NUFORC Sighting 30492

Occurred: 2001-09-12 22:10 Local
Reported: 2003-08-02 21:46 Pacific
Duration: 10 to 30 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Cleveland, OH, USA

Shape: Orb
Characteristics: Changed Colo

High speed maneuvering lights

After reading a recent report (#29034) I have decided to report an event I had witnessed 2 years ago that was nearly identical in nature with the exception of altitude and speed.

In the days after the events of 9/11/02 I knew the skies were empty of civilian traffic so I thought I would keep my eyes open for possibly any military traffic. After not seeing anything on the night of 9/11/02.

I stopped over a friends house the following evening (9/12/02) and after talking about it we headed outside at approximately 20:00 to 20:10 hours the skies were completely clear with quite a few stars and by luck within a few minutes of heading outside we both at the same time sighted (2) two lights moving in tandem with the southern light trailing the northern light at a distance of about one inch in relation to a thumb and forefinger of an out-stretched hand, I approximated them to be at orbital heights and speeds moving from East to West.

I immediatley considered them to be satellites due to their speed and brightness but thought it was odd that they were traveling in such close proximity to each other and at that instance the trailing southern light grew much brighter almost blueish in intensity than the northern light and suddenly burst ahead of the northern light.

Following this, the northern light also grew brighter and jumped ahead of the southern light,this occured at about the 1 o'clock position and as they crossed to about the 2 o'clock position they both began a counter clockwise spiral rotation around each other as if they were playing follow the leader.

We first picked up the objects up at approximately the 11 o'clock position and followed them through to just past the 2 o'clock position before loosing them in the light pollution of our city.

The entire time my friend and I were calling out to each other verifying what we each were seeing to be sure we were really seeing these objects and I specifically recall the excitment from both of us when the spiral maneuvers began.

I am an aircraft mechanic and a longtime aerospace/aircraft buff and have been employed by NASA since the mid 1990's, so I consider myself to be somewhat knowledgeable regarding aircraft/aerospace and I have on many occasions located, tracked and viewed various satellites and the Intermational Space Station this is why I had determined the objects to be of a orbital height and speed in relation to the time it was taking them to cross the night sky.

During the entire duration of this event there was no detectable noise and at the estimated heights it was impossible to determine if there was any type of shape associated with the two lights.

Posted 2003-08-04