NUFORC Sighting 76994

Occurred: 2010-08-03 21:00 Local
Reported: 2010-08-04 23:57 Pacific
Duration: 1 minute
No of observers: 0

Location: Silver City, NM, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object

Intensely bright, slow-moving, "star-like" object that grew even brighter before it suddenly disappeared.

I am a star-gazer, and love to sit out on my porch steps at night watching the stars. I am quite accustomed to seeing satelites, shooting stars and assorted aircraft, but last night was different. I live outside of town and am very secluded. The nights are gorgeous since there is no light polution.

I sat outside for about half an hour and was able to track several satelites. I had just finished tracking my last satelite, watching it disappear above me over my house. I immediately dropped my eyes back down to the horizon, looking southeast. There is a large hill in front of where I live and it is covered in small pine.

Suddenly above the treeline appeared what I first thought was a star. It hadn't been there a minute before. It shown intensely bright, and I could not figure out what star, at that intense a magnitude, would be coming up in that place at that time. It was way brighter than anything else in the sky. I continued to think it was a very! bright star when I suddenly realized it was moving very, very slowly. Then I got excited and thought perhaps I was looking at the ISS. I have no idea how high it was, and there was no noise connected to it.

I watched it for about a minute as it traveled about the length of my hand - if I were to extend my arm. It suddenly stopped, unlike anything I have ever seen. It hung motionless and grew even more intense in its brightness, and then began to slowly dim until it became just a pin point of light, and disappeared.

The only way I can describe the object is that of a very bright, white light - like a huge star. I have never seen anything act that way. I would be curious to know if anyone else saw the same thing.

Posted 2010-08-24