NUFORC Sighting 116373

Occurred: 2015-01-01 01:20 Local
Reported: 2015-01-01 05:17 Pacific
Duration: 45-60 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Mebane, NC, USA

Shape: Light

Bright orange light steadily traversing the sky from west to east for 45 seconds.

At 1:20AM on New Year's Day 2015 my wife called me to the second story window of our house to look at a bright orange light that was traversing the sky in a steady arc from the Western horizon up over our house. It was not blinking and it did not change in intensity or direction.

When we were no longer able to see it through the window she went outside to view it on the other side of the house and I went to a second story window on the other side of the house to see it. I watched it until it disappeared out of sight below the Eastern horizon.

My wife watched it from outside during the same time and reported that she did not hear any noises associated with the light's movement. It was within sight for an estimated 45 seconds to 1 minute. She first noticed it when it was about 25 degrees above the Western horizon and I saw disappear in the Eastern sky at about 15 degrees above the horizon.

We have seen the International Space Station move across the sky at a similar rate of transit many times before. This light was a bright orange color in contrast to the bright white of the ISS. This light was also about 4-5 times brighter than the brightest ISS sightings we have ever experienced. This light could not have been reflected sunlight since it was about 6 hours after sunset.

The night was perfectly clear and 24 degrees Fahrenheit. The 3/4 full moon was in the Western part of the sky near where my wife first saw the light.

We did not get any pictures or videos.

Posted 2015-01-07