NUFORC Sighting 179280

Occurred: 2023-11-05 19:52 Local
Reported: 2023-11-05 17:14 Pacific
Duration: 4min/drove out of sight
No of observers: 2

Location: Santa Fe, FL, USA
Location details: Seen over trees then field before driving out of line of sight

Shape: Formation
Color: Warm tone lights (3
Estimated Size: Unknown
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: North
Angle of Elevation: 35
Closest Distance: Hard to tell because it was dark/I was driving
Estimated Speed: Very slow
Explanation: Planet/Star - Possible
Characteristics: Lights on object

While driving (dark) noticed 2 large lights to left. Once at field, saw underside, 3 lights(triangle) and small ones. Drove away.

While driving towards Worthington Springs, FL from Lacrosse, FL with my husband, at 7:52pm, I noticed 2 bright, warm white lights in the sky. I compared it to headlights on a close hill, as it appeared much nearer than planets, stars, planes, etc. I had my husband pull up plane finder to see if any planes/helicopters were the culprit as we do have a nearby airport(but this still would have been very low for a plane.) I knew it was either stationary or moving towards us, as I couldn't see any movement. My husband took pictures but they are poor and do not show the formation. There is no cell tower in this area either. I lost sight of it behind the trees for a bit, then saw it again over a field. Here, I was able to get a view from the underside. (Horrible sketch attached.) It was 3 large, white, warm toned lights in a triangle formation, with smaller lights speckled about, all the same color. It was dark surrounding all these lights, but I cant tell you for certain that this was "a craft" as opposed to a product of my mind. I did understand it to be such. This did not look like any aircraft we know of or could Google. It appeared to be slowly moving in the direction we came from at this point. I kept driving and lost sight again, never seeing it cross the road in my rear view mirror. This object also did not have any sound and was visible for 4 minutes without much movement. It was definitely larger over the field, but we were driving toward it, so it's hard to tell what the movement distance/speed really was. It began about penny size then was golfball at second appearance. It was no longer there on our trip back ~20 minutes later. I will attach a picture from when we first saw it, but it isn't worth anything as it just appears as a blob of white light. (You will see two poles on the side of the road, mid photo. Look immediately above those. Other lights visible are reflections from my dash.) Terrible sketch shows the underside(I originally tried to draw it at an angle, like I saw it, but I can't.) I tried to illustrate the darkness around the lights. The positioning is all accurate. Feel free to text me about this. I'm not putting "I'd like to be contacted" because I feel like that's a waste of your time, but if you need anything, message me.

NUFORC Note:

Investigation Report:

From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: Re: Recent Sighting

Good to hear from you. This sighting indeed occurred off Highway 121, as you suggested. I believe the exact location matches the one in your photo. From my perspective, the sighting initially appeared slightly to the right, moved closer to the center of the road, disappeared briefly among the trees, and then reappeared on the left before vanishing completely.

While it's possible it could have been a star, I observed two lights of equal size, tone, and brightness—not just one. Unfortunately, neither light was captured by my phone camera, but both my husband and I saw them clearly. We tried to spot it again on our way back to La Crosse shortly after, but to no avail.

Given my interest in astronomical phenomena, I'm aware that my mind might be playing tricks on me. Despite having apps like Stellarium and Sky View, we didn't use them since the object didn't resemble any star or planet. We also checked for plane activity but not for any rocket launches, which generally occur from a different direction.

At one point, when we had a clearer view in a field, the object appeared blacker than the night sky, with what I assumed was lighting underneath. This was only a brief glimpse. While it could all be an illusion, I wanted to report it anyway, especially since we had a prolonged view and a second witness.

The report you have from the Villages area aligns with what we observed in terms of shape. I’d be happy to discuss this further over the phone. Please text me first to confirm it’s you and not a telemarketer!

Thanks for your help,
[Name Redacted]

Investigation Highlights - April 7, 2024
Date of Event: November 5, 2023, 19:52
Location: Santa Fe, FL Google Maps
Astronomy Observations: Stellarium
Satellites Observed: Cosmos 1606R, Starlink (1574, 1152, 1059, 5127, 1556, 1488, 1797, 2473, 1513, 2634, 1275, 2658, 2459, 4146, 4524)
Star Observed: Capella (Alpha Aurigae) – The brightest star in the constellation Auriga, sixth-brightest in the night sky.

Witnesses were traveling on N SR 121, and Capella was to the north at the approximate time of observation. Nearby airports include Flying Tiger Airport and Dept of Corrections Airport north of Worthington Springs. There were no known launch activities from CCAFS.KSC during this time.

Investigation Conclusion
On April 2, 2024, I initiated contact with the witness via email regarding the November 2023 sighting. They confirmed the location using a daytime Google Maps photo. Questions about whether the observed bright light could have been the star Capella were raised, given its rising position and the partial obscuring by trees.

The witness provided a drawing of a triangular object with three lights and additional small lights around the center. The object made no sound and was moving slowly. Despite initial thoughts that the light could have been Capella, the witness reported seeing two distinct lights, suggesting optical illusion influenced by personal interest.

Further inquiries were made using Plane Finder, but the witness has not responded to follow-up questions as of April 16, 2024, indicating a loss of interest in the investigation. No additional reports from the area were filed on that date.

Conclusion: Insufficient Data. This case remains unresolved due to the lack of definitive evidence and unanswered questions.

Posted 2023-12-09