NUFORC Sighting 25229

Occurred: 2002-09-18 21:00 Local
Reported: 2002-09-23 21:05 Pacific
Duration: 45 min.
No of observers: 3

Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Colo

There were a series of yellow and red light formations on the horizon of the night sky.

Last Wednesday, the 18th of September, my sister came to my apartment around 8:45 or so in the evening. I live on a fairly high floor of an apartment building, facing the city of Harrisburg. I was eating dinner and looking out my bedroom window, while also talking to my sister. A bright yellow (almost planet-looking) light appeared in front of my eyes as I glanced out the window, and then just as suddenly, disappeared.

I was curious as to what happened, and told my sister to check out the sky. We both stepped closer to the window, and on the horizon, we both saw the same type of light appear a few inches away from the one I saw initially. There were three other lights that did essentially the same thing (blink in, stay in plain sight for approx. 5-10 sec., and then dissappear). About 15 min or so into seeing the yellow lights, a red light appeared to the lower right of the yellow ones. It then proceeded to split into a triangle of three identical red lights, and then all simultaneously disappear. The red formation occurred a few times. During the second red light formation, i called a friend who lives about two miles further down Front St. in Harrisburg, and has access to the second floor. He was able to see a red light, from his vandtage point, at the same time I was seeing it. While the red and yellow lights were blinking in and out, there was a white light, that streaked from right to diagonal lower left (approx. 2 inches in length). The streak occurred in a split sec. and was the only one we witnessed. While all of these fairly steady, planet-looking lights were appearing, and then disappearing (not streaking, or fading, or even twinkling), there were much smaller (star-like) lights which were zig-zagging across the entire visible expanse of sky. Initially, they looked like very distant airplanes, until they started erratically bouncing up and down, back and forth, and any which way. My sister witness these "bouncing stars" as well.

I have a steady job, friends, and family, all of whom will concede that i'm pretty down to earth. (i've kept two cats alive for at least a few years). I do have a fairly liberal view of the world in general, and tend to accept a lot, but not without some proof. I can hardly believe what I saw, but I've witnessed almost as strange instances in the past. The friend who I called on the evening of the 18th was the one who checked out this web site, and I felt compelled to send in this info. since other sightings in PA had been reported. There was apparently a news report this past Sunday (the 22nd) stating that some sort of Airforce testing (flares in the sky so they could test heat-sensitive missiles) was occurring this month. Whatever. I 've seen flares in the sky. They linger, and fade. These lights DISAPPEARED!!! I've also seen airplanes turn course in the night sky (they don't just disappear). Whatever these lights were, I've never seen exactly what i saw on the night of the 18th. I hope there are those out there who will take credence in (at least) three witnesses of a single event over a bull story from our fabulous government.

NUFORC Note:

Please see other report from Pennsylvania for this date. We wonder whether the lights might have been advertising lights, but the witness insisted that such was not the case. We spoke with this witness and found her to be lucid, serious-minded, and credible. We may have erred in suggesting to her that the event might have been caused by advertising lights, which are reported to NUFORC on a frequent basis. PD

Posted 2002-09-28