Bolide changes directions

Last month I shot a couple of time lapse sequences of the Aurora Borealis (its rendering as I type this). I held off processing the first time lapse sequence, which is the longest, because I slightly missed focus and the stars weren't pinpoints. A friend suggested that I go ahead and process it since the meat of the video will be the aurora. It looks like it's going to be a good sequence but that's not the topic of this post.

Check this out- the following is 4 still photo's in the order that they were taken. Note the bolide (or at least what I think was a bolide) in the middle two frames. It seems like it changed direction 180 degrees. If you look at the trajectory it looks like it's on the same path.

Thoughts? My other choice is that it's lucky timing in the middle of an Iridium flare.

sure seems odd to me

Looks like an Iridium flare to me, judging by the uniformity of the brightening and dimming, and the fact that the trail is visible in all 4 exposures. Not sure what the exposure length was for these, but I'm guessing about 15 seconds, which would mean the object is travelling much too slow to be a meteor. You just got lucky and split the flare in half I think. (I've done the same thing while capturing star trails in the past).

Cheers,
Stephen

S.R.M. wrote in post #14784087
Looks like an Iridium flare to me, judging by the uniformity of the brightening and dimming, and the fact that the trail is visible in all 4 exposures. Not sure what the exposure length was for these, but I'm guessing about 15 seconds, which would mean the object is traveling much too slow to be a meteor. You just got lucky and split the flare in half I think. (I've done the same thing while capturing star trails in the past).

Cheers,
Stephen

I think that you are correct. Here are the particulars of the two shots in the middle.

60Da (hands down the best night camera I have)
ISO 1000
20s@f4

For some reason neither CS6 or LR4 are reading the time value from the 60Da right. I checked the time setting in the camera and recent images and it's off. Needless to say, the camera was being fired with an intervalometer so every 20s plus shutter lag it was taking a shot.

Luck counts right?

Here's the almost final video (*almost because I saw a glitch in the matrix and I need to edit it out). The "event" passes quickly at 23.976 fps

http://www.vimeo.com/4​6570553

Iridium Flare . Bolides can't change direction unless they break apart .

Celestron wrote in post #14786121
Iridium Flare . Bolides can't change direction unless they break apart .

What if aliens are driving?

Mike6158 wrote in post #14786150
What if aliens are driving?

Then you have a problem . Cause when they crash i'm sure they will get out and run ..........