NUFORC Sighting 52530

Occurred: 2006-09-17 21:00 Local
Reported: 2006-09-18 19:58 Pacific
Duration: Hour and a half, approx.
No of observers: 3

Location: Culpepper, VA, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Color, Aircraft nearby

Strange object observed in the sky, hovering for about an hour and a half, then vanished completely.

My daughter, 7 years old, came to me and said she'd seen strange things in the sky while stargazing. My husband and I went to the window and looked out, seeing what we at first perceived to be a planet.

Our daughter told us that she had seen two other bright objects right next to this one, but that they "left".

I remained watching this object, as something did seem off about it- it appeared to me to be flashing, a yellowish light then red, alternating in a somewhat pulsing manner. It also seemed a little brighter and larger in the sky than planets I have observed. I watched the object for about an hour, noting that it wasn't moving (at least not perceptively, I *thought* I might have seen it move in a slightly zig-zag way, but I cannot say for sure). What I *did* notice was what seemed like extra air traffic that night- we don't get that many planes flying over us, but at one point I counted two about every five minutes. I finally gave up, thinking that there must be a reasonable explanation for this object, and went about getting ready for bed. An hour and a half passed after the first sighting by my daughter when my husband looked once more, and noted the object was completely gone from the sky. I double-checked myself, and there was no trace of the object. I've looked tonight once again, and there is nothing in that area of the sky (from my house, it would be located in a Westerly direction) even remotely like what we saw.

Posted 2006-10-30