Bright Pulsating Object Seen Near Woodinville, WA
 

Date of Sighting: June 9, 2002
Date Reported: June 10, 2002
Location of Sighting: Woodinville, Washington
Latitude: 47.74619 degrees North
Longitude: 122.11238 degrees West
Time of Sighting: 11:10 PM P.D.T.
 

Description: On a clear night a Woodinville resident was outside looking at the stars and immediately noticed a star flash very bright.  The witness said that the star did not appear to be moving closer to him.  He watched the star for a few seconds and it dimmed.  The star then traveled across the sky moving upwards.  Subsequently the object (star) then faded out completely.  The witness further stated that he had never seen anything like this before and that the star light up very brightly and appeared to grow five times its size or more.

Investigator Notes: Upon receipt of this report I attempted to contact the witness with some additional questions and clarifications.  The witness never responded to my inquiries.  Therefore my investigation is restricted to information provided by the witness's original report.  I also checked the weather for the time sighting, called NORAD regarding descending space junk, consulted astronomical tables, and viewed the National UFO Reporting Center's (NUFORC) database.  I confirmed that the weather was clear and NORAD indicated that no space junk would be visible in the area at the time of the sighting.  Similar reports were received by NUFORC on this date.  NUFORC also attributed the sightings as due to iridium flare satellites.  Several witnesses also mistook the International Space Station for unknown objects on this same evening. 

Based upon the speed of movement of the object, the pulsing (flashing) behavior, duration of sighting, and constant direction of movement I believe that the witness observed an iridium flare satellite.  According to the heavens above web site an iridium flare satellite was visible at this location of June 9, 2002 at around 11 pm P.D.T.  The satellite would be seen moving from north to south.

Bottom Line:  Object quite likely was an iridium flare satellite.