NUFORC Sighting 18888

Occurred: 2001-08-06 20:55 Local
Reported: 2001-08-08 00:00 Pacific
Duration: <1 minute
No of observers: 2

Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Shape: Orb

Los Angeles CA, 08/06/01: extremely bright bluish-white light moves across sky at remarkable speed.

Sunday, August 6, 2001, an unusually clear summer night in Los Angeles: Two witnesses, residents of Malibu, were watching the night sky just before moonrise. Mars was very bright and clear, a satellite was clearly visible, and a shooting star also was seen. Air traffic in and out of LAX could clearly be followed, as well as helicopters flying above the city. At approximately 8:55pm, an extremely bright bluish-white light appeared in the southern sky just above the horizon and proceeded due north at remarkable speed. The dot of light appeared to be 3 times the size of the planet Mars, and much much brighter. The light did not flicker, it was clearly not an airplane, helicopter, or satellite. ISS was not visible in LA on that date. Although it appeared to be in low orbit, it did not appear to be the Space Shuttle, which witnesses have seen numerous times before. The rate of speed was much greater than anything witnessed previously. The light crossed from southern horizon, to over the Santa Monica Mountains to the north, in about 15 seconds.

Posted 2001-08-12