NUFORC Sighting 04686

Occurred: 1998-10-28 23:50 Local
Reported: 1998-10-29 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 45 Minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Chicago (SW sky over Lake Michigan), IL, USA

Shape: Oval
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Colo

Lying in bed I noticed a bright ball in the sky that rapidly changed colors from red to blue to white. After realizing that it hadn't moved in the 5 minutes I examined it through binoculars and quickly called my roommate (who described the same thing). See description below.

After calling my roommate upstairs I stuck a pair of binoculars in his hands and, before telling him what I saw, I asked him to describe what it looked like to him. Through the binoculars he saw five or six lights arranged in a compressed oval pattern. Through the binculars each of these lights seemed rather faint, but with the naked eye it was very bright and impossible to miss the colors flashing between red, blue and white (the colors changed rapidly, more than a strobe light even). To my surprise, he was seeing EXACTLY what I was seeing. We watched it for about twenty minutes and, before we decided to give it a rest, what was originally five or six lights had become one -- perhaps whatever it was was moving farther away, although it seemed to hold the same position for the time we watched. (I continued to watch it from my bed -- I'm in a loft and have a terrific view of the sky.) If I had to pinpoint an exact location of the light, I would place it at at least two miles away in the SW sky over Lake Michigan. I'm on the North Side, so I guess that would put it parallel with the Lincoln Park/Gold Coast area. It could easily have been overlooked by people on the ground, but once they saw it I guarantee it would have raised an eyebrow. I don't know what it was, but I definitely know what it wasn't. Any of your ideas or insight would be much appreciated.

Posted 2002-09-19