Hello,
I am not an expert in questions of the mystery ship. My question: is a sky phenomena near the horizon instead of a light of any mystery ship fully exluded in the today´s view?
After reading the article I have read some witness reports about that light the life boats were pulling toward. Some witnesses believed it was northern lights, some believed to see the light of a ship, some told to have seen a star, some answered that they did not see any light in the distance. And some reported that there was a light that disappeared.
In the hours after the collission the planet Mars, which is brighter than many stars, was moving to the north-western horizon and disappeared around one hour after midnight. Probably Mars was the only astronomical object that could be seen through the haze right above the north-western horizon before the planet disappeared. It could have looked like a light in the distance.
Maybe some thought that Mars was the light of a ship in the distance? That is what I had supposed. But I was a bit confused because Mars looks pretty red. Some witnesses told of a "white" light. If the life boats did not go north but south - we can say that they were not heading for Mars which was shining at the north-western horizon.
Then what about Jupiter? This Planet - even much brighter as Mars and all stars in that night and pretty "white" - was rising around 11 p.m. and was still close to the horizon even one hour after midnight in the southern direction. It looked like a white light in a southern (bit eastern) direction. Assuming that there was a certain haze at the horizon right above the waterline this planet was shining through the haze before any stars. You couldn't say if this bright spot is a light in a distance or a star. But this "light" was rising and not "disappearing" as some said.
Finally I will change my mind and believe that there was indeed a mystery ship. I'll think about it...
Great article!
Best regards
Henning
P.S. The sky chart of the Titanic night can be re-created on the site http://www.heavens-above.com. Scroll down and enter the coordinates of the Titanic, then take the link below to the “Whole Sky Chart” and change the date below the actual chart.
I am not an expert in questions of the mystery ship. My question: is a sky phenomena near the horizon instead of a light of any mystery ship fully exluded in the today´s view?
After reading the article I have read some witness reports about that light the life boats were pulling toward. Some witnesses believed it was northern lights, some believed to see the light of a ship, some told to have seen a star, some answered that they did not see any light in the distance. And some reported that there was a light that disappeared.
In the hours after the collission the planet Mars, which is brighter than many stars, was moving to the north-western horizon and disappeared around one hour after midnight. Probably Mars was the only astronomical object that could be seen through the haze right above the north-western horizon before the planet disappeared. It could have looked like a light in the distance.
Maybe some thought that Mars was the light of a ship in the distance? That is what I had supposed. But I was a bit confused because Mars looks pretty red. Some witnesses told of a "white" light. If the life boats did not go north but south - we can say that they were not heading for Mars which was shining at the north-western horizon.
Then what about Jupiter? This Planet - even much brighter as Mars and all stars in that night and pretty "white" - was rising around 11 p.m. and was still close to the horizon even one hour after midnight in the southern direction. It looked like a white light in a southern (bit eastern) direction. Assuming that there was a certain haze at the horizon right above the waterline this planet was shining through the haze before any stars. You couldn't say if this bright spot is a light in a distance or a star. But this "light" was rising and not "disappearing" as some said.
Finally I will change my mind and believe that there was indeed a mystery ship. I'll think about it...
Great article!
Best regards
Henning
P.S. The sky chart of the Titanic night can be re-created on the site http://www.heavens-above.com. Scroll down and enter the coordinates of the Titanic, then take the link below to the “Whole Sky Chart” and change the date below the actual chart.