NUFORC Sighting 13227

Occurred: 2000-06-11 17:30 Local
Reported: 2000-06-27 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 20 min
No of observers: 3

Location: Tucson, AZ, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

daytime white \grey shaded irregular object. "floating " then gone approx. 30 -60 feet in size.

While visiting friends in the northwest part of town my wife and her friends husband observed a white and grey object floating in the clear sky during the day (temperature was approx 100 degrees). Mention was made of it and I went out and still found it in the sky but located approximately 3 feet (held at arms length) north of original position which was just next to the moon in the eastern sky. My view was looking north with Mt. Lemmon in the background (a 9,000 ft mt.)and up at about a 45 degree angle in the sky. Object was moving further away in height and distance from my vantage point. Binoculars revealed an odd shaped object much like a balloon but not round at all. Rough estimates of the shape are difficult but it was not aerodynamic in nature. My thoughts were like a balloon that they attach to car lots of a gorilla etc. Maybe this floated away. The only problem with this theory is that it was not a recognizable shape except for a rectangular portion at one end and 2 pieces sticking out from it to another irregular mass. Object made no noise, shape changed as you watched and was estimated at between 2000-3000 feet high and rising somewhat. Object moved slowly and had strange grey shadowing on white, no other color (such as advertising balloons would have). Upon looking at object for some 10 min. I went inside and returned to have another look about 2 min. later. Object had disappeared. This is what caused me to report the incident. Being in the aviation field and familiar with aircraft types I would have to say it possibly was a balloon except that through the use of logic and common understanding of gravity I cannot see how an object of approx. 30-60 feet in size(estimated) could have "deflated" and fallen out of the sky in such a short time period .I believe the object could have been a balloon but it gave chills to view from binoculars as it was a very odd shape and in the sunlight you could see a grey mist around the object as you viewed it,perhaps an occular trick due to binocular magnific! ation an d the eye straining to understand what was being viewed. I still do not know what it was but it was the topic of conversation at our dinner that night.

Posted 2000-07-11