Occurred: 2002-08-24 21:45 Local
Reported: 2002-08-24 23:44 Pacific
Duration: 4 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Shape: Unknown


Very bright Orange Pulsing Light Suddenly Vanishes in Skies Near Sacramento

My mother and I began talking about a very bright orange light in the southwestern part of the sky; we realized it was too bright to be a star since it was at least 3 times brighter than Venus and orange and pulsing as though with some movement, though we couldn't actually track any progress through the atmostphere. So, we figured it was a plane heading right towards us and I listened expectantly for the sound of the roar of a plane, but it didn't come. As we continued to discuss the orange bright pulsing light . . . suddenly, it just was gone. Just like that. Nothing. No clouds for it to behind, just absolutely vanished. There were no flashing tail-lights or any identifying light patterns that signalled any aircraft we were familiar with, so this was rather a mystery. If it was indeed a plane that made a suddenly turn, it's puzzling why no other lights were then visible.

((FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATION))

Orange Bright Object Suddenly Vanishes: part 2, seen in Sacramento, CA

This is to update the earlier report. I spoke with my mother and she described the intensity of the light as "brighter than any object in the sky" (including the moon) and that it looked to her as though it were actually out in space, "not in our atmosphere." My earlier description was more of an estimate of size, since I was tired and not thinking terribly clearly. Yes, it was brighter than the moon, though of course much smaller. It was as bright as a firework, but again small, meaning you could imagine it being a planet, though in comparison with Jupiter/Venus etc. it's bigger, as it appeared on the ground. She also was skeptical about the light being a plane landing light, since the light did not diminish before vanishing; wouldn't a plane landing light fade somewhat as the projection of that light began to make its turn? And why no flashing tail lights? Was this a distant stellar phenomenon perhaps? There must be some other reports of this somewhere.

Posted 2002-08-28

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