NUFORC Sighting 50374

Occurred: 2006-04-30 21:25 Local
Reported: 2006-05-01 14:01 Pacific
Duration: 3-5 min
No of observers: 1

Location: Yakima, WA, USA

Shape: Light

Observed a single non-blinking bright light traveling from West to East at approx 9:35 pm. First noticed it when it was below the North Star, at about 40 degrees above the northern horizon. It continued to travel East very slowly and then (not changing in brightness) lost it behind some trees at a low elevation. NOTE: Tonight,the Space Station travels from the southwest to northeast over Yakima, WA, according to the schedule for May 1, 06.

Today, I could not find trajectory of Space Station for April 30th. It's possible it was the Space Station I saw on Sunday, April 30th.

((RESPONSE TO WITNESS))

Dear Mr. ((name deleted)),

Thank you very much for the excellent report! You are correct in your surmise, I believe, regarding the possibility that you may have been witness to the International Space Station. For details, please see the data table below, in which I "flag" with asterisks the overflight that I believe you must have been witness to:

28 Apr 0.5 20:33:34 10 W 20:36:20 40 NNW 20:39:05 10 ENE
28 Apr 1.0 22:09:18 10 WNW 22:11:53 28 N 22:13:00 21 NE
29 Apr 1.0 20:56:59 10 WNW 20:59:36 29 N 21:02:10 10 ENE
29 Apr 0.5 22:32:26 10 WNW 22:35:04 36 N 22:35:04 36 N
***30 Apr 1.0 21:20:16 10 WNW 21:22:51 28 N 21:25:25 10 ENE***
30 Apr 1.1 22:55:25 10 WNW 22:57:04 30 NW 22:57:04 30 NW
01 May 0.4 21:43:20 10 WNW 21:46:03 36 NNE 21:47:39 19 ENE
01 May 2.1 23:18:26 10 WNW 23:19:01 15 WNW 23:19:01 15 WNW

The information above is available at the following address at Heavens-Above website:

http://www.heavens-above.com/passsummary.asp?lat=46.602&lng=-120.505&alt=343&loc=Yakima&TZ=PST&satid=25544&Date=38829.7916666667&Mag=

For an image of the groundtrack of the ISS, please see the following address:

http://www.heavens-above.com/gtrack.asp?date=38838.1825313742&lat=46.602&lng=-120.505&alt=343&loc=Yakima&TZ=PST&satid=25544

Again, thank you very much for the report! The facts you report below are exactly correct, for which I congratulate you!

Cordially,

Peter Davenport, Director
National UFO Reporting Center
Seattle, WA
Hotline: (206) 722-3000 (8:00 a.m. to midnight)

((END))

NUFORC Note:

ISS visible at 2120-2125 hrs. on this date in the northern sky from Yakima. PD

Posted 2006-05-15