NUFORC Sighting 135623

Occurred: 2017-08-09 21:30 Local
Reported: 2017-08-09 22:48 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Davis, CA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Lighthouse-like light rotating in sky.

I was walking around at night. I was under a brightly lit parking lot, so i couldnt see the stars, but then i noticed a light that started very dim and got brighter, and then faded out again. I would describe it as looking exactly like a lighthouse light rotating around. I kept watching and it kept fading back in and out. Sometimes it would be a sudden bright light turning on and off, but it was mostly like a lighthouse light rotating most of the time. While I was under the brightly lit area I was unable to determine if it was moving or not, but it appeared to stay in the same spot as I walked. I was able to get to a darker area where I could see the stars, and I watched it continue to rotate in and out of brightness, but it was becoming less frequent and less bright.

Then i noticed it was moving away slowly, and i eventually lost sight of it. Some might say this is an iridium flare, but it kept on rotating for about five minute, and sometimes would just flash a single light. It was very bright at first, so bright that I could see it under the brightly lit area I was under. I think the brightness of it had decayed significantly once I was able to see the rest of the stars.

I also saw 2 other lights moving across the sky. I've seen these before, and think they might have just been satellites, but I figured I should report it since I saw them around the same time.

Posted 2017-08-11