NUFORC Sighting 01166

Occurred: 1996-03-19 20:30 Local
Reported: 1996-03-19 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 20 min.
No of observers: 5

Location: St. Petersburg, FL, USA

Shape:

Total of five observers were looking at a bright object in the western sky, approximately 45 degrees above the horizon.

I first assumed it was Venus, but the caller was adament that when an airplane flew nearby, the object shot off to the south as far as he could see, then it came back to its original position!! Then, while we were talking, he stated that it suddenly dropped down significantly to the horizon.

I could hear the other parties in the background talking about the object. One woman, who was looking at the object with some form of magnification, stated that it looked like it had "seven panels" on the bottom of it. The caller stated that it looked like it had two headlights on it, with a bar running down the middle, perhaps.

This one is confusing!! How can Venus streak to the south, and drop down.

I asked them to watch it tonight, and to look for it again tomorrow night in the same area of the sky.

Posted 1999-11-02