NUFORC Sighting 13181

Occurred: 2000-06-26 22:20 Local
Reported: 2000-06-26 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 1-3 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Otis/Lincoln City, OR, USA

Shape: Unknown

Witnessed bright light/object seemingly intensify and then accelerate away in a matter of about 1-2 seconds.

We live on the Cascade Head, west of Hwy 101, north of interchange, Ha! with Hwy 18 from Salem, mountainous by the coast northwest of Salem river estuary, excellent visibility, virtually no city lights except to the south. Walked out of rear of house made turn then facing ene, looked up, bright object caught my eye at about 15 degrees ene of top dead center if you were to draw a perpendicular line straight up from my position. Object at first appeared brighter than any star normally would and then intensified to 10 to 20 times greater in magnitude than any normal stellar object other than moon or sun. Light was not awesomely brilliant or unpleasant but bright. Intensity similar to moon at about 70% full. Not certain about definition until object appeared to reach brightest point and then either roll, turn to se, or accelerate rapidly away from my position. I first thought it might be a satellite or nortorious space junk as the time of night and season would probably be about right as this was just nearing total darkness and something at that altitude might be catching the last reflections of the sun prior to moving into termination however I am left with the stongest impression that it banked or rotated to the east and acclerated out of view in less than a second. The impression was similar to the way "starships reach warp drive on Star Trek" just with a less distinct tail or trailer. I did not get an errie feeling. I have seen satellites react similarly before but not with a sense that they have accelerated away from my position but more that they have continued on the path much fainter having lost the benefit of the sun's reflection.I could not pick the object up again. It gave me the impression of being a luminated disk not in definitive outline but in manner of the luminous area dispacing the normal dark background of the sky. Although not able to see more than perhaps 40-60% of the sky from our position due to mountains and trees the star just a bit(1-2 degrees) to the north of object appears to b! e one of the 5 brightest in this nights sky. Object in question was approx. the size of a silver dollar to a penny in comparing the two.

Posted 2000-07-11