NUFORC Sighting 77905

Occurred: 1998-08-10 22:00 Local
Reported: 2010-09-19 16:23 Pacific
Duration: 20 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Modesto, CA, USA

Shape: Triangle

Triangular object in night sky over central valley in No. Ca., seen from Sierra Foothills

9/19/10 In the beginning of August in 1998, with another family we departed in a passenger van to go on a holiday together. We were headed to Yosemite Valley. We crossed the central valley in No. Ca., heading east of Modesto on Highway 132. We stopped in the Sierra foothills to camp for the night. Our site was on top of some high hills that overlooked (maybe 1500' above) the central valley floor, and it was clear enough that we could see across (50-60 miles) the valley to the hills on the other side.

Settling down for the night, my wife, my son (7 years old then), and me, were sitting outside the tent looking up at the incredibly clear and numerous stars that filled the awesome night sky. In the distance (south & north) we would occasionally see lights from an aircraft. Then we saw this darkish object heading from west to east in the sky. What caught our attention was a small flashing light and it was headed in our general direction. At first it's shape was not clear, but eventually we all could see that it was triangular. It was moving very slowly and silently across the valley floor far below it. We watched this unusual object for maybe 10 minutes until it was above (maybe 5000') our position. Then it made an impossible maneuver: it reversed direction in an instant without ever seeing it actually change direction. That was a very curious instant. It was like for that instant something occurred that was somehow outside of time-space. I don't know how else to express it.

We continued to watch this triangular object, as it headed back in the direction and path that it had just come, until it was no longer visible. One thing that struck my wife and I about this object that made it seem like it was of terrestrial origin, was the flashing strobe light; just like a normal identifiable aircraft has. I can't imagine that intelligent beings from some other location in time-space or from some other dimension, are going to have strobe lights on their craft when they fly in earth's airspace: like they're following FAA rules! The most interesting part of this sighting was the direction change instant: other than that it was boring. It moved so slow and didn't do anything, and it just became a “normal” part of what was in the night sky, nothing special, unlike the incredible stars. These type of UFO's are seen so frequently that although they fall into the UFO category, they don't seem like UFO's. They seem like a terrestrial craft with technology that isn't known. I've seen other incredible UFO's that create an indelible impression, but this triangle isn't even close to that level.

NUFORC Note:

Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides little contact information. PD

Posted 2010-11-21