By KMPH News
CLOVIS, Calif. (KMPH) - A Clovis man believes he spotted an unidentified flying object near his home, and he's got the video to prove it.
The video shows a bright orb and then a smaller bright light that appears to fly away.
Ricardo Padua who shot the video says, "It was weird because I didn't see it when I taping it. Then I thought on my God, this is real. This is something more than just an orb. It released something."
But what did it release?
Fresno State's Physics Department Professor Dr. Steven White says, "At first when I saw it I thought it could be Mars. But it looks like the International Space Station was flying over, right at that time. It's consistent with the altitude and direction of travel."
With the help of Doctor White's graduate student and a NASA website.
They've determined the bright orb is the space station.
Student Simon Gonzalez says, "If it is the space station it is going around the planet. So when it flies by a stationary star, it looks like that star is moving. When in reality it's the space station moving away from the star."
However Dr. White says another option?
Dr. White says, "Of course the space station does drop capsules from time to time. We might want to check on that. Those land usually in Russia."
As for Padua he's not buying it.
He says this is just one of several sightings he's witnessed.
Padua says, "What they say could be true. But I have other sightings without the video and they have to have a connection somewhere."
By the way, the International Space Station orbits at approximately 220 miles above the Earth and travels at an average speed of more than 17,000 miles per hour.
The video shows a bright orb and then a smaller bright light that appears to fly away.
Ricardo Padua who shot the video says, "It was weird because I didn't see it when I taping it. Then I thought on my God, this is real. This is something more than just an orb. It released something."
But what did it release?
Fresno State's Physics Department Professor Dr. Steven White says, "At first when I saw it I thought it could be Mars. But it looks like the International Space Station was flying over, right at that time. It's consistent with the altitude and direction of travel."
With the help of Doctor White's graduate student and a NASA website.
They've determined the bright orb is the space station.
Student Simon Gonzalez says, "If it is the space station it is going around the planet. So when it flies by a stationary star, it looks like that star is moving. When in reality it's the space station moving away from the star."
However Dr. White says another option?
Dr. White says, "Of course the space station does drop capsules from time to time. We might want to check on that. Those land usually in Russia."
As for Padua he's not buying it.
He says this is just one of several sightings he's witnessed.
Padua says, "What they say could be true. But I have other sightings without the video and they have to have a connection somewhere."
By the way, the International Space Station orbits at approximately 220 miles above the Earth and travels at an average speed of more than 17,000 miles per hour.
