NUFORC Sighting 05600

Occurred: 1998-11-20 03:30 Local
Reported: 1999-02-20 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 12 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Spokane, WA, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Aircraft nearby

thought we saw a satellite going over,it changed direction 80 deg.in 1/4 sec, then again. Had a transparent triangle shape around central light

As an ameteur astronomer I was entertaining a friend with the telescope,then we quit and just looked up at a nice night sky,and saw what we thought was a satellite, a single white light, travelling over Spokane from n.w. to s.e., but I thought this light was moving a little faster than the average satellite,(which I observe regularly, and can often identify the type of satellite). It continued straight for five seconds, then made an eighty degree left turn to the n.e. in about a quarter of a second, continued in a straight path for another four or five seconds, then made another quarter second right turn to due east. We observed it for two or three more seconds, then it appeared to vanish. As it passed through several star fields, my friend noted he could make out what appeared to be a sort of transparent triangle shape around the central light, which I did not notice. He said it was rather large,as large as the full moon. We guessed the craft was quite low to the ground.

NUFORC Note:

A satellite in low earth orbit almost certainly would not be visible from the ground at 0330 hrs. (local) in November. At that time, a satellite would be on the side of the earth that is shaded from the sun's illumination, so there would be no ambient light for a satellite to reflect.

Posted 1999-04-02