Bright silver object low in Summer morning sunlight.
Looking out across the flat fields of Iowa due East on brilliant blue morning with sunglasses while waiting for a passenger, I saw what I thought to be an Iridium satellite about 15 degrees up. It grew very bright and silvery for about half a minute and then faded, not moving like the Iridium satellites. It then came back into view a second time and I noticed an oval shape briefly. It faded again in about 30 seconds but came back a third time a minute later, slightly dimmer. It seemed to have shifted only slightly, laterally, if at all, during the entire event. The pulsating appearance seems to rule out satellites or a planet. I watched steadily and intently from the first moment it came into view. The brilliance was intense enough at times to call it an aura. As bright as a full Venus would be at night.
((NUFORC Note: Iridium satellite flashes do not last for 30 seconds. They usually last for 3-5 seconds. PD))
Looking out across the flat fields of Iowa due East on brilliant blue morning with sunglasses while waiting for a passenger, I saw what I thought to be an Iridium satellite about 15 degrees up. It grew very bright and silvery for about half a minute and then faded, not moving like the Iridium satellites. It then came back into view a second time and I noticed an oval shape briefly. It faded again in about 30 seconds but came back a third time a minute later, slightly dimmer. It seemed to have shifted only slightly, laterally, if at all, during the entire event. The pulsating appearance seems to rule out satellites or a planet. I watched steadily and intently from the first moment it came into view. The brilliance was intense enough at times to call it an aura. As bright as a full Venus would be at night.
((NUFORC Note: Iridium satellite flashes do not last for 30 seconds. They usually last for 3-5 seconds. PD))
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Iowa City
USA
6 minutes
6 minutes
41.65
-91.53
oval
IA
Occurred : 6/30/2003 09:00 (Entered as : 06/30/03 09:00) Reported: 7/4/2003 6:40:59 PM 18:40 Posted: 7/16/2003 Location: Iowa City, IA Shape: Oval Duration: 6 minutes Characteristics: There was an aura or haze around the object
Bright silver object low in Summer morning sunlight.