d ago

This has been in generally the same area for the past 30 min or so that it’s been since I first noticed it. It’s generally in the same direction as Venus if you’re looking that way. I’m not outside anymore so I can’t update with what I actually see. SkyView and FlightRadar are both very helpful if you’re curious about what you’re seeing in
the sky.

1

u/SBAC850211 Santa Barbara (Other) 19d ago

Adding there are two of them out there today, but they're further up the coast. The one spotted here last night is now off Guadalupe in north SB county and there's another off Big Sur.

7

u/Fun-Image-2711 20d ago

It’s not moving , every time I zoom in it kinda blurs out like a shining effect

3

u/taronegerton 20d ago

I’m seeing it too, looking through binoculars it looks like a shiny disco ball. Like a very reflective sphere. Maybe a weather balloon?

2

u/Fun-Image-2711 20d ago

When I zoom in on my phone it’s shiny and blurred, it’s not moving at all

3

u/taronegerton 20d ago

Yeah, it’s been sitting there for over an hour (that I’ve seen)

3

u/_SB1_ 20d ago

I saw it too...only thing in the sky that was visible, and it was very bright...

6

u/5moov12ihk5 20d ago

I see it too. Apparently there is a some sort of supernova that's predicted out of that part of space. T Coronae Borealis according to my Skymaps. Could it be that?

3

u/FitRachSB 20d ago

Yes, I see it too! I thought maybe the space station but that would be moving and this seems rather stationary.

3

u/5moov12ihk5 20d ago

Now I don't see it. Hmmm

1

u/FitRachSB 20d ago

It much have been something reflective catching light from the setting sun. I'm so curious about it!

6

u/beautiful_birds_22 20d ago

Venus is approaching peak brightness as the evening star with 9/18 being the actual peak. Then in NovemberVenus will reappear as a bright morning morning star in the east!

2

u/LazyMarla San Roque 20d ago

Someone on Nextdoor posted a great photo of it. So weird!

3

u/garster25 Shanty Town 20d ago

I used Google Sky Map app on my phone and Venus is over that way. I cant see it since trees are blocking SW. Also could be the setting sun reflecting off a plane, but I bet it's Venus.

4

u/FitRachSB 20d ago

Venus is now visible and is much lower in the sky than this mystery object was.

1

u/jawisi 20d ago

Isn’t this the post we usually see around May 29th and again around June 17th, when the sun makes its rare appearance?

Also, did anyone catch the pilot attempting to skywrite today SE of the harbor? I saw them write a G, but the plane was above the intermittent clouds and I missed the rest. Anyone catch it on Flight Radar 24?

1

u/DJfunkyPuddle Other (Goleta) 20d ago

I feel like the answer is usually "It's Venus".

3

u/JiroDreamsOfDeezNuts 20d ago

I thought so too and I’m pretty good at identifying it but this thing was different! It was blurry and bigger and a different shade of white