NUFORC Sighting 02413

Occurred: 1997-07-04 21:15 Local
Reported: 1997-07-07 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 1 second
No of observers: 10000

Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

Shape: Light

Summary : Rapidly moving blue-green in sky over fireworks spectators

On the evening in question, I was in the crowd near the Gateway Arch waiting for the fireworks display to begin at 2140. At approximately 2115, I was looking up at helicoptors that were moving around the river and immediate airspace over the city near the Arch. At about that time, I happened to notice an object, moving at an extremely rapid rate through the sky, almost directly overhead. The duration of the event was so short that I thought that it might have been some kind of meteorite or something similar. The object was bluish-green in color, like a streaking fireball in shape, and moving east to west at a speed much faster than any aircraft, flare, fireworks, or shooting star/meteorite I have ever seen before. The light gave off no observable sound, nor was there some kind of sonic boom or anything of the sort. I commented on it to my friend who missed it and wasn't interested in my observation. I overheard others in the crowd in my immediate area comment on the light, so I'm pretty sure that there are others who can comment on seeing the light. I am writing this, only because I happened to see a report in the news today about a similar series of observations across the river in Illinois.

Posted 1998-09-26