NUFORC Sighting 64283

Occurred: 2008-07-03 16:40 Local
Reported: 2008-07-04 00:57 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Fairbanks, AK, USA

Shape: Unknown

White oblong object moving fast through clear sky and fades into the blue.

It was partly cloudy around the horizon. Clear blue sky above. I saw a white or maybe somewhat reflective object in the sky above. At first it looked like an airplane but I noticed how fast it seemed to move. Almost a strange movement, not quite linear. As l looked, time passed and perspective changed it seemed almost as if it were falling. I couldn't exactly say it was falling, but it gave the appearance of a falling object because of the speed it was moving at or the path it was traveling, however the perspective distance that my eye could report told me that it was in fact moving away from the ground at least in an overall direction. There were two dogs that were wandering over towards me and their owner was calling for them. I was distracted for a couple of seconds. When I tried to spot the object again I had lost it. I kept looking and sighted it again in a few seconds. The object was further away, heading NE. It almost seemed to float. While I was questioning what it was I thought of a bird, a seagull hovering in the convective wind high above. That is the first thing I could relate it to because of the nature of it's movement. After gauging it's path through the sky I realized that did not make sense. I was tracking it and it was too far away to be a bird or a floating cotton seed. My eyes focused more on the object and still could not make out an exact shape. I would say it might have been oblong. I don't want to describe it more than that because I just can't say for sure. My eyes are good with contacts in. I can see far with them. I kept tracking this object until it fades away. I know for sure my eyes were focused on this object. I can tell it gained in distance from the ground or my point on the earth. I knew this by watching it's visible light reflection dim by the volumetric blue atmosphere. That is what tells me how high this was. Volumetric atmosphere. Like judging distance in the fog. I am not saying what this was with any certainty. What I will say with absolute certain! ty, sani ty, focus and highly preceptive judgement is that this was moving fast and seemed to leave the atmosphere. It's that simple. I was at work walking through the parking lot to go back inside. It was only about 2 minutes of observation. A co worker asked what I was looking at (after I was distracted by the loose dogs). I pointed but he could not spot it. It would have been hard to spot because of it's distance and color. For whatever it's worth I am sure it wasn't a balloon, bird, cotton seed, or anything ordinary like that. I am confident in my mind and perception. Weather ballon? Who knows, it always seems probable.

NUFORC Note:

Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. PD

Posted 2008-07-05