NUFORC Sighting 08375

Occurred: 1999-07-15 22:15 Local
Reported: 1999-07-16 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 30 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Houston, TX, USA

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

Extremely bright spherical object about 40 degrees above the east-northeast horizon, about the size of a dime in the night sky. Extremely bright central object, about 5x Venus as sets, spherical to oblong shape. Surrounded by translucent, well-defined, glowing sphere. No movement or sound. At end of observation, rotated in place and vanished (but more like it "folded" into the sky).

Occupation of Observer: Casual evening walk Place of Observation: in the sky above our street, about 40 degrees above the eastern horizon (slightly east northeast) Distance of object from observer: about the altitude of a high-flying airplane (jet) Time in Sight: about 30 seconds total Speed: not moving (see description below) Direction of Flight: not moving (see description below) Tactics (unsual Motion): rotated in place then vanished (see description below) Sound: none apparent Size: total about the size of a dime in the night sky (see description below) Color: extremely bright white center surrounded by translucent "glow" (see description below) Shape: roughly spherical center surrounded by very sharply defined spherical "glow" (see description below) Odor Detected: none Apparent Construction: na Exhaust Trails: sort of an "afterglow" after object vanished, but more like motion in the atmosphere (see description below) Weather Conditions: clear, no moon (young crescent, already set), no clouds, warm (but comfortable), relatively dry Effect on Clouds: na Sketches or Photographs: sketch Manner of Disappearance: rotated in place but more like "folding" into sky and vanished with afterglow (see description below) Additional Notes and Comments: Let me say that I am a skeptic -- not necessarily about extraterrestrial life but about the possibility of "them" finding "us" or vice versa given distances, relativity, etc.). This was such a vivid experience that felt compelled to report it in the hopes that someone else had a similar experience. I noticed the object when I turned to walk back to our home (I was with our 2 cats; the object was too distant and noiseless, therefore they were not disturbed). The object may have been in place longer than my observation. The entire object was about the size of a dime, in total, in the night sky. Center was large (about 5x the magnitude of Venus as it sets), bright, roundish to oblong object. This central object was surrounded by a sharply defined spherical "glow". This "glow" was extremely clear and distinctive against the dark sky. It was as if there was a very fine line of bright light around the spherical glow, but it was more evident above the central object than below it. The entire thing was a round shape like a ball with about 2/3 of it the "glow" (translucent) and 1/3 the extremely bright central object. I got a really good look at the object for several seconds because it was not moving. Then, it was as if it rotated in place and vanished (more like it "folded" into the sky). I felt that I could see sort of an afterglow but it was more like the atmosphere was moving (perfectly cloudless night, so this motion seemd to be in the atmosphere itself; I am less clear about this portion of the siting). Honestly, in all of my life I have never, ever seen anything like this. I regret I had no witness (at least with me) since my husband, who usually accompanies me on our evening walks, was not present. The entire experience was absolutely vivid (I can recall it as if on video-tape). In other useful information: I am well educated in the natural sciences (biology/geology); final degree is Ph.D., social science; I was an airplane pilot for many years so am familiar with atmospheric phenomena. I ! was perfectly alert, on no medication. On April 11, I witnessed in roughly the same quadrant of the sky at about the same time in the evening an object that I would explain as a meteor, only at a much lower altitude and much larger in magnification than a typical meteor, so that it was unusual in that expect. The "meteor" was low enough and large enough for me to clearly see an orange-red hot core and the cinder trail. I noticed it from just about overhead in our driveway and watched as it moved steadily across the entire remainder of the sky down toward the northeastern horizon. While this was also a vivid observation, and it has been on my mind, it is "explainable" and I do not believe that it biased my observation last evening in any way. I do hope that if anyone else reports a similar experience to the one I had last evening in Texas that I will hear about it (checked box for return contact by investigator). I would like to know how to obtain any information on events that may have been in my area (weather balloons, high altitude explosions, satellites, etc.).

Posted 1999-08-10