NUFORC Sighting 60800

Occurred: 1985-11-13 20:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2008-01-13 00:05 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Shape: Formation

A glowing, moving line, going from W to E, which when observed thru binoculars resolved into disks.

On or about Nov. 13, 1985, I was laying down on the front lawn, watching for the annual Leonids. The night was moderately clear, with enough light pollution to limit stars to the top two thirds of the sky. Around 7 or 8 pm, about three quarters up the sky in the west (coming to view above the tree) my attention was drawn by what appeared to be a white, glowing line, shaped as follows...

_____ _____________ \ / \ / ` ...in reality, the line was a solid. My drawing is also pointing the wrong way - please rotate the figure one quarter turn counterclockwise. The "v" portion pointed westwards. It was moving soundlessly and in a smooth manner similar to that of a satellite, although slightly faster. It was about a half to a full degree in size from one end to the other, or a bit larger than the full moon when viewed normally. I had reasonably powerful binoculars on hand (strong enough to view the major moons of Jupiter easily) and through these the line resolved into individual circles or disks, flying very closely together and never altering formation in the slightest. There were about 15 of them all told - about 4 on the "short" end, three on each side of the "v" and about another 7 or 8 on the "long" end. They were not attached to each other, but were closely spaced enough to appear a glowing line from the ground. They were white in the center, fading to a fuzzy, blue white on the edges. Focusing them sharply proved impossible. The line continued eastward and passed from view. It took about a minute to a minute and a half to cross my sky.

I do not pretend to know what it was, but I am now, in these first few days of 2008, 36 years old, and have been avidly looking up for at least 30 of those years. I was young when I saw this, only 14 or so, but was a very experienced skywatcher even then. Night after night after night of gazing has shown me thousands of satellites, endless airplanes and helicopters, beautiful meteors and startled birds lit by the lights below them. I have never seen anything like this again, before or since.

NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the incident is approximate. PD

Posted 2008-01-21