NUFORC Sighting 127110

Occurred: 2016-04-29 21:45 Local
Reported: 2016-04-30 00:06 Pacific
Duration: 4 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Shape: Egg
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object

3 slow moving orbs chased by fast walker

On Friday night, 4/29/2016, between 9:15pm and 10:00pm, I observed 4 objects I could not identify as aircraft. Three of the objects were egg or spherical shape, with a red/yellow/white illumination with a slight flickering of these colors. These 3 objects were separated in time by about 20 seconds, moving towards the ocean in the direction of Monterey. Each of these 3 objects traveled at the same speed, which was slower than a small fixed wing aircraft. Both the 1st and 2nd object appeared to stop dead in the sky, at the same point in the sky, for at least 10 seconds. They then resumed their same speed and disappeared from view, but it seemed to me that the extinguishment of their light was not a function of moving ever farther away, the lights just went out. Each object was the same size, and I measured with my pinky finger held out at about 30 degrees elevation. The object took up less than half the width of the nail of my pinky finger. The objects were s! ilent, and emitted no trails. I estimate the height of these objects in the hundreds, but not thousands of feet.

I'm not sure if the third object stopped dead and moved on like the first two. I was startled to view a very fast moving streak in the sky proceeding in the general direction of these objects. The speed of this "streak" would be about the same as a military jet traveling at a supersonic speed at low altitude. While I was not startled by the initial 3 "orb like" objects, the fast moving streak seemed "wrong". Another way to describe this streak would be about the same as a meteor one can often see during meteor showers. I thought it was a meteor, but the angle thru the sky was too flat or horizontal and too low. This "streak" trailed a smoky, silverish color. There was no sound. This streak quickly vanished in the direction of the other objects. I can't estimate the size of this streaking object. It was projectile shaped.

I sighted these objects on a neighborhood street where I walk every day, both day and night. I am familiar with the behavior of aircraft - both large jets and small planes as to their lighting and travel time in this sky, as well as to what sounds could be present, or not present. Sometimes even small planes are silent at even short distances. During this sighting, both light and larger aircraft were higher up in the sky. So, the progression of lights would be these unidentified objects, with light planes and commercial traffic above them, and then the stars above those aircraft.

My guess is that the first three "orbs" could have been lanterns, except that the first two stopped dead in the sky and then resumed their travel. Another possibility is drones. The streaking object is why I am reporting this. It seems an odd coincidence that these slow moving "orbs" were chased by a very fast object.

I am writing this report about one hour after the event. I am a retired technician/engineer, 64 years old. I am offering this report in the event others may have seen some of what I did, especially the fast moving streak.

Mr. Davenport, thank you for keeping records of these sightings.

Posted 2016-05-06