NUFORC Sighting 126557

Occurred: 2015-02-15 12:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2016-03-26 21:45 Pacific
Duration: unknown

Location: Murrietta, CA, USA

Shape: Orb
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Left a trail, Changed Colo

Objects are attracted to model rocket launch(es) and were captured by video.

Our family, including wife, myself, son, and grandson enjoy launching model rockets skyward at a suburban area, free from aircraft and people in general. I video recorded the launchings. In further review of the videos frame by frame, small bright white to grey-scaled and colorful spherical objects larger than a basketball were found moving east to west and back, near ground level at high speed.

Although very bright, we did not notice the object's presence at the time of capture.

The subject videos were taken during midday. While reviewing videos taken in February and March of 2015 at a later time, I noticed objects near or touching launched rocket components at altitude (approximately 1500ft) after parachute deployment. One video was shown to Terry Ray, a MUFON Field Investigator, in person, at our residence on September 25, 2015.

The objects were of several shapes and colors. All of them were less than two feet in length/diameter. Some were elongated, while others were bright white, orange, yellow, blue, or neutral in hue.

The videos were carefully analyzed, then imaged with a still camera, the same Nikon D5100 and 18-200 mm ED lens used in the original capture. While advancing frames I noticed extremely fast spherical objects moving east to west to east in front of a tree line located about 100 yards to the south from the launch pad. There is also a surveyor's marker approximately 3-feet tall located about 100 feet, also south of the pad. Using the marker to scale the objects close to and in front of it, their size could be roughly determined.

From video, I also captured eight objects of uniform size above a small mountain crest to the southwest of the launch pad. They appear static and in sharp focus.

Additionally, a series of images show a fast, diffuse object traveling south-south east in the sky, then in front of a mountain crest, before becomming a static grey metallic orb-like object much larger than the other bright and colorful spheres indicated above.

Spherical objects can be seen near the top and in front of the surveyor's marker. They are white and/or orange in hue. The only sound heard were rocket launchings and human responses.

I recently checked the rocket with a ultraviolet light and did not notice any unusual marks on the rocket components. Nor were there any marking on the tube, fins, or nosecone.

There are many images taken that show in detail all of the above sightings. I shall return to the launch site for further study with better equipment, including a chair to sit on at the surveyor's marker during launches and after.

NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD

Posted 2016-04-01