NUFORC Sighting 23884

Occurred: 2002-07-23 22:00 Local
Reported: 2002-07-24 10:25 Pacific
Duration: 22:05
No of observers: 2

Location: Tehachapi, CA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

A wide arc shaped object with redish and white blinking lights traveled north to south over Tehachapi, CA at 10PM, on 7/23.

I was walking my dog just before bed when I saw the object in the clear night sky. The exact shape of the oject is best described as a wide arc. Not a "V" or a "U". It is possible that it was a formation of smaller aircraft, but with the naked eye it appeared to be solid, as the lights stayed within the same proximity of eachother throughout the entire sighting. I noticed it at 10 PM, Daylight Savings Time, moving slowly from the north to the south above our home in Tehachapi, CA. From its northerly position the leading edge was lit with blinking lights, white and redish. My husband and I were not aware of sound until it was directly overhead, then it sounded like one very high altitude jet. There was one amber light to the rear left side that did not blink. Two other aircraft were in the sky at the same time. One, which appeared to be a "normal" smaller aircraft behind and possibly lower but traveling in the same direction, and another to the left of the object traveling in the opposite direction. I tried to measure the size of the object with my fingers to give me some idea of its size, but with no idea of the altitude any accuracy was impossible. None-the-less, I will include that information. As it continued southward, no longer directly overhead but still close, it was approximately the length of my index finger, about 3 inches long, in a wide arc shape. The unblinking amber light to it's left rear, mentioned above was approximately an inch and 1/2 behind it. We watched it until it was obscured by the small hill in front of our house. My husband and I are both in our 50s with grown children. Neither one of us have ever seen anything like this before.

Posted 2002-07-26