NUFORC Sighting 10223

Occurred: 1999-10-14 22:10 Local
Reported: 1999-10-14 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 11 minutes
No of observers: 4

Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object, Left a trail, Emitted beams, Aircraft nearby

I saw a light flash like a plane out in my back yard but it didn't flash again so it caught my attention. Then it flashed again (white). After it flashed about 3 more times, I called my mom and she came out and then my teenage son and his friend. We started timing it and it flashed every 10 to 13 seconds only. I could see it in my binoculars only when it flashed. It was SSE in line with Jupiter. It would move up and back and sideways but you could only see it when it flashed. Then there was a streak of light and we all screamed and it was gone. There was no sound.

I had gone outside and was sitting on my back steps before Iwent to bed and was looking at the sky. A plane was going over pretty high up and I was watching it, when a single flash occured out in front of the plane. I thought the plane had shot something out of it. The plane went on and I was still looking where I saw the flash and it flashed again. So I sat there and watched it. It was just a bright flash, not as bright as Jupiter though. But it looked like that. I yelled for mom and she came out and it continued this slow flash but moving around. It would be more north then it would flash the next time over to the East and then South but it always stayed in a pretty small area. I called for my son who is 15 and his friend and we stood out back and watched it. Planes continued to go over but this just stayed there. I ran inside got the phone and called my uncle in KY to see if he could see it. I was trying to explain to him where to look but with it only flashing about every 13 seconds it was hard to tell him where. Then there was a brighter flash headed east with a long trail behind it like a shooting star and then the flasher was gone. We all screamed when whatever it was flew across the sky because it was so bright. My mom saw a red streak come out of it headed due east when it was just the two of us out there but I did not see that. My mom is 58 years old and psychologically stable. My son is 15 and attends an academic prepatory high school. His friend is also 15 and goes to a local high school. He was scared. I am 41 years old. I used to work with a local Mufon group here in Nashville but have not been in contact with them for about 5 years. I have always wanted to see a UFO because I believe they are out there but this tonight was the most unusual thing I have ever seen. I told my son's friend it was probably something of ours (from the USA) so he would not be so scared. Maybe it was a satellite, if they can stop and move in 4 different directions and then take off and lea! ve a whi te trail. I very much doubt it though. My uncle reported he had observed the same type thing 2 or 3 nights ago (in Paducah, KY) and watched it for awhile and went to bed. It was in the south. He said it was a slow flash like what we saw. I asked him who I should call and he said no one, just enjoy it and go on to bed. But I had to tell you all. I have written one other time to tell about a gold light that I saw one night headed north that disappeared but that could have been too many different things. This tonight was unlike anything I have ever seen. Thank you for letting me tell you about it.

Posted 1999-10-19