NUFORC Sighting 25843

Occurred: 2002-10-20 16:00 Local
Reported: 2002-10-29 09:11 Pacific
Duration:


Location: Albany, NY, USA

Shape:


Is it possible the object filmed at Albany, NY was the International Space Station? The outline looks like the solar arrays and body of the ISS.

((FOLLOW-UP CORRESPONDENCE))

Dear Mr. ((deleted)),

The object in the film traversed, I estimate, not less than 60 degrees of arc, as viewed from the video camera, in 11 frames of video. Video cameras collect 30, or sometimes 60 frames, per second. Hence, the object captured on video by FOX 23 covered 60 degrees in approximately one-third of a second. The ISS does not do that while in orbit.

Do you concur with my analysis, please?

Cordially,

Peter Davenport

((RESPONSE))

Mr. Davenport,

I'm afraid I would have to disagree, given the location it's quite possible that the flight path trajectory of the ISS would have been similar. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/elements/index.html



Direction of view, perhaps. Elapsed time, no.

Please see the entries at for stats on sighting the ISS, and all other bodies in orbit. The ISS is usually visible for up to 4-5 minutes, when it passes overhead, or within 30 degrees of overhead.

The object in the video was visible...I repeat...for 1/3 of a second, during which time it traversed 60 degrees (est.) of arc, or roughly speaking, 180 degrees of arc per second.

The ISS, when viewed from the surface of the Earth, passes overhead at approximately 1/2 degree per second, or less.

Hence, there are from two, to three, order of magnitude (!!!) difference between the ISS and the anomalous body in the film, vis-a-vis angular velocities.

((END))

NUFORC Note:

NUFORC RESPONSE


Posted 2002-11-04

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