NUFORC Sighting 43843

Occurred: 2002-11-18 04:30 Local
Reported: 2005-05-07 16:30 Pacific
Duration: 30-40 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: In Earth Orbit, , In orbit

Shape: Circle

An erratically moving object was observed during the NASA Channel's live broadcast of the Leonid meteor shower 11/18/2001.

I don't remember if I reported this to you before -- I recall posting this information to a web site.

Early on the morning of the 2001 Leonid meteor shower (11/18/2001), about 1:30 a.m. to 3:15 a.m. or so, I had driven to a ridgeline near my home in Lake Arrowhead CA. I watched the meteor storm, saw several hundred meteors and a great number of fireballs (some of which buzzed with audible radio waves). I drove back home and turned on the NASA Channel's live coverage. Thinking that my kids, who were at my ex-wife's house, might not have gone out to watch the meteor shower, I plugged a videotape in to my VCR and taped the coverage.

At this point I was more hoping that the droning voices would put me to sleep, but I was also enjoying what was an incredible light show. At about 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., I was still watching the coverage. I believe the feed was from Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona, but I'm not certain of that. As I watched the coverage, a dot of light moved slowly across the screen. I remember thinking, "Oh cool, they've got a satellite on there!" and it looked very much like a satellite -- a dot of light moving very steadily in one direction.

The "dot of light moving in one direction" then veered at a sharp angle and began moving away, then changed course again. I must've had the dumbest look on my face. My jaw dropped, and I said, "Son of a bitch -- that's a UFO!" I kept watching as it moved away from the field of view of the televised telescope.

Now, the shot was stationary. I assume the telescope tracked very slowly to keep the radiant of the shower centered, but the camera/telescope wasn't moving -- it was this object that was moving. No satellite can make changes in direction that acutely, nor can any aircraft. As I mentioned, it gave the apearance of a distant satellite, but its movement was definitely atypical.

My videotape, BTW, burned when my home was lost in the October 29, 2003 Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains. I wish I still had it, for on it was incontrovertible proof to me that something odd was in the skies that morning. I don't know if anyone else has videotapes of that broadcast, but if they are available, I'd sure love to have a replacement copy! I have to say I've always been a skeptic. I felt that way about religion, too -- if I saw a burning bush or if God booked a showing on Larry King Live, then I'd be convinced. I do not know what it was I saw that morning, but I'm certain someone somewhere also recorded that live broadcast by NASA and has this on tape.

((

Posted 2005-05-24