NUFORC Sighting 180126

Occurred: 2024-01-23 09:26 Local
Reported: 2024-01-23 07:23 Pacific
Duration: About 5 minutes
No of observers: 1 - Military

Location: Greenwich, CT, USA
Location details: 41.01936779508337, -73.6308063096135

Shape: Orb
Color: white phosphorous
Estimated Size: Slightly larger than a passenger aircraft
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: Southwest
Angle of Elevation: 40
Closest Distance: 1/4 mile
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Daylight White orb sighting over very populated area on I95 close to the CT / NY state border

On 23 JAN 2024 at 9:26 am, I was driving southbound on US Interstate 95 from CT to NY. In the vicinity of exit 3 (South) I noticed a very bright, white phosphorous colored ball of light in the sky as I looked out towards the upper left of my windshield. Ball of light size was slightly larger than a passenger aircraft which had flown into view below and in front of the bright object. The passenger aircraft was very dark in color due to the hazy, low cloud cover at the time, contrasting the dark aircraft when compared to very bright object behind the passenger aircraft. Bright object was observed as moving away from my direction heading towards the Long Island Sound / New York City direction, making me believe I was not observing bright aircraft headlights heading towards me on approach to Westchester airport. This area has a lot of air traffic as it is in the airspace of Westchester airport and I am very familiar with the various silhouettes of aircraft and their FAA lights and this object stood out immediately as not being the typical airborne lights I am used to seeing. The bright white object was below the cloud cover, making me believe it wasn't a star or planet I was observing. I lost sight of the object for about 2 or 3 minutes as I went around a large bend on I95 then required visual contact with the white light as I entered another straight away that was back on the objects flight path. The bright white light was now smaller in size and appeared to be continuing to move away towards the direction of New York City. Shortly after this secondary visual contact, I once again lost sight of the bright white light as I entered an area of I95 that had increased dense tree cover bordering the highway. I was unable to get a picture of the object due to driving in traffic and I would have endangered myself and the other drivers around me.

Posted 2024-02-15