Bright repetitive flashes during 2017 Perseid meteor showers.
Following a similar sighting on the previous evening of Saturday, August 12, 2017, I accepted an invitation on Sunday, August 13, 2017, from a former pastor friend and his wife to have dinner and then go outside and watch the Perseid meteor showers before the moon rose. After seeing a couple of very large ones, at about 10:00 PM the 3 of us witnessed a very similar repeat of the bright blue-white flash event at the same elevation and direction as I’d seen the previous night (as reported separately). This was also followed by perhaps 6 or 7 less intense flashes at irregular intervals, but their location kept randomly shifting slightly to the left or up or down. As the flashes became fainter, they moved slowly down and to the ESE for a considerable distance, finally becoming too faint to follow although by this time my pastor friend was tracking them with binoculars trying to see any detail (to no avail). My friends then told me that they’d seen similar fl! ashes in the same location at about the same time the night before.
Then, at around 11:30 PM there was a reoccurrence of the flash at exactly the same position in the sky and just as brightly, followed by a couple of irregular but fainter ones, all with no apparent change in position and this time not followed by the receding movement of fainter flashes.
After solidly dismissing the idea of any sort of aircraft we speculated that it might be flashes from a reflective panel on a rotating satellite or space station. But the irregularity of the flashes and the extreme brightness of the initial flash or two seemed to discount any sort of regular rotational cause. It left us clueless but not at all alarmed, thinking it might just be some sort of optical illusion that would find explanation later. But there was no mention of any similar sighting in Monday’s local newspaper.
My companions have an amateur interest in astronomy and night sky viewing. My own background includes a lifetime amateur interest in the biological sciences, and later in the hard sciences (esp. quantum physics, astrophysics, cosmology, topology, etc.), but not UFO’s. Since 1965 have been a professional fine woodworker (luthier), spec. stringed musical instruments, involving fine measurements, close tolerances, good observational skills, and a good ear.
((NUFORC Note: We spoke via telephone with the witness, and we found him to be exceptional eloquent, and he seemed to be quite sincere and sober-minded. We suspect that he is an excellent witness.
Please see a second report of a similar sighting by the same witness, which occurred at 0200 hrs. (PDT) on Saturday, August 12, 2017. PD))
Following a similar sighting on the previous evening of Saturday, August 12, 2017, I accepted an invitation on Sunday, August 13, 2017, from a former pastor friend and his wife to have dinner and then go outside and watch the Perseid meteor showers before the moon rose. After seeing a couple of very large ones, at about 10:00 PM the 3 of us witnessed a very similar repeat of the bright blue-white flash event at the same elevation and direction as I’d seen the previous night (as reported separately). This was also followed by perhaps 6 or 7 less intense flashes at irregular intervals, but their location kept randomly shifting slightly to the left or up or down. As the flashes became fainter, they moved slowly down and to the ESE for a considerable distance, finally becoming too faint to follow although by this time my pastor friend was tracking them with binoculars trying to see any detail (to no avail). My friends then told me that they’d seen similar fl! ashes in the same location at about the same time the night before.
Then, at around 11:30 PM there was a reoccurrence of the flash at exactly the same position in the sky and just as brightly, followed by a couple of irregular but fainter ones, all with no apparent change in position and this time not followed by the receding movement of fainter flashes.
After solidly dismissing the idea of any sort of aircraft we speculated that it might be flashes from a reflective panel on a rotating satellite or space station. But the irregularity of the flashes and the extreme brightness of the initial flash or two seemed to discount any sort of regular rotational cause. It left us clueless but not at all alarmed, thinking it might just be some sort of optical illusion that would find explanation later. But there was no mention of any similar sighting in Monday’s local newspaper.
My companions have an amateur interest in astronomy and night sky viewing. My own background includes a lifetime amateur interest in the biological sciences, and later in the hard sciences (esp. quantum physics, astrophysics, cosmology, topology, etc.), but not UFO’s. Since 1965 have been a professional fine woodworker (luthier), spec. stringed musical instruments, involving fine measurements, close tolerances, good observational skills, and a good ear.
((NUFORC Note: We spoke via telephone with the witness, and we found him to be exceptional eloquent, and he seemed to be quite sincere and sober-minded. We suspect that he is an excellent witness.
Please see a second report of a similar sighting by the same witness, which occurred at 0200 hrs. (PDT) on Saturday, August 12, 2017. PD))
No
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Off
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Yes
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Grass Valley
USA
1.5 hours
1.5 hours
39.15
-121.06
flash
CA
Occurred : 8/13/2017 22:00 (Entered as : 08/13/2017 22:00) Reported: 8/18/2017 11:37:45 AM 11:37 Posted: 8/24/2017 Location: Grass Valley, CA Shape: Flash Duration: 1.5 hours Characteristics: There were lights on the object
Bright repetitive flashes during 2017 Perseid meteor showers.