2017-07-22 - Owasso, OK - Light

Unusually bright light moving across the sky.

At appx 9:47pm CDT, I was outside on our east facing porch, just watching for satellites and meteors, as I like to do on weekend nights like the one that night: no clouds and no moon.

I was scanning the sky, when I saw an exceptionally bright light in the SSW sky appx 40 degrees above the horizon. This light was as much as a magnitude brighter than the planet Venus at that planet's brightest. This light was moving to the NE and likely took 2-3 minutes to cross from the point of first sighting until it crossed the whole of the sky before disappearing behind some trees to my ENE.

I then moved to another part of the yard and was able to watch the light past the trees until it was lost to sight on the far ENE horizon. I believe that it passed to the north of both Antares, and then Saturn, but to the east of Altair. I don't believe that it got any higher than maybe 50 degrees above the horizon, maybe less. The light was silent the entire time. The light was solid the e! ntire time, neither blinking nor dimming. I say it was solid to say that it did not blink or waver. But it was so bright that it caused it to be more of a Venus-like glare, rather than a simple point of light. It only dimmed as any light does as it moved farther away into the distance.

In a single sentence it was as if Venus was moving across the sky.

Over the years I have seen dozens if not hundreds of satellites. I have seen many that seem to appear from nowhere and become very bright before quickly dimming to nothing. In the moments just after spotting this light and seeing that it was not blinking (like an airplane) I assumed that it must be a satellite and expected it to very soon dim. It never did to any extent. I also felt that it was moving erratically, slowing then speeding up and wavering very slightly from side to side. I say this because it was what I felt I was seeing. I can NOT say that I am certain it was acting oddly.

Realizing that this was like nothing I had seen before I went to the door and asked my wife to come outside. She agreed that it was much brighter than what we had seen before. Without my prodding she said that it seemed to be moving in the same odd manner that I have described.

Another point I want to make is that we live appx 7-8 miles NE of Tulsa International Airport and see many low flying aircraft near our home either just after takeoff or turning west toward a landing.

Just as my wife was coming to the door, I began hearing sounds of an airplane, and started to feel that was the explanation. But when I looked up I saw the airplane lights moving from the S to N but beginning a turn to the west that would take it behind our house towards the airport flight lanes. The bright light in question was already well to the east. When the plane was lost to sight the sound went away. Again I did not hear any sound that I would associate with the passing light.

There is a National Guard Center about 5-6 miles to our south and they house a number of military helicopters. I have seen them flying in the area many times. Later, I considered that if this were a helicopter, for its lights to have been that bright, it would have to be flying rather low, and I would certainly have heard that familiar chop chop sound.

My wife and I also considered the idea that it could have been a drone of some kind. I don't know much about them but will say that other than the possible side to side waver I was feeling, this light traveled in a very straight line from one end of the flight to when it disappeared on the far horizon.

To me this was an object that I could not identify with any certainty and since it was moving, flying in the sky it was a UFO. I EXPECT that you will determine that it was indeed likely a satellite. I expect that you have satellite information at your disposal and you will end this mystery quickly.


((NUFORC Note: Probable sighting of ISS, which was visible at 21:45 hrs.. Please see following:

http://heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=36.2695&lng=-95.8547&loc=Owasso&alt=188&tz=CST

PD))

((ADDENDUM FROM WITNESS))

Thank you. Yes. I posted my sighting on Facebook and a close skywatching friend sent me a link. I was instantly convinced.

I wanted to contact you to rescind my report, but wasn't sure how. Besides, my sighting is part of the narrative. Just another part of how we keep moving toward solving the mystery.
((initials of source deleted))

((END ADDENDUM))