NUFORC Sighting 39358

Occurred: 2004-09-17 19:30 Local
Reported: 2004-09-19 00:08 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Dugas, AZ, USA

Shape: Rectangle


flashing square-shaped motionless light in night sky

Two of my friends and I were stargazing with telescopes and binoculars off of Dugas Road in a remote area approximately 7 miles east of I-17.

We had aligned our telescopes and were initially looking at the milky way with naked eyes. I was looking nearly straight up into the constellation of Cygnus when I noticed a flashing object. It first appeared like a twinkling star, but I saw that none of the adjacent stars were twinkling.

I kept watching and distinctly saw a flashing/strobing object at extreme altitude and not changing its position. I told my two friends and they also saw the light. I got my 10x50 binoculars for a closer inspection. It appeared to be a blue-white square object that flashed on and off. It was probably reflecting sunlight and it was flapping back and forth like a stiff flag in the wind.

I then tried to observe it in my 8 inch telescope, but was unable to find it due to its intermittent nature. I scanned for about 2 minutes with the telescope, then looked with naked eyes again and it was no longer visible.

Because it did not change location relative to background stars, the only thing it could have been is a geostationary satellite; however, I am not sure that these types of satellites have any significant motion to cause the somewhat aggressive flashing and flapping that I saw.

((ADDENDUM #1 FROM WITNESS))

Addendum to 9/17/04 report

This is an addendum to my report to your database from yesterday. After some research on geostationary satellites, I have the understanding that they are all in equatorial orbits. The stationary flashing object was located at approximately 35 degrees North latitude and 20hr 30min West longitude in Cygnus. I don't think that location corresponds to a geosynchronous orbit.


((ADDENDUM #2 FROM WITNESS))

2nd Addendum to report from Dugas...

I meant Declination +35 and Right Ascension 20hr 30min coordinates in my last entry.

ooops..

((END))



NUFORC Note:

Geostationary satellites are above the equator, and are not visible from Arizona. PD


Posted 2004-09-29

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