NUFORC Sighting 14838

Occurred: 2000-11-06 14:00 Local
Reported: 2000-11-06 00:00 Pacific
Duration: Short
No of observers: 1

Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Shape: Circle
Characteristics: Left a trail

Streaker, rod like or meteor like thing moving fast against wind

What Wazzit? As I was driving on 80 East out of Sacramento, I saw something interesting. I was approaching the Fulton exit, less than a half a mile away, and it was about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Weather was mostly blue sky, with a heavy wind gusting from left to right. I saw what appeared to be a metallic object with a tail, at about 10 o’clock elevation and about 2 o’clock to my right. It was moving right to left at one hellacious speed, and the tail seemed to flicker. The object was about half of a pencil eraser diameter at arms length, just enough size to make me think it was probably round, and the tail was about 1/2 to 1 hour of arc, trailing behind it. It only was visible for about half a second, and just when it was about to go over the highway, it seemed to disappear. I have no idea how big it was, or how far it was away. I think it was less than 1,000 feet from me, and less than 200 feet in altitude, but I am not sure. If it was farther away than that, it would have had to be really moving! I tried to fit it into some familiar object, and could not. It was not a balloon, because it going against the wind at a high speed. I don’t think it was a stunt kite, because there is no place to fly one in that area, as far as I know, and because it went in a straight line. It did not reverse direction or stop as a kite would have to do. (I fly them myself, and it definitely didn’t move the way a kite does.) Airplane or helicopter, no way. It did not resemble one in either appearance or the way it flew. As for a meteor, I have never seen one in broad daylight, and this object seemed to have more size than that. Also, every meteor I have seen has been going almost straight down, and I have only seen them at a much higher angle of elevation, while looking up, not straight ahead. The nearest thing I can fit it with is a “rod” which I have read about a few times on various web sites, but I am not sure about that either. I don’t think it fits any of the classical descriptions of “flying saucers” or any kind of alien space craft, unless it was moving at a truly incredible speed, or was less than 3 feet in diameter. They usually don’t have tails, as far as I have heard. Don’t know...just a curious thing. If there are aliens, I wish they would fly things around here, it’s kind of boring in Sacramento, most of the time. I never thought I would be sending you one of these things. Contact me only if others reported it. Otherwise why bother? Not a strong sighting.

Posted 2000-12-02