NUFORC Sighting 42663

Occurred: 2005-03-02 20:10 Local
Reported: 2005-03-02 19:11 Pacific
Duration: 5 MIN
No of observers: 1

Location: Oak Forest, IL, USA

Shape: Flash
Characteristics: Lights on object

I observed a flashing, erratically wandering light in the sky south of my back yard.

THIS OBJECT WAS SPOTTED WHILE SCANNING THE SKY NEAR THE STAR SIRIUS. JUST " ABOVE " OR NORTH OF SIRIUS, I NOTICED A FLASHING LIGHT. I BEGAN A COUNT OF "ONE THOUSAND, ONE ",UP TO THE NUMBER SIX, WHEN THE LIGHT FLASHED AGAIN, A FRACTION OF A DEGREE REMOVED FROM IT'S FIRST POSITION.THIS ACTIVITY CONTINUED. THE LIGHT WOULD FLASH AGAIN FIVE TO SEVEN SECONDS LATER, IN ANOTHER POSITION NOT FAR FROM THE LAST ONE SIGHTED. THEN THE LIGHT TRAVELLED SOME WHAT FURTHER BETWEEN FLASHES, DESCRIBING AN ARC THROUGH PERHAPS TWO DEGREES OF SKY, SEEN AGAINST THE BACKROUND STARS. THE MOVEMENT OF THE OBJECT REMINDED ME OF A BEE IN MOTION AROUND A FLOWER, ONLY THE MOTION COULD ONLY BE INFERRED BY THE POSITION OF THE OBJECT WHEN IT FLASHED. THERE WAS ONE OBJECT. ITS BRIGHTNESS WAS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AS THE STAR BETELGEUSE IN THE CONSTELLATION ORION.THE FLASHING HAD A "SOFT" QUALITY; IT DID NOT RESEMBLE A STROBE LIGHT SO MUCH AS AN INCADESCENT LIGHT. THE SHAPE WAS ROUND; MY ESTIMATE OF ITS DISTANCE WAS AT LEAST FIVE MILES FROM MY BACK YARD. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT, MAYBE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITHOUT BINOCULARS.

I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF CN RAILWAY AND HAVE BEEN AN AMATEUR ASTRONOMER FOR THREE YEARS.

Posted 2005-04-16