NUFORC Sighting 37617

Occurred: 2004-06-15 14:00 Local
Reported: 2004-06-15 23:08 Pacific
Duration: 3-4 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Boulder, CO, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

Object avoids jets contrail, stops and changes direction

While taking a break at the picture window at the north end of my floor at work today, I watched a passenger jet flying at altitude to the east, leaving a typical contrail. It was several miles away but the outline and wings were still easily visible. As I continued watching, I noticed a white object approaching it from the southeast. Assuming it was another plane too far away to show any detail, I didn't think much of it. However, when it approached the jet, it changed course in a wide arc underneath the jet's contrail, then continued to the west. Once or twice during it's flight, a flash of light glinted off it implying it may have been metallic. At this point I called for 2 women who were in the cubicles closest to the window to see the object. They came over and watched for a few seconds, and after approximately 1 minute, the object stopped in the middle of the sky and reversed direction back to the east. No arc, or 180° turn or quick bank, just stopped and started travelling back east. When I saw it stop and change direction I became very excited, though the women with me weren't impressed even though they also saw it stop and reverse course. I continued to watch the object fly east till it was lost in a developing cloud formation. It was roughly 2:00 p.m. (I forgot to look at my watch for the exact time of course), the weather was sunny to the northwest but became cloudy to the east due to a developing thunderstorm system coming over the mountains, and the sky behind the object looking north was blue. I was inside so I could hear no noise, but I assume it was too far away to hear anything at that distance if I was outside. Seeing as it was several miles to the northeast from my vantage point, I estimate the general location of the object would have been high in the sky above the line dividing Larimer and Boulder county in northern Colorado.

I will email an edited photo of the view from the window after I send this report.



Posted 2004-06-18

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