NUFORC Sighting 46961

Occurred: 2005-10-01 09:30 Local
Reported: 2005-10-13 10:11 Pacific
Duration: 10 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Albuquerque, NM, USA

Shape: Disk

Two blue pinpoints of light merge onto one silver disk.

On Saturday morning at 9:30 AM October 1, 2005, with unlimited visibility on the far east side of Albuquerque, I observed what appeared to be a weather balloon approximately seventy degrees in elevation (not quite overhead) traveling at a slow rate of speed from NW to SE. In the past I have observed 10-15 weather balloons released from Ft. Sumner, NM or Pasadena, TX.

Immediately I noticed two things which drew my attention to this object. The rate of travel to the SE was slow but much faster than any any previously observed weather balloon. And the color of the object was brilliant silver as if reflecting sunlight from polished chrome, whereas weather balloons appear to reflect a dull white, almost beige, color.

As I ran back in to the house to retrieve my 7x35 binoculars, I called out to tell my roommate to have a look. As I was observing the spherical disk, now stationary, through my binoculars, I noticed what appeared to be a long, thin, silver antenna-like rod, three to four disk diameters in length extended from the top side of the object.

The total estimated NW to SE distance the object traversed from initial sighting to stationary point was approximately 25 degrees (one palm width at arm's length equal to 10 degrees).

At the same time, my roommate asked if I could see the two blue objects approaching the disk.

When I handed the binoculars to my roommate, I then saw two bright blue pinpoints (not disks) of light slowly approaching the disk, also traveling NW to SE. Initially, the distance from the blue lights to the object was approximately 35 degrees, the spacing between the two blue lights varying from 10 degrees, then closing to 5 degrees, then opening again to 15 degrees of separation and finally converging on the silver object with very little spacing between the two.

The closest of the two blue lights moved to the left side of the silver object and became stationary approximately 2 to 3 degrees from the silver object. The second blue light became stationary approximately 5 degrees to the right of the silver object.

After one minute of observing these three objects, the two blue lights disappeared as they converged onto the silver disk.

Immediately thereafter, the silver object, with no observable acceleration, silently moved off to the NE at the rate of speed equal to two or three times a jet airliner traverses the sky.

I, myself, have been "watching the stars" all of my life. I have observed and photographed several solar eclipses, as well as many lunar eclipses and meteor showers. A school I attended loaned me their 9 1/2 reflector telescope for the summer (not only is astronomy the oldest science...astronomy is considered 'the beautiful science'). It was an opportunity to teach the children of the neighborhood.

While working night shift for four years at a small airport on top of a dark mesa ten miles west of the city, I observed several fireballs and the last successful re-entry of the Shuttle (to repair the Hubble telescope) before its final tragic flight.

My roommate works at Sandia Labs generating software language for satellites.

Posted 2005-10-20