NUFORC Sighting 13258

Occurred: 2000-06-29 01:00 Local
Reported: 2000-06-30 00:00 Pacific
Duration: Approx. 1+ hours
No of observers: 1

Location: Paso Robles (Lake Nacimiento Region), CA, USA

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

Very bright, Color-Changing Light Seen Above Foothills; Moving in Left-Right and Up and Down Pattern

I have never, in all my years of watching the skies (amateur), felt the extreme need to REPORT an unusual sighting....I usually will rationalize things out in my mind (i.e.... nearby airports, flight paths, weather conditions, etc)...But on the night of June 29th, 2000, I witnessed a strange very bright ball of light that would change colors from red-blue-yellow and sometimes green.... Let me give you some background information as to my location....I live in a rather remote area, 15 miles from the nearest town. The few neighbors that i have were asleep at the time of the sighting, as was my husband. I was awake at 0100 hours to "let my dog out" to defecate...I have a back wood deck and behind the deck is a partially wooded area (Oak trees)and a very remote/unpopulated area that stretches on for approximately one half mile to the large foothills (1/2 mile away). I stood on my back deck as my dog walked the remote area behind my deck (as aforementioned above)...I looked out at the night sky, as I often do, and was immediately drawn (my eye caught sight of) a VERY bright light that was directly over the nearest foothill to me (this area would be to the west)...The object, as mentioned, would change colors (MUCH more dramatically than the twinkling i have seen of a "star", and I could directly visualize in the very clear night sky, the silhouette of the foothill-top with large trees/etc as "points of reference". It was in using these "points of reference" that I was able to watch the object move (what i would term 'gently float' left to right then up and down....I estimate that it would move within 1/4 - 1/2 mile of its original place in the sky, as it moved right-left and up and down....At no time did i see it land on the hill, but at times it appeared to be no more than perhaps 100 feet or so from the hilltop. I watched the object for about 5-10 minutes outside, and then returned inside to inform my husband. My husband was asleep, and thereby I COULD not inform him at the time (Needless to say i ! did try to wake him up..but my attempt was futile). I went into my daughters room and watched the object through her levolor blinds for about an hour more...It was still continuing with the same readily apparent movements and color changes..... I attempted to sleep, but awoke after 1/2 hour..looked out the window again and the light was gone. I am a professional nurse, educated, married and well-respected.. I have never felt the need to report an event before...But I truly feel this was an unusual phenomena.

Posted 2001-11-20