NUFORC Sighting 31127

Occurred: 2003-08-30 22:35 Local
Reported: 2003-09-01 22:45 Pacific
Duration: 70 minutes?
No of observers: 1

Location: Whittier, CA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object

Unblinking red light motionless for over one hour in the sky.

A very red starlight object hovered motionless in the WNW sky. Not orange-red, not blood-red, just pure red. Approximate magnitude 2.0, 45 degrees above the horizon. I don't know if it was the same object, or perhaps a second object, one hour later it was five degrees to the south (still 45 degrees above the horizon. It never blinked or changed in any way. The pure red color drew the eye. I watched it for 20 minutes the first time. Since I was already outside with my telescope looking at Mars (which was in the opposite sky), I looked at this object through my telescope. I could discern no shape, or even source of the light (was not reflecting light they way lights on standard aircraft tend to do.) Therefore all I could see through the telescope was a "very red star" surrounded by darkness. When I looked at it an hour later, it had moved or another one had shown up, I only saw the one light. No flashing, blinking, or moving; one moment it was there, and suddenly it was gone. At first I thought it was a helicopter, looking through my telescope I realized it was not (I would have seen the shape.) Sky was clear overhead with some haze/fog along the horizon (well below the strange light.) This red light barely even twinkled, adding to the strangeness. I am baffled. This light didn't do anything at all. I just recognized it as a "star" that shouldn't be there, and a ruby red star at that. If I am to guess the altitude, I would say 30,000 feet? This did not seem to be a very high altitude object. I am a longtime amateur astronomer and and able to tell the differences between aircraft, helicopters, dirigibles, migrating birds, etc. If this was one of ours, it must be something new. The light did not do anything, it was hung in the sky, unblinking and unflashing.

NUFORC Note:

Many other reports. PD

Posted 2003-09-04