Occurred: 2003-06-30 09:00 Local
Reported: 2003-07-04 18:40 Pacific
Duration: 6 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Iowa City, IA, USA

Shape: Oval
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

Bright silver object low in Summer morning sunlight.

Looking out across the flat fields of Iowa due East on brilliant blue morning with sunglasses while waiting for a passenger, I saw what I thought to be an Iridium satellite about 15 degrees up. It grew very bright and silvery for about half a minute and then faded, not moving like the Iridium satellites. It then came back into view a second time and I noticed an oval shape briefly. It faded again in about 30 seconds but came back a third time a minute later, slightly dimmer. It seemed to have shifted only slightly, laterally, if at all, during the entire event. The pulsating appearance seems to rule out satellites or a planet. I watched steadily and intently from the first moment it came into view. The brilliance was intense enough at times to call it an aura. As bright as a full Venus would be at night.



NUFORC Note:

Iridium satellite flashes do not last for 30 seconds. They usually last for 3-5 seconds. PD


Posted 2003-07-16

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