NUFORC Sighting 07575

Occurred: 1997-08-31 22:30 Local - Approximate
Reported: 1998-06-06 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 15 min.
No of observers: 1

Location: Brighton (E. of, N. of South Lyon, MI), MI, USA

Shape: Rectangle

Rectangular tilted object in sky, like harmonica with squares lighted. Est. object length at 1 mile +.

On about August 31, 1997 at about 10:30 p.m. I was traveling with my 8-yr. old daughter (Bridget) east on Xway from Brighton, MI toward Detroit (I-96). Traffic was medium both ways. We were east of the Brighton exit and about 5 miles west of the South Lyon exits on the map. There was a full bright yellowish moon but very high and heavy dense but thinner cloud cover. There were occasional breaks in the clouds and stars were clear and bright there. Bridget said "What's that light, Dad?" I had been concentrating on the road. Straight ahead of us and appearing (feeling) to be above and slightly north of downtown Detroit was an object I first related to a giant "harmonica" tilted from 12:00 position to 4:00 position. It was visible through a large break in the clouds and was above the cloud layer. I guestimate that the cloud layer was above 20,000 ft. The 'feeling' about the object was that it was 'enormous' - surely a mile or more in length and 20% of that in thickness. We did not see depth. It appeared to be stationary. At this time I only recall two to four rows of rectangular windows. Each window symetrically directly above the window below, each row about a window's depth apart. About 20 to 30 windows per row. What remains clearest is that each window was 'square' and extremely brightly lit with a white light but no blurring, no outward beams from the light - very clearly defined. Also, although there was no illumination of the 'body', there was a definite rectangular shape of a body containing the windows. My immediate first thought on noticing the object was of a 'harmonica' with the lighted windows being the small square holes on the backside. The object was tilted with the upward end being at 12:00 and the lower end to the right (south) at the 4:00 position on the clockface. We watched it for almost ten minutes as we continued on the expressway to the next exit which was for South Lyon. Although traffic was steady but not heavy, I wanted to get off the X-way and away from the other car lights to observe the object. The lower cloud cover obscured the object just before we reached the next (South Lyon) exit. I took this exit and traveled some six miles south, then another 3 miles east, mostly on dark country back roads hoping the cloud cover would open up again but it did not. We did not see the object again. The lights were not "On" but rather "from within" the object. There was no trail and no haze. No beams of light were emitted. It did not change color. We did not see any other objects exiting, entering or in the area of the object. No other aircraft were seen in the area. ((name and e-address deleted))

Posted 2002-11-20