NUFORC Sighting 57795

Occurred: 2007-07-22 14:00 Local
Reported: 2007-07-22 15:49 Pacific
Duration: 40 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Tempe, AZ, USA

Shape: Cylinder

Stark white object flying over Tempe Arizona in strange non-linear aeronautical movements.

July 22, 2007 2:00 PM Winds Aloft: @6000: 70F/ 9000: 63F/ 12000: 50F FT 3000 6000 9000 12000 18000 24000 30000 34000 39000 PHX 9900 9900+19 0512+13 0709+08 0912-04 1112-14 091129 990040 221752 High Level Clouds: Cirrostratus and Cirrus Clouds Wind Direction: West: Six mph At approximately 2:00 PM on July 22, 2007, I saw a strange object in the sky. At first glance, it appeared in its flying “behavior”* to be almost kite like, moving very slowly in a very mild zigzag type of formation slowly rising upwards. The objects shape was somewhat circular** and its color was stark white. The object’s location was NNE in the sky and about 65 – 70° from the horizon. The size of the object in the sky was about as big as the head of a large nail, or the circumference of a regular drinking straw.

Event: As I was standing outside smoking a cigarette, I noticed in the sky an object that appeared upon first glance to be drifting in the wind. The movement of the object appeared to be in a gentle upward rising zigzag motion towards the NNE direction. Upon 10 seconds of observation, the object made what appeared as a semi-circular loop type of movement sending it further upwards toward a small cloud in the sky. The object passed behind the cloud, hesitated, did another semi-circular loop changing direction towards the NNW again yet maintaining an upward rising movement. The movements of the object itself were not in any way angular, jarring, or sudden; all of its movements were extremely gentle and graceful. At about 25-30 seconds of observation, after coming out from behind the cloud (the cloud itself was dense, yet allowed enough light to pass through it allowing a fairly unobstructed view of the objects flight through the cloud itself) the object appeared to pick up speed moving in a more distinct westerly direction in a more linear flight pattern. It was after that that I ran into my home to grab my camera, by the time that I came back outside the object was completely gone.

* By behavior, I am referring to the way the object moved through the sky itself.

** The shape of the object appeared to be circular with other features that seemed to be somewhat angular. Unfortunately, the object was far enough in the air that a detailed description of its features are difficult to describe.

Posted 2007-08-07