NUFORC Sighting 66407

Occurred: 2008-09-30 01:25 Local
Reported: 2008-10-24 08:35 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Las Vegas, NM, USA

Shape: Diamond
Characteristics: Lights on object

4 Lights moving in unison then diappeared after a sudden bright flash of light over Mora county, NM

On early Tuesday morning September 30, 2008, a very dark, clear, and cool night I was driving west on NM state road 120. Near mile marker 31 I stopped and parked facing west next to a white gate on the south side of the road. Immediately after putting the vehicle in park I looked out my front passenger side window facing north and watched 4 lights in a diamond shape configuration moving south in unison then change direction traveling east. I noticed the time was 1:25am. They were solid white amber lights facing down toward the ground. The lights did not blink or flash or change color. I stepped outside of my vehicle and watched the lights with a pair of binoculars and did not notice anything different as for changing colors or flashing lights. I kept watching with and without binoculars as it traveled in an easterly direction. Then as I looked again for it with my binoculars I noticed a bright flash of white light thru the binoculars. I did not see the source of the flash or where it emanated from but it did appear to come from the direction the lights were traveling in. I was unable to keep track of these lights because they flew behind the horizon of a hill about a ½ mile just to the north of where I stood. My friend on the passenger seat observed the lights in motion and the sudden bright flash of white light. I have been a outdoorsman my whole life and know this region very well. I am very familiar with aircraft because aircraft is a hobby and so is the night sky. There was not a cloud anywhere in the sky that night. And I don’t know what the heck caused that bright flash of light to occur. It was just like a flash of lighting at night going off in the distance is what the flash of light resembled. Even with binoculars I never got the impression or suggestion that “ahh…its an airplane or a jet…”. It was different and certainly something I had never witnessed before. This great little experience lasted no more than 2 minutes. After this occurred I got back insi! de the v ehicle and turned around to travel east to look for these lights about a ½ mile to a mile from where I was parked to get away from the hill that blocked our view and was unable to find these lights again. Below is a simple sketch of the light configuration I saw.

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NUFORC Note:

Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. PD

Posted 2008-10-31