NUFORC Sighting 57610

Occurred: 2007-07-12 01:00 Local
Reported: 2007-07-12 12:02 Pacific
Duration: 2 Hours
No of observers: 2

Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA

Shape: Orb
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Colo

Lights (red, green, yellow, orange and blue) rotating around a brilliant white light due west of Las Vegas at about 30 degrees.

It initially appeared to be a star or planet due west of Las Vegas at about 30 degrees above the horizon, but closer scrutiny with binoculars and a telescope showed colored lights rotating around awhite the object. Colors were red, blue, green, yellow and orange. While it appeared to be stationary over the two hour period it actually gradually dropped from about 30 degrees to about 10 degrees above the horizon. I thought it might be a satellite but after checking the orbit speeds and trajectories of the Hubbell satellite and the International space station, it was easy to rule them out. I also checked "stationary" weather satellites speeds and orbit and ruled them out. Whatever this was, it had to be outside the earth's atmosphere and did not appear to be orbitting the earth. I have never seen a celestial body that had distinquisable lights rotating around it like this object. If you know what it is, can you tell me? I have attached 3 photos I took of it with an inexpensive digital camera shooting into the eyepiece of a $100 telescope. The photos a a bit blurred and the light streaking due to vibration of the telescope. But at least you can see that there IS Something there and that the colors described a true. These photos were taken at about 2 am over a 15 minute period. The two of us watched this object for about 2 hours from 12:30 am to 2:30 am before going to bed.

We will be looking for it again tonight. See Photos attached.

Posted 2007-08-07