NUFORC Sighting 42315

Occurred: 2004-10-10 15:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2005-02-24 22:54 Pacific
Duration: 3 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Berkeley, CA, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Changed Colo

While driving my car in the mid afternoon of a day in the fall of 2004 on HYW 580 East-bound I had just crossed the San Rafael / Richmond Bridge on my way from San Rafael to Berkeley CA. It was a clear day as far as I can recall--little or no cloud cover.

Something caught my eye which I first assumed was an airplane. It was slightly (5 degrees maybe?) to the right of straight ahead of the car and maybe a few degrees above horizontal, meaning that I could easily look at it with only a tiny eye movement from where my eyes would be normally while driving. I dont know how to estimate the distance because I dont know the size of the object but if it had been a commercial jet I would have guessed that it was several miles away. If I held my arm straight out this object would have looked the size of, or smaller than my thumbnail.

It was silver in color. The shape was indeterminate and I could not make out wings, a tail section or any features for that matter.

What first caused me to be particularly curious about it was that it didnt seem to be moving. Everytime I glanced up at it it appeared to be in the same place. Had it been a plane it would have been slowly making its way across the sky but it didnt seem to be doing that.

So I continued to look at it for another minute or two while driving. Then, it began to change color, to darken to a grey and then a dark grey. This took about 3 seconds. Then, right as I was looking at it, I could no longer see it at all. It had kind of faded away quickly.

I pulled my car over and got out so that I could see clearly and there was nothing there but blue sky. I looked carefully around the area of the sky where I had seen it thinking that perhaps it had moved and I'd lost track of it but I could never re-aquire it.

Peter, I dont know why I didnt report this nearer the time it happened. Maybe it was just too vague an experience. Anyway, there it is. I hope it can add to your data.

If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer them if I can.

Thanks and I appreciate your work, ((name and telephone number deleted))

NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that date of sighting is approximate. PD

Posted 2005-05-24