NUFORC Sighting 08288

Occurred: 1999-07-07 23:05 Local
Reported: 1999-07-08 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 10-15 secs
No of observers: 2

Location: Jeromesville, OH, USA

Shape: Flash
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

while stargazing on a moonless night in a rural area both myself and father-in-law observed an intense white-light almost blinding. After the object flared it took on the appearance of a lower magnitude star.It was traveling in a southerly direction, and faded. No tail, traveled at satelite speed and disappeared.

I am a school teacher, and my father-in-law is a retired gentleman of sound mind. Living in the country and sitting out at night we often see meteorites and satelites in the heavens. This was not a meteor !!!! When this object was first viewed it was like looking at a welders torch and was about the size of a dime if held at arms length, it seemed to light up the sky.

NUFORC Note:

The description is somewhat descriptive of the flash seen from Iridium satellites. That type of satellite, which is seen frequently from the ground, has flat, highly reflective surfaces, which, if oriented just right to an observer on the ground, can cause a very bright flash in the night-time sky. NUFORC receives many such reports, but we can only guess.

Posted 1999-07-14