NUFORC Sighting 158268

Occurred: 2020-08-04 00:23 Local
Reported: 2020-08-06 20:41 Pacific
Duration: 20 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

Star like yellow object that quickly accelerated before making a startling disappearance.

UFO sighting over Cloverdale California Tuesday August 4th 12:23am.

History of observer: • 56 years of age male, Senior Optical Engineer • Designer of high resolution astronomical imaging systems • Amateur astronomer and Astrophotographer for 41 years.

Planetary observation session was interrupted by an object that was not easy to dismiss as an aircraft, satellite, meteor or man-made space debris.

Observed was a -5 magnitude star-like object traveling from SE to NW at a speed slightly faster than the a typical fly over of the International Space Station. First spotted SE of the Sturgeon full moon passing and travel NW exactly between the moon and Saturn. It rose higher into the sky traveling at a constant velocity to an altitude of 38º to 42º above the "due south" horizon before its startling disappearance.

What was unusual about this object:

• Just before it disappeared from the sky it rapidly accelerated for 500 to 600 milliseconds.

• The rate of its extinguishing light after the rapid acceleration was startling. Not at all like a typical satellite darkening into the earth's shadow or tumbling in sunlight.

• Sighting occurred just after midnight and a satellite could not have been illumined by the sun.

• Color was white to slightly yellow and had a slight haze surrounding its star-like appearance.

• Westerly orbiting satellites are very unusual.

• To verify it was not local aircraft out of Santa Rosa or San Francisco a flight tracker app was checked within seconds of the sighting. No aircraft were in the air between SFO and the Oregon border.

He notified his sister with a text to verify time, location and document the event. This was only the second object the observer could not identify over his observing history.

Posted 2020-08-20