4/9/2011: Grand Island, NY, USA

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National UFO Reporting Center Sighting Report
Occurred : 4/9/2011 20:30 (Entered as : 04/09/2011 20:30) Reported: 4/10/2011 8:57:50 AM 08:57 Posted: 5/2/2011 Location: Grand Island, NY Shape: Light Duration: about 30 seconds Characteristics: There were lights on the object, There was an aura or haze around the object
Spotted a stationary pinkish light then it disappeared Last night we went outside to view an iridium flare (satellite Iridium 47) visible in the Niagara region at 8:26pm. It was partially cloudy and that was mainly to the south. It was a bright -5.6M flare and just as one of the websites predicted, it was there at the location that the website said it would be and there was nothing else that was to follow. (Link for the flare being viewed: http://www.heavens-above.com/flaredetails.asp?SatID=25106&lat=42.886&lng=-78.879&alt=183&loc=Buffalo&TZ=EST&Date=40643.018484537&Mirror=1) Polaris was becoming more visible at the time and other brighter stars were more visible. After the flare took place I noticed a fuzzy object about 10 degrees (to the NW) away from the star Capella, which was to the west. This was a pink-like (almost orange) object that appeared like a bright star with fuzziness then just faded away. It was actually brighter (about -3 magnitude) than Capella, which made it most noticeable. Unlike the satellite that created the iridium flare, which was moving, this object was stationary. Since spotting this object the entire viewing was about fifteen seconds. I am uncertain how long it was there prior to viewing the flare. I do not know if this was a weather balloon or something else. Many of the satellites I have seen do not last too long in view and move across the sky, this object did not move and faded out of site. I did have my Olympus DSLR camera at the time to photograph the flare, but I was not prepared for that object. There was a brief moment where the maxing moon had a minor halo around it due to light clouds and may have caused the fuzziness around the object. Why it disappeared is another thing.

National UFO Reporting Center Sighting Report

Occurred : 4/9/2011 20:30 (Entered as : 04/09/2011 20:30)
Reported: 4/10/2011 8:57:50 AM 08:57
Posted: 5/2/2011
Location: Grand Island, NY
Shape: Light
Duration: about 30 seconds
Characteristics: There were lights on the object, There was an aura or haze around the object

Spotted a stationary pinkish light then it disappeared

Last night we went outside to view an iridium flare (satellite Iridium 47) visible in the Niagara region at 8:26pm. It was partially cloudy and that was mainly to the south. It was a bright -5.6M flare and just as one of the websites predicted, it was there at the location that the website said it would be and there was nothing else that was to follow. (Link for the flare being viewed:

http://www.heavens-above.com/flaredetails.asp?SatID=25106&lat=42.886&lng=-78.879&alt=183&loc=Buffalo&TZ=EST&Date=40643.018484537&Mirror=1)

Polaris was becoming more visible at the time and other brighter stars were more visible. After the flare took place I noticed a fuzzy object about 10 degrees (to the NW) away from the star Capella, which was to the west. This was a pink-like (almost orange) object that appeared like a bright star with fuzziness then just faded away. It was actually brighter (about -3 magnitude) than Capella, which made it most noticeable. Unlike the satellite that created the iridium flare, which was moving, this object was stationary. Since spotting this object the entire viewing was about fifteen seconds. I am uncertain how long it was there prior to viewing the flare. I do not know if this was a weather balloon or something else. Many of the satellites I have seen do not last too long in view and move across the sky, this object did not move and faded out of site.

I did have my Olympus DSLR camera at the time to photograph the flare, but I was not prepared for that object. There was a brief moment where the maxing moon had a minor halo around it due to light clouds and may have caused the fuzziness around the object. Why it disappeared is another thing.