NUFORC Sighting 66405

Occurred: 2008-10-24 06:03 Local
Reported: 2008-10-24 06:46 Pacific
Duration: 45 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object

Light in sky slowly fades after being hit with violet laser

At 6:03am PDT 10-24-08, I was on the front porch of our home having a smoke.

In the northwest sky, I saw a light. It was yellowish-white and somewhat bright (est. magnitude -2), so I thought it was the planet Saturn. I observed it for approximately 30 seconds; it exhibited no movement or change in intensity, and it "twinkled" slightly. So I shot at it with a violet laser (power output 111.9mW and spectrographically measured wavelength of ~407.5nm). After shooting at it intermittently for ~10 seconds, the light started to diminish, until ~5 seconds later it had totally extinguished.

I discounted phosphenes pretty much at once because the light remained in a fixed position in the sky when my eyes were moved, and discounted a terrestrial aircraft for the same reason, and because no strobes were seen (I would have certainly *NOT* hosed it down with a laser if I had even the slightest suspicion that it was an aircraft!).

Conditions at the time of this sighting were clear skies, calm winds, and a temperature of 47°F (8.33°C).

Posted 2008-10-31

© 2023 National UFO Reporting Center. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction within any application without written consent is prohibited.