NUFORC Sighting 174968

Occurred: 2023-03-03 21:45 Local
Reported: 2023-03-10 22:14 Pacific
Duration: Approximately 10 minutes.
No of observers: 1

Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA
Location details: My backyard, looking South for this particular sighting but I have seen similar in other directions.

Shape: Flash
Characteristics: Lights on object

Blinking light of very slow duration in the upper atmosphere or geostationary orbit.

I’m hoping for some input on these and my gut says they’re some sort of satellite using an instrument that very briefly emits visible or IR light.
I view the sky with very high-specification White Phosphor night vision 3-5 times a week. I use a dedicated video recorder that degrades the image somewhat but is the best solution I’ve found for recording through a night vision device. I watch the sky often enough that I’ve become quite skilled at identifying mundane objects: primarily satellites and how they reflect the below-horizon sun. The objects I describe below and have provided video of do not appear to be reflecting the sun on as they spin and they do not follow an orbital path. They appear to be geostationary or moving extremely slowly.

What I’ve detected are “blinks” coming from an extremely high altitude, likely above the earth’s atmosphere. I have seen them at night (from 8pm to 11pm is my usual viewing time) and in the pre-dawn hour (5am to 6:15ish). I have seen them while facing Northeast, West, and South as these are my usual viewing areas. I don’t typically face sue North but may do so for the sake of additional data. Most “blinkers” are so dim they’re difficult or impossible to see on video but I see them clearly through my night vision device. The bright one in the video I’ve linked was, by far, the brightest I have seen. All of them blink at a regular interval but the interval varies. So far, the intervals have been 17 seconds, 31 seconds, 48 seconds, and 1:17 seconds. Those intervals are just for the ones I’ve watched long enough to start counting in my head. Another data point that indicates they’re not reflecting the sun: in some instances, I have been staring at one area of the sky for over a half hour before the blinks start and after approximately 10 minutes with no indication of movement across the sky, the blinks stop. Satellites reflecting sunlight don’t behave that way.
The video I’ve linked happens to be the first time I’ve seen 2 blinking at the same time in the same area. Usually, I only see a single blinker. In the video, I first see the bright blinker at 0:13 in the lower left of the night vision tube, I then turned my attention to it and the bright blink is in the middle of the frame. At 2:08, the second blinker starts to the left, much dimmer than the initial one. If necessary, I can provide time stamps for every blink. Also, if it’s preferable for me to send the video directly, I can do that. The only editing I’ve done is slight cropping and I had to merge 2 clips as my recording device chops video into 5 minute segments. If any investigator would like to see them in person more clearly, I welcome a visit. I see them every session. https://youtu.be/6VDefldh4N0

Posted 2023-04-09

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