NUFORC Sighting 47887

Occurred: 2005-11-21 23:10 Local
Reported: 2005-11-22 00:32 Pacific
Duration: (5) Minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Visalia, CA, USA

Shape: Changing
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Emitted other objects

White orb enveloped by red colored halo, splits into smaller red fragments, while weaving and dropping.

Tonight I had walked into my back yard before retiring and looked at the rising moon, which was approximately 40 degrees above the horizon. To the NNE, I could see what I thought was an aircraft headed south at approximately the same relative altitude as the rising moon from my ground perspective. The bright white light which appeared to be the same intensity as a small aircraft's and about the size of a pencil eraser held at arms length, also appeared to have red light in a halo effect around the white light but at a greatly reduced size and barely discernable from the white light. I estimated the "aircraft" to be approximately ½ mile away from me based on numerous other aircraft sightings over the years of airplanes flying overhead en route to our local airport.

I watched the "aircraft" for approximately (1) minute and realized that it's lateral speed was slowing and it was now turning further west towards my location which could account for the illusion of it slowing down. Although it still had the red halo effect, I realized that it was not an aircraft rotating beacon or navigation light. I then called to my wife and twenty year old son to come outside and we watched for (1) minute more as the object began to slowly weave left to right and began to drop in altitude. The white light dimmed slightly and then it suddenly dropped what appeared to be (3) red fragments much like flares dropped by jet fighter aircraft. The object zig-zagged left to right and still continued to drop in altitude headed south. It emitted (3-4)red fragments and appeared to turn due east. Its size continued to reduce which led me to believe it was moving away from me. It was also appeared to reduce in size every time it emitted the fragments. It finally disappeared altogether which left my family and I, awe struck.

I have been a patrol sergeant with a local law enforcement agency for almost twenty years and have observed several missile launches from Vandenberg AFB which is approximately (200) miles SE of me. The launches leave a visible smoke trail from my town and sometimes I can see the booster separations and engine burns, if the sky is clear. I have also observed dozens of space junk re-entries, satellites including Iridium flares, and orbiting spacecraft, but I have never seen an object perform as this one did tonight. It went from controlled navigation to weaving like a drunk driver and then straighten itself back out in seconds. I have seen jet aircraft drop flare counter measures before and they have a systematic ejection, controlled decent and separation. These fragments did not.

I have a Navel Air Station approximately (30) miles west of me and FA-18 Hornets fly overhead day and night. They are flying over to the China Lake and Nellis AFB test ranges, so I'm accustomed to the sounds they make, the navigation lights they have and the speeds they transit our airspace at. This object had no sound and from the estimated distance and the fact that it was after 2300 hours, it was quiet. There was no sound, no explosion, no smoke and unlike anything I had ever experienced before in real life.

We believe it was a UFO.

Posted 2005-12-16