MONTPEZAT (30) 12.08.2016

On 12 August 2016 at about 22:30, a witness watching the stars noticed an intense white light apparently zigzagging slightly. The witness called their spouse, who saw it too. It crossed west to east and disappeared. GEIPAN identifies the ISS. The reported positions match its path except for disappearance, which occurred lower than reported unless a cloud ended the sighting. The ISS ceasing to reflect sunlight can seem unusual because of rapid disappearance or, as here, gradual fading, described as ‘a candle wick going out in 2 or 3 seconds’. The apparent oscillation about an otherwise regular satellite path is a known autokinetic perceptual effect. GEIPAN classifies the case A: ISS passage.