NUFORC Sighting 50496

Occurred: 2006-05-04 20:30 Local
Reported: 2006-05-09 19:21 Pacific
Duration: 2 min.
No of observers: 2

Location: Port Charlotte, FL, USA

Shape: Light

Dim light increasing in brightness, Headed Northward in FLorida...

This event occured around 8:30 pm near my home in Florida.

I was saying good bye to a friend of mine and we walked outside and talked for a few minutes and I was just observing the passing planes and happened to look Northward. A plane caught my eye (I could make out the blinking navigational lights) and then near it I saw a smaller light resembling a star. I could not make out if it was moving or not until the strangest thing happened. The light appeared to increase in brightness almost instantly and accelerate northward quickly.

I pointed for my friend to see and he watched it with me as it grew increasing brighter, acclerated in speed and then definately moved north and then made a curve off to the left(westard) at steady turn(then moving NorthnorthWest) until we both could only see it with our peripheral vision before it finally dissappeared. The light was definately in a higher atmosphere, because I couldn't hear and noises and I could not make out navigational lights. It moved rather smoothly to the north on and performed it's turn with ease.

I've seen shooting stars and this was moving way too slow, even when it acclerated and the shooting stars I've seen don't just steady turn, they have a basic straight course. It's possible it could have been the afterburner of a jet engine, but my friend as well as myself could see the light dim before it increased into the vanishing white ball.

Another thing I would like to add was that there was no pulsation to the light, at least from my stand point, in Florida on a perfect evening with the right line of vision you can see miles. There were several planes in the air that night to make comparison to and none were acting in the manner this light was acting.

After seeing it we both questioned ourselves because we've been out several nights fishing in the darkest of areas and ever seen anything like what we observed that night.

NUFORC Note:

The ISS did not pass over Port Charlotte, FL, on this date, so is not a possible explanation for the event. PD

Posted 2006-05-15