NUFORC Sighting 131950

Occurred: 2016-12-31 09:20 Local
Reported: 2016-12-31 09:38 Pacific
Duration: 20 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Santa Fe, NM, USA

Shape: Fireball
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

Orange, fiery light in north western sky, Santa Fe, NM.

It was around 9:20 a.m. There were dark clouds settling in. I could see a bright orange light coming through a break in the clouds (approx. NW in the sky). It wasn’t moving. I thought what a strange light. I kept staring at for a few seconds then blinked a couple of times and it was gone.

About ten seconds later a black jet/plane flew across the same area, moving in from the right. Initially I thought the light I saw was coming from the jet/plane. Then logic kicked in and I knew from seeing thousands of planes and jets flying in the sky my entire life that during the day, even if it’s cloudy, a plane or jet doesn’t need a bright light to be seen in the sky. The plane that I saw after the light disappeared had very low lighting, if any. Besides, the plane moved in seconds AFTER I saw the orange light.

I know I was seeing clearly as I had been stopping to admire woodpeckers and blue birds in the neighborhood park.

Posted 2017-01-06