NUFORC Sighting 14984

Occurred: 2000-11-17 20:18 Local
Reported: 2000-11-20 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 2 sec
No of observers: 1

Location: Astoria, OR, USA

Shape: Light


Point source of light making abrupt changes in direction captured on video

I recently set up a video system using an I3 piece image intesifier, Astrovid 2000 ccd camera and a Nikon 50mm f1.4 lens. This is mounted outside my home office window so that I can gaze at the night sky while working (I am a self-employed technical illustrator). I was experimenting with recording the image to video tape. I have captured many meteors and satellites and airplanes. At 20:18 I noticed what looked like a slow moving meteor. As it travelled across the monitor it made two abrupt ~15 degree turns. I did catch it on the video tape, so if you would like a copy, I will send it. After thinking about it for a day, I was pretty sure that it must have been a slow meteor that changed course because of its shape, but the following night I had another siting. I had not set up the video system since we had gone out for the evening, When we got home I took the I-3 peice with the Nikon lens out just to do a little star gazing. After about 10 minutes I noticed what seemed to be a fast satellite. I tracked it as it went East to West. About 45 degrees above the western horizon, it abruptly may a 90 degree turn to the North and vanished behind trees.(this happened at 21:20 pst). No recording of this object. I have decided to purchase a dedicated video tape recorde for this Image intesifier and hope to catch more interesting objects.

Posted 2000-12-02

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