NUFORC Sighting 48921

Occurred: 2005-05-10 15:00 Local
Reported: 2006-01-29 20:39 Pacific
Duration: One Minute
No of observers: 0

Location: McLean, VA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

Three balls of light (BOLs), bobbing in circular formation, seen in midafternoon low over homes .

I'm belatedly reporting, only having recently found out about this website.

On May 10, 2005, approximately 3:00pm, in the courtyard behind my townhouse in McLean, VA, I witnessed three balls of "white," hovering over my home. It was the day before fighter jets were dispatched in DC to intercept a civilian aircraft--very much in that days news at the time, which had intruded into restricted Washingtion air space. One of these jets also flew low over my home.

I have since learned the objects I saw are referred to as balls of light or BOLs. I was gardening and happened to look up at the very blue sky to the right of my chimney...south. I saw three small balls, more like three round white puffs, not illuminated from within...that I could tell...but just reflecting sun light. At the time my estimate of their altitude was approximately 100 feet. They were bobbing around one another in a circular pattern; the formation was staying stationary. Quickly after spotting them, and as if they realized I had noticed them, one shot off to the northeast, going behind my chimney and again becoming visible on the other side. If the object was at 100 feet, I estimate the speed at 50-60 mph...the day was sunny and rather calm. This object, slightly bobbing, but moving in a straight line, quickly moved out of sight behind trees and other townhouses. When I turned my eyes back to the other two, they were also gone, obviously in different directions from the first.

The objects I saw were much the same as the BOLs I've seen on television of lights taped over crop circles. Their bobbing movements were also similar.

Posted 2006-02-14