NUFORC Sighting 86284

Occurred: 2012-01-01 22:45 Local
Reported: 2012-01-02 13:41 Pacific
Duration: 2 min
No of observers: 1

Location: University Place, WA, USA

Shape: Sphere
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Aircraft nearby

Brilliant flickering orange sphere flies over, then hovers and then shoots straight up punching hole through clouds.

This incident occurred as I was taking out the garbage cans to the street edge at 10:45pm Sunday night.

The weather had a slight fog, with a thin layer of clouds covering approximately 50% of the sky.

I saw what I initially thought was an aircraft approach from the east at an altitude of approximately 1000-1500ft. As this object approached closer to my position, I noticed it was giving off a brilliant orange color and had a spherical shape. It had no navigation or running lights (I am a former private pilot) It moved probably no faster than 60mph in my estimation.

This object radiated the most brilliant and pure color of orange I have ever seen. It flickered as it moved, as a road flare flickers when burning. The object emitted no noise whatsoever. It was quite obviously spherical, with no projections anywhere.

It made a slow arching turn from its initial flight path right toward where I was standing, slowed and then stopped almost nearly directly above me (staying at ~1500ft altitude). The object hovered for no more than a few seconds. Suddenly, this object flew straight up punching a hole directly through the cloud layer (est. 2000 ft) above it. It flew to an altitude to where it was a pinpoint in less than 2 seconds.

Notes/Impressions: - Aircraft flight patterns in my area are generally from the the South to North (To/from SeaTac airport) - This "object" I witnessed came from the east (from over Tacoma proper) which is unusual in my area unless it is a military aircraft from McChord AFB - There was a few aircraft flying in the area at the time of this incident. I would say there is a good chance a pilot flying in the area saw this object.

- Other people in my area at the time must have seen it. The glow was quite brilliant.

- I got the impression it "knew" I was looking at it.

- The color of orange this thing emitted was extremely "pure" like coherent light from a laser - ie. the pure red or green you see from a laser. Not like an aircraft navigation light.

- The faster it moved the more it seemed to "flicker" - I am aircraft/military buff and can recognize most civilian and military aircraft. I have never seen an object like this one. It flew outside the performance envelope of any aircraft I have known about.

Posted 2012-01-12