NUFORC Sighting 44550

Occurred: 2005-06-23 00:25 Local
Reported: 2005-06-24 16:38 Pacific
Duration: 20-40sec
No of observers: 1

Location: Auburn, WA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Bright Light with direction change

I was stargazing thru the front window of our apartment which has a view due West. The sky was clear. I had just got done watching a high flying jet that was going from North to South leaving a trail. About 30 seconds later a VERY bright light caught my eye. It was 80 degrees above the horizon SSW of my position. At first I thought it was a planet that I had somehow missed, but it was atleast 10 times the brightness of Venus and was moving slowly in a Northerly direction. It then began to dim to the brightness of the dimmest stars I could see, so I naturally thought that this was an Irridium flare. I then opened the window to get an unobstructed view with the binoculars. All of the sudden it was now moving in a Southerly direction, exactly opposite of what it was at first doing. I saw the direction change, it did not turn at all, but instead just instantly was going in the opposite direction. I watched it until I lost sight of it behind the roof of the building.

Posted 2005-07-05