Location of Sighting: Gresham, Oregon
Date of Sighting: May 2, 2016
Time of Sighting: 12:10 AM PDT
Description: A woman was having problems sleeping and happened to look out of her western window. She noticed a light that she first thought was a star, but thought that it looked different because it was twinkling between a white and red color. The object “bobbed” some and moved slowly north. The object was just above the tree line. The woman watched object for 30 to 40 minutes before falling asleep. She wasn’t sure of the exact direction, but thought that it was to the northwest.
Note: A check of astronomical tables shows that the planet Jupiter was about 40 degrees above the horizon and was in a west-southwest direction. Jupiter was bright (celestial magnitude -2.3). The apparent “bobbing” can be due to an optical illusion called “autokinesis.” Autokinesis can result in apparent jumping movements when staring at a stationary object.
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