NUFORC Sighting 80522

Occurred: 2011-03-19 23:45 Local
Reported: 2011-03-19 00:04 Pacific
Duration: 15 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Hockley, TX, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Rapidly moving object with slowly pulsing singular blue-white light source

I walked outside my home around 11:40 PM (CST). I was walking with our cat in the driveway and looking up at the sky again around 11: 45. As I turned to go back to the patio at the rear of our home I spotted what I thought was a large star/planet I was looking to the east and watched it pulse quickly as it moved to the North/Northeast, I could here no sound from this object but did hear a jet engine from another passing commercial jet traveling from east to west at a higher altitude just south of where I first spotted this object. The light of the object was a bluish-white color much like twinkling starlight. The light was bright like aircraft landing lights, but pulsed slowly as the object maintained a fairly straight path as it traversed the eastern sky. There were NO green or red flashers and only the one slowly pulsating light. When the light dimmed, I could faintly see a structure that was apparently circular (but this is very possibly due to the limit ! of illumination of the radial light source…the structure could have been cylindrical also…hard to say for sure…but definitely a structure was visible.) This was not a meteor/fireball/plasma lightening/ natural light source/object. There was no visible exhaust or condensation trail. The moon was VERY bright and nearly full, so only the very brightest stars/planets could be seen. The object was a bit larger than the usual size of Venus when viewed at about 40-45 degrees above the horizon at my lat/lon for this time of year. It’s magnitude was about that of Venus, perhaps a little brighter. This is the 4th sighting I have had in my lifetime. I am interested to see if anyone else saw this object in the Houston/Tomball/Hockley, Texas area. It appeared to be traveling about as fast as the ISS when it passes over us here, but seemed much closer. My 15-20 second view covered about 2/3 of the visible eastern sky. I am not certain of its size or altitude. I will be watching more clos! ely for the next few nights. Peter, perhaps you can shed some ! light on this one for me ;)

Posted 2011-03-23