NUFORC Sighting 15837

Occurred: 2001-01-08 21:00 Local
Reported: 2001-01-08 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 1.5 hrs
No of observers: 2

Location: Fulton, AR, USA

Shape: Oval
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Color, Aircraft nearby

I was watching this oval object from my house on a full moon night and the sky was clear as it appeared to change to red and green.

On this date a @ 21:00 hrs me and my father in law were taking the garbage down the drive and I noticed a bright round light approx 200 feet above the tree line. I asked my father in law if he sees that light and he said no only the tower with red lights I told him to look left of that and he then saw it and said he didn't know what it was and went home. I went into my home and got my video camera and binoculars. It was a full moon and everything was bright, so I put my camera on low light setting and could not see anything with the camera. I then got my binoculars and could clearly see a roundish bright object that had been hovering in the same place for approximately 25 min. On occassion it had changed color from bright white to green to redish orange. This whole time the object never moved. I noticed movement @ 2130 in a downward vertical movement until it got into the tree line, then it moved southeast in the tree line and I lost sight of it. I went in and called the hempstead county S.O. and the miller county SO and asked if anyone had reported a light over or around the town of Fulton, Arkansas. they both said no. I went to the door approx 10 min later and saw the light out again but it was now what appeared to be over the small town of Fulton or in that area. I watched it with my binocs and watched an airplane vear off its flight path and fly towards the light. After the plane came near and made an upward left banking turn the object again changed colors and went into the tree line and started moving south southeast. The airplane continued to circle the area for approx, 15 min and then flew toward the town of Texarkana, Arkansas. There is a minimum sized regional airport there, and my house is in the flight path of may planes. I live on top of a hill in a rural community and have seen planes turning with their landing and wing lights on, and in fact the plane tonight had his/hers on for a while, when circling over the tree tops in the approx area the light dissapeared. The second sighting lasted only 10 min and I came back and and called both SO's again and made a report. The Miller County SO had sent deputied that way but did not see anything. I explained that the main reason I called back was seein the airplane circle and look for the light and flew back toward their airport. I thought maybe the pilot would report it or the radar control person. I am an 34 w/m and have a degree in psychology and another degree in nursing. I am an emergency room nurse and am open to all things. I do not drink alcohol, and only take prescribed medication. I do not use glasses to read or see. I have a daughter who is 3 yrs old and a wife who is 33 yrs old. My wife saw the object only for a moment during the second sighting but did watch the plane circle with wing and landing lights on. I was a army officer for eight years,but am no longer in the military. My father in law is 55 yrish old and does not drink alcohol or take medication. He is retired from the army. My mother in law was in the car when he saw the light but I am not sure she observed the object. The object appeared only to move in verticle and horizontal directions. It could change directions quickly. Once during the second sighting the object appeared to zig zag for a couple of second while changing colors before moving south east and out of sight into the tree line. I am amazed that my video camera would not pick up the bright light on such a clear full moon night.

NUFORC Note:

The witness does not state explicitly what direction they were looking. However, it they were looking to the southeast, the first possibility to be eliminated would be the star, Sirius. PD

Posted 2001-02-18