NUFORC Sighting 72405

Occurred: 2009-09-19 19:52 Local
Reported: 2009-09-19 17:42 Pacific
Duration: 30 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Great Barrington, MA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Left a trail

Bright pure white cone of light, not moving, over northwestern Connecticut, for about 20 seconds

While watching the stars (as I do each evening with my son), I noticed a very bright, pure white light due south of our location. It was approximately 40 degrees above the horizon, and looked like a light shining down on the Earth -- that is, it was shaped like a cone, brightest at the top and fading out at the lower edge, which was about 5-10 degrees lower. Several things struck me about this event. First, it was very large, covering several degrees of the sky horizontally and vertically. Second, the apex of the cone was flattened, as you would see if someone were shining a flashlight down -- it wouldn't come to a perfect point, it would be flat at the rim of the flashlight. Third, it did not move at all -- at first it reminded me of a comet, but I knew that couldn't be, and then a meteor, but that would be true only if it were coming straight at me (which is possible). I turned to the screen door and called for my wife to come see. When I turned back, ther! e was only a luminescent cloud where the light had been shining. My wife, exiting another door, confirmed this. Could it have been a meteor coming head-on at us? That's the best explanation I can come up with.

There were commercial aircraft in the vicinity, what I believe was regular westbound traffic from Logan or Bradley airports.

NUFORC Note:

Missile launch. PD

Posted 2009-12-12