NUFORC Sighting 136955

Occurred: 2017-10-23 20:15 Local
Reported: 2017-10-24 11:34 Pacific
Duration: 45 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Poway, CA, USA

Shape: Rectangle
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Aircraft nearby

Absolutely massive (two aircraft carriers back to back) black, unlit, high altitude object speeding through the night sky.

This occurred on 10/24/2017.

Last night at approximately 2015 +/- 1 hour, I saw the following.

The conditions were dark, the only light in the sky was coming from celestial bodies. I live in an area with a moderate amount of light pollution, but this was an abnormally clear night with no fog, significant humidity, or other factors which would further degrade visibility.

If it helps to nail down the time, one of the San Diego Sheriff helicopters was flying fairly low in the southeast sky, within a one minute after my observation, going due north. That was a couple of miles southeast of where they normally pass by at that time, as the normal flight path is directly over my house. Its bright red light was on in addition to the mandatory flashing red light, so that was really easy to recognize, and the sound was familiar.

The object itself was discernible at first only because it was blocking out the sky behind it. I thought it was an owl or flock of birds, but quickly realized that it was about the size of two aircraft carriers end to end, based on my estimate of the altitude. I believe it was at about 50,000 feet or higher. Unfortunately, there is just no way for me to guess the altitude. It may have been much lower and smaller than I believe, but it was completely silent and it would have taken a massive amount of engine power to maintain lift (although the shape was less than aerodynamic) on anything that size, so I am unable to comprehend it being any lower. I can't imagine anything being much higher, because of the massive size. My rational brain does not compute that. There was no apparent exhaust or visible means of propulsion, which probably would have been evident at lower altitudes.

It was jet black, although there were six or seven evenly spaced, small, lighter areas on each side of the craft which provided enough contrast so that I could make out the perimeter and track the object itself rather than extrapolating the path based on the stars it was blocking out. It was all very dark and visually difficult to follow, but it was just visible enough for me to report objective facts with absolute certainty.

It was cigar or diamond shaped; the ends were not blunt but there was no way to tell how the ends were specifically shaped from my perspective. It definitely had a length to width ratio of about 1:5 from my vantage point. It was traveling at a high speed regardless of altitude, covering a 20 degree arc of sky in about 30 seconds. It actually looked more like a speeding rail car than an aircraft, just smoothly gliding through the sky. The entire sighting lasted about 45 seconds. At that point, I was no longer able to visually track the object because of light pollution in its general direction. I was quite bewildered.

MCAS Miramar is about ten miles west of the objects apparent position. They do operate various RADAR sites. Montgomery field is a municipal airport which has RADAR, 10 miles southwest, as is the international airport, Lindbergh Field, which would be twenty miles southwest of the apparent object position. Miramar maintains 24 hour "full service" jet intercept ability with at least two pilots and interceptor/fighter jets available at any given time, along with proper ground control and communications. That info was provided by the base Provost Marshall several years ago and is not speculative. It would be worthwhile to verify that again. I have seen an intercept; and can safely say that two fighter jets flying at 3,500 feet with afterburners on over a residential neighborhood is quite audibly (and visually) spectacular at night. This occurred minutes after a sighting which occurred with my family in about 2009. A report was filed on that sighting as well; with the in! vestigation ultimately suggesting that we may have seen the ISS in orbit. Last I checked, the ISS was not a self-luminous saucer shaped object making impossible maneuvers and scaring the hell out of my family and myself, only to be chased by jets less than three minutes after we saw it. But I'm no NASA engineer, that's for sure.

Posted 2017-11-03

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