NUFORC Sighting 15599

Occurred: 2000-12-21 19:10 Local
Reported: 2000-12-21 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 30 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Bellingham, WA, USA

Shape: Sphere
Characteristics: Left a trail

I saw the moon, too low in the sky, disappear into a purple glow, followed by an illuminated trail.

I was driving home between Bellingham and Mount Baker. It was a very dark evening. I noticed a pinkish/purple light glow off to my left, and notice what I mistook for the moon at first. Then I realized it was too low to be the moon, and it had a light trail following it. It then disappeared into the glow. The glow stayed, but the "moon" had disappeared. It was the same size and shape as a waning moon, with the dark area on the right; yet the light trail was also on the right, which did not make sense to me. What really didn't make sense was how fast it disappeared into the glow. The rest of the sky was clouded and black. I tried to keep an eye on the glow, but the mountains were in the way after I passed the straight-away I had been on.

Posted 2001-01-03