NUFORC Sighting 25471

Occurred: 2002-08-08 19:00 Local
Reported: 2002-10-08 18:52 Pacific
Duration: 10 mins
No of observers: 1

Location: Brisbane (QLD, Australia), , Australia

Shape: Formation
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Left a trail, Changed Color, Aircraft nearby, Landed

Interesting formation over east coast Australia

I watched a formation of 8 lights move across the sky. They appeared to cover a large distance relatively quickly. As they got closer the lights pulsed slightly, changing from orange, to red, to white. The formation alternated, meanwhile, between a zig-zag and straight line.

The objects were the size of bright stars, and I estimated to be about two miles to the east. It was dark, and the sky was clear albeit for a slight haze.

Shortly after changing to white the objects formed two cirles and emitted trails of sparks as they descended out of my field of view, ie., behind buildings as I walked.

Despite having lived near airports, both military and commercial, I had never witnessed anything similar.

A possible explanation occurred to me a week later, and I made a few email enquiries.

This sighting turned out to be a parachute display team, with flares, operating in darkness for the benefit of the attendees at a local agricultural show. It had me foxed.

I'm English, and I'm pretty sure that parachutists don't perform at night in the UK, but laws here obviously don't prohibit such activity.

I hope this sighting may be of interest as it could perhaps explain a limited number of other sightings around the globe? It seems the objects were closer than I had realised, thus giving a false impression of speed, and the impressive formation was actually fairly standard for a skilled parachute team!

Posted 2002-10-15

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