NUFORC Sighting 58178

Occurred: 2007-08-04 06:20 Local
Reported: 2007-08-14 16:36 Pacific
Duration: 90 min
No of observers: 1

Location: Kissimmee, FL, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Left a trail, Aircraft nearby

High altitude, long lasting contrails and two bright white lights over Central Florida

On August 04, 2007, at 0620 I opened the garage door to pull my car out to leave for work. It was a clear sky; sun was coming up when I looked straight up and noticed a lot of contrails. There were 360 degree turns, 180s, 90s just all over, but pretty much confined to being over central Florida, Orlando area.

As I followed the trails I pretty much guessed it was probably fighter aircraft out of MacDill AFB, Tampa. I thought maybe an early morning skirmish.

I drove my car out of the garage and continued on to work.

I stopped at a large intersection approximately 3mi. to the north of my house and happened to glance up at the contrails. Two bright white stars were right in the middle of all the trails. I thought those are awfully bright stars till I looked at the rest of the sky – NO STARS. The sun was rising (0630) and washed out the rest of the stars but these two.

They were absolutely still, no movement at all.

Light changed and I continued on to work. (I didn’t even notice the head-on collision that just took place before the light changed).

I was stopped by another traffic light approximately 3 miles farther north. I looked up again. One of the lights had moved a little farther away, but remaining relatively motionless.

The light changed and I kept watching as I drove.

The light that had moved slightly off began to go straight up, faded and disappeared.

The second light remained for approximately 5 minutes more and then did the same, began to go straight up, faded and disappeared.

Within two minutes after the last one disappeared; a jet airliner went directly underneath where the two lights were. The jet was leaving a contrail, but was only 1 to 2 miles behind and it was disappearing.

The contrails these objects left lasted for the best part of an hour and a half. These objects were at a much higher altitude than the jet liner as well.

I also found out later that morning the Mars probe was launched from Cape Canaveral around 0530.

Some guy tried to tell me it was the trail from the rocket as it went up. I have lived in Central Florida for over 50 years and watched way too many rocket launches to know it was not the rocket trail that drifted over. The launch pad is a good 60 miles away.

I have never seen anything like this before, but it sure was interesting.

Posted 2007-10-08