NUFORC Sighting 39011

Occurred: 2004-08-31 21:20 Local
Reported: 2004-08-31 20:05 Pacific
Duration: 30 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Ohio (eastern), OH, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Emitted beams

it looked like a cloud with a light behind it

Object was first observed high in the western sky at 21:20. At first I thought it was the moon behind a cloud but I realized the sky was clear with many stars and the moon was just rising in the eastern sky. It looked like a very small cloud with a light behind it. I could not make out any shape but was aware it was drifting very slowly directly east. Went to get a pair of binoculars and my wife and son. Through the binoculars there was a distinct shape with a more pronounced light shooting south out of one of five arms (for lack of a better word). The shape looked almost like a starfish with four of the arms evenly distibuted and then a fifth arm protruding south with the light coming out of it. This shape could only be made out while looking through the binoculars and the entire object faded out of sight as it drifted directly overhead into the brighter sky (the sky gets bright to the east of my house due to a mall to the east). It was odd that the light seemed to be facing out of the object like a headlight on a vehicle but yet the object was moving or probably just drifting to the east. My wife and son observed the same exact thing. It was visible for about 30 minutes. Really curious if anyone else in eastern Ohio observed this. It was not very bright and looked like a cloud with a light in or behind it, but maintained a very distinct starfish shape as it drifted/moved which I do not think a cloud would have done.

((

NUFORC Note:

Result of earlier missile launch. Please see:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/ac167/040824track.html

http://space.com/spacewatch/mystery_cloud_040901.html

PD))

Posted 2004-09-01