NUFORC Sighting 97827

Occurred: 2013-05-20 21:45 Local
Reported: 2013-05-20 22:20 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Athens, AL, USA

Shape: Flash
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

Three quickly flashing lights one after the other repeating in order and moving together

About 9:45PM CT on 2013-05-20 looking North, there were three flashing (light up then go out) round white lights one after the other with each flashing 2-3 times very quickly(within no more than a second). The flash would occur 2-3 times very quickly, then it would occur again to the left of where the last occurred about half a second to a second later, then again for a third time to the left of the previous again half a second to a second after the previous. It would all repeat again roughly starting back to where the flashes came from the first time (they were moving) and continue in the same order.

The three flashing lights were moving at the same speed, at the same distance apart, and at the same height (being about the same altitude as a large passenger jet would be when circling or turning to land) as they came closer. So it appeared that all three were some how attached. For a brief moment I thought it may have been three airplanes in a formation and their flashing lights just happened to occur to appear one after the other. It was obviously not a single airplane as the right most and left most flashing lights were to far apart even for a large jet. However, I quickly realized that I've never seen any airplane lights flash 2-3 times very quickly like these did.

I therefore continued to watch these flashing lights. Together they turned and started heading West much like a large airplane would do. The three flashing lights got closer to each other while turning to go West. This is when I called my wife to come outside. She came out and we watched them until we could no longer see the flashes of lights. It lasted 3-5 minutes from the time I first saw the flashing lights to the point I could no longer see them.

To help describe it, a very simple example would be to imagine looking at a stick (horizontal with one end pointing East and the other West) with a light that flashes on the end pointing East, after it stops then a light flashes in the middle of the stick, after it stops a light flashes on the other end of the stick pointing West. Then slowly turn it so the end the was pointed East points South/South-East and the end that was pointing West points North/North-West. While turning it the lights will appear to get closer to each other.

There were no other lights such as a red strobe light or any lights that were constantly on. No objects could be seen, only the flashing lights. I could not hear any sound but the A/C unit for my house and neighbors were running. The way the three flashing lights appeared to be connected and how they turned would resemble an airplane(a light on each wing and one on the nose or underneath between the wings). However the span from the light on the right to the light on the left was way to long to be a single airplane. Maybe it could have been three planes in a formation but I've never seen lights on a plane flash 2-3 times that quickly. Also the timing of the lights flashing one after the other would seem very unlikely across three planes.

Posted 2013-06-02

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