Occurred: 2001-05-31 22:30 Local
Reported: 2001-06-01 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Doylestown, PA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Left a trail, Emitted other objects, Aircraft nearby

Jettisoned star-like object falls, hovers, moves laterally

My brother and I were joking about a star in the northern sky (low on horizon) since it was coming at us (and how it better be a star or we're in trouble). Gradually, lights consistent with airplane were clearly seen, so no big deal. Then what can only be described as an object of some type was jettisoned from the "plane" and floated downward for approx 5 seconds. There was a very clear light trail as it fell and my first thought was that the plane had jettisoned garbage (etc.)...until the falling object stopped, hoevered a moment, then moved laterally for another 5 or seconds and then halted. We had been out with my brother's son earlier with his new telescope and there were very few stars at that time to view (clear night, half moon). When I left the house, there were more visible stars, but still few on the northern horizon. I do know there was only one star clearly visible in the area where the plane was flying prior to the object falling. After that object had taken up position, there were now two stars in the sky. My brother is a former LtJG with the Navy and pulled out binoculars to observe the plane before it peeled off. His comment: 'I don't recognize the light patterns on the plane' although he has been out for a seven years and things likely have changed. I have no idea how to characterize what we saw, though my first guess is that this is not a UFO per se but a surveillance device of some type. Time issue: from the time the object dropped, it was about 15 seconds before the plane crossed near us (not directly overhead, but reasonably close).

Posted 2001-08-05

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