Late last night I was helping my grandfather irrigate our 40 acres of vineyards. As we were driving along I was staring up at the sky as it was a moonless night (around 11:15 pm) and the stars were out in multitudes. As I was looking to the west I saw what I thought were two stars rather close together that looked out of place when one star started to move and increase in luminiousity only to fade out after a few seconds. I assumed it was a satellite, but wasn't quite sure.
A bit curious as to what I actually saw I jumped on the internet and looked up satellite sightings and came across what are called Iridium Flares. There is a group of satellites in orbit called the Iridium Satelite Constelation. They are a group of communication satellites that provides both voice and data coverage for satellite phones. Each satellite has three large antenna about the size of a door and are highly polished. Occasionaly one of the antenna reflects sunlight back down to the Earth and that is what causes the flare.
After a bit more research I found a website called Heavens Above and they offer information on how to track objects in the night sky, from planets and comets to satellites. After entering my location I was able to determine that I indeed did see an Iridium satellite. The actual time was 23:11:15 on July 1. Here is the link to the actual infomormation, though I don't know how long it will be available.
So this had me thinking. How many people have seen these and thought and possibly reported these as a UFO. Hell even I wasn't familiar with an Iridium Flare. If I hadn't assumed it was a satellite I would most likely have reported it to the Nation UFO Reporting Center. I decided to search YouTube in hopes of someone had filmed one, given the fact that they are easily predictable. I got lucky and found a video showing something similiar to what I saw.
I am definitely convinced now that what I saw was not a UFO, but just the reflection of sunlight off a satellite's antenna. I checked the Heavens Above website and there is supposed to be another sighting tonight (July 2) at 23:05:19, this time to the east (here's the link for more info). I'm going to try to get some video of it if I can. But it shouldn't be that hard for anyone to see it as long as there isn't much light pollution around you.
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“Moon of Memphis” UFO / A 1964 Fatima of God
At 10pm around mid-November of 1964 in Memphis Tennessee, I was asked by my mother to take out the garbage. I went out back and I noticed a bright white full moon above. I looked closer and I noticed it had uniform whiteness with well define circular outline but I was not able to see the shades of white or grey that made the man in the moon face. It was equally as bright as the real full moon, bright enough to create a moon shadow. I looked around and I noticed another moon that was bright orange. This other moon was rising over our neighbor's house in the east. It had the features that created the man in the moon, so I believed that it was the real moon. I looked above and stared again at the bright white full moon for a few minutes, then it made a rapid ascend in the sky. As it rose, it became a smaller and smaller moon until it appeared to looked like a bright star, then a dim star, then disappeared into space. It reminded me of the Star of Bethleham when it was at high altitude. The event lasted about fifteen minute and occurred within one mile of the Area 51 of Tennessee that is Highway 51 through the Frayser neighborhood of Memphis.
I was only seven when I witnessed this UFO that I now call the “Moon of Memphis“. I had a good memory of the event so that after I was trained and experienced in the Air Force as an Instructor Navigator, I was able to analyze the event better. I estimate that the “Moon of Memphis” was at twenty thousand feet and was about ten acres in size. I developed this information from watching the ascend of the “Moon of Memphis” through some high cirrus clouds that I estimate was at sixty thousand feet. At twenty thousand feet it would have taken four 747 aircraft parked in a circle to cover the area of the “Moon of Memphis” UFO, thus creating a ten acre size estimate. When it hovered above me, it was exactly the size and shape of the real moon when seen high in the sky.
I believe the “Moon of Memphis” UFO was a Fatima of God called the “Frayser Fatima“. When you take A through Z and match it with 1 through 26, you can add up the letters of a word and get a sum number. For example Israel adds up to 64, which made me think that the 1964 “Moon of Memphis” UFO had religious significance. It also appeared at 10 pm and 10 stands for “J” for Jehovah or Jesus. Where the “Moon of Memphis” came from or how it was created, was certainly a unique phenomenon of divine origin and purpose.
From voices, visions, and dreams that I experienced at age thirty three (1990), and again thirty three years later from the 1964 event (1997), I believe it caused a message or revelation from God to humanity to occur. God wanted humanity to be more reverent to all living beings and animals. The consciousness of each being or animal is precious and must be respected more. Before animals are killed, they should receive anesthesia and be put into an unwakeable sleep. Anything less is cruel, heartless, and unreverent to that animal‘s rights and God. Humanity should find a way to eat without killing animals, but until then, we must not kill an animal while it is awake. Treat innocent animals as you would like to be treated if you were in their place. The “Moon of Memphis” is proof that God does exist and we should obey God’s wish for us to be more kind to each living being and animals.
William H. Bickers
Capt USAF / Lt USCG Retired
http://www.moonofmemphisufo.com
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