Weird Flash on Planetary Surface

[bartmoss]

Something odd happened in my livestream tonight: We observed an odd flash on or above a planet's surface, ~50kLY out (i am slowly making my way back from the Distant Worlds expedition).

Video (23s including slowed-down view): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USPAsyNVu30

Screen grab from video (from the above file, hence the caption.)

The Twitch VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/havejoystick/v/70518445 - the flash occurs at circa 1:18:10

I landed and looked around as best I could, but nothing unusual was spotted in the vicinity. I'm assuming it's an odd glitch, but it does have a distinct "fading" animation, whatever you want to call it, so I am unsure. Any theories, opinions etc appreciated.

 

[Gryphorim]

I've seen these too. I think it's a ship entering/dropping from supercruise, or at least the vfx for one, as it can have a trail and the same sound effects. However, when dropping to realspace or accelerating out of OC, there is no ship to be found.

 

[joshman72nd]

thargoids!!!!!!

 

[bartmoss]

I've seen these too. I think it's a ship entering/dropping from supercruise, or at least the vfx for one, as it can have a trail and the same sound effects. However, when dropping to realspace or accelerating out of OC, there is no ship to be found.

Hmm. Could be. There was no sound with this flash, and it certainly seems unlikely that there was an actual NPC present... but I guess it is a possibility that the game randomly-generates an encounter with "another explorer".

 

[Tom Melegaris]

I too have had this phenomena...
phenomena?...

uh, I always attributed it an "atmospheric" effect, like a sonic boom type event, when I am descending into a planetary body's "atmosphere", but I could be wrong..


phenomena?...

 

[bartmoss]

It doesn't always happen - this is the first time I noticed it, and it didn't happen when I landed on another planet the same evening.

Also, the planets we land on do not have atmospheres...

 

[CMDR Ash]

It doesn't always happen - this is the first time I noticed it, and it didn't happen when I landed on another planet the same evening.

Also, the planets we land on do not have atmospheres...

Technically, they do. Just very thin ones

 

[{SAS}Stalker]

Its someone with a pair of giant rally, grill mounted headlights like the Boyz from the 80's had on ford XR2i's

 

[Flash_Baggins]

Hello, was I not normal enough for you?

At any rate that is quite odd

 

[bartmoss]

Hello, was I not normal enough for you?

Hahahaha!

 

[thorn-]

"Rendering Error".

 

[bartmoss]

I've observed the same type of flash on another planet,. I am currently 45,000 light years from Earth.

After watching my Asp depart (when I dismissed her), I now believe that this is indeed an FSD flash. The question is - is this a bug, or an actual event?

Anyway, I searched the area of the 2nd flash, made sure to check for contacts etc, but again came up empty.

 

[Mechanist]

Spoiler