NUFORC Sighting 109882

Occurred: 2014-05-31 23:30 Local
Reported: 2014-06-01 21:41 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Traverse City, MI, USA

Shape: Sphere
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Emitted other objects

Three dark orange/red spheres over Traverse Bay, MI

At about 23:30 on May 31, 2014, I was sitting on a couch in a dark room watching a fire in the fireplace; I happened to glance through a window (located on the north side of the condominium) up into the dark night sky (there was little moonlight outside, I believe we had a waxing crescent moon) at about a 45° angle.

I noticed three dark orange spheres out in the distance come into view; they were descending, traveling southward in a fairly straight-line formation toward me from a northwardly direction. The three spheres were spaced about the same distance apart as they descended toward me. As they descended they appeared to begin a slow sweeping arch toward a southwest direction.

After about 15 seconds the second (center) sphere appeared to release three small (pin-size) spheres from directly beneath it; all three spheres fell equal distance apart for 3–5 seconds prior to totally, instantly, disappearing.

The three dark orange spheres—each appearing to be slightly larger than a pencil eraser—continued their slow, sweeping southwestward descent. As the three spheres were beginning to level off while continuing to turn (and while they were just barely north of my position) I stepped out onto the deck to get a better view. The distance between the three spheres appeared to expand. As the sphere in front started to move in a more westward direction and began to gain altitude the middle sphere released three additional small (pin-size) spheres from directly beneath it; all three of these spheres also fell equal distance apart for 3–5 seconds prior to totally, instantly disappearing.

The lead sphere began to pull away from the other two as it gained altitude as it traveled in a westward direction; the second (middle) sphere also began to gain attitude as it traveled in a westward direction. The third (and last) sphere appeared to slow as it gained altitude while also traveling in a westward direction away from Traverse City. I watched the three spheres until they were completely out of sight…gaining altitude as they continued traveling in a westward direction.

The three spheres appeared to be fairly far away from my location; I would estimate they never got closer than Grand Traverse Bay and remained beyond the Peninsula while making their sweep from the northwardly to the westward direction.

The spheres appeared to glow. They did not have discrete/separate lights or lights that pulsated; I did not hear any type of noise come from the spheres.

I observed the three main spheres for approximately two minutes. The two sets of spheres that fell from beneath the second (center) sphere instantly disappeared after 3–5 seconds.

Posted 2014-06-04