S-IVB

It had sizable dimensions to it, so we put the monocular on it." Monocular, not to be confused with binoculars, monoculars.

Now, the first thought was that it was the S-IVB, which is the third stage of the Saturn V rocket.

That's the thing that pushed them out of Earth's orbit, kind of the same thing that happened with the first story.

But the crew had to be sure, so they called Houston, and they asked.

However, they weren't expecting the answer that they got, 'cause Mission Control told them that the S-IVB, that booster thing that detached, they said it was 6,000 miles away.

So now we're starting to think, "Okay, what, what am I looking at," right? That's what all the astronauts on board are thinking.

Armstrong described it as L-shaped, like an open suitcase.

The transcript says this: "It is a bright object, and it's obviously rotating because it's flashing.

Then there was also the matter of the other bright object seen by Gene Cernan that was large and flashed in a rhythmic fashion, first a bright flash followed by a dull one.

This one is far less mysterious because even back then, Mission Control was fairly certain that it was the S-IVB booster rocket.

As for the flashes, that was the sunlight bouncing off the side and then the engine bell of the rocket.

The space shuttle sightings.