NUFORC Sighting 13640

Occurred: 2000-07-18 11:35 Local
Reported: 2000-08-02 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 4 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Huntsville, AL, USA

Shape: Circle
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Changed Colo

I watched the object from my front yard as it changed size, shape, direction, speed and finally disapeared.

Description: On Tuesday July 18, 2000 at about 11:35 p.m. I stepped out my front door and onto my front poarch to smoke a ciggarette. It was a clear night and you could see all the stars, so I stepped off my poarch and into my front yard to look at the stars, when I turned and faced the house, (looking East N.E.), I noticed 4 stars together. As I started to look to my left I noticed that one of the 4 stars appeared to be growing in size and changing color, but it was stationary. The color was very similar to that of the planet Mars as observed from the ground at night. I simply thought that what I was seeing was simply a planet or twinkling star, that is when I glanced back at the other 3 stars in the group and noticed that this "object" was now 2-3 times larger than the stars that it was next to and had completely change color from a white "star" color/appearance to an orange/yellow color. The "object" began to suddenly move to my left in a straight line paralell to the horizon. It moved at a rate of speed like that of an airplane for about 10 seconds and then stopped in the center of the star group. It stayed stationary and both its size and color returned to that similar to the stars around it. It remained stationary in the star group for about 30 seconds and then it changed both size and color again and began to move to my lower left (at a 45 degree angle to the horizon). At this point it change shape from a circlular appearance to an elongated appearance, but its speed actually slowed until it pasted the star group that I was using as a reference point. Once past the stars it increased speed and made a sudden change in direction to my upper left, (at a 45 degree angle to the horizon in an upward direction). At this point the suddenly disappeared. There were no visible clouds in the sky. I first suspected a planet, as I said, but ruled it out with movement. I then suspected a satelite until the object stopped moving the first time. After the shift to the lower left and both color and shape change I suspected a shooting star, but was completely surprised when it changed direction and moved in an uppward direction and disapeared. I suspected that maybe it might be a test of some type from Redstone Arsenal here in town, but after realizing that it was in the opposite direction, I gave up on ideas. Can you help? What is this or am I just crazy and seeing things. Contact: ((personal data deleted))

Posted 2000-08-05

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