NUFORC Sighting 82543

Occurred: 2011-07-17 22:00 Local
Reported: 2011-07-17 19:42 Pacific
Duration: 1 1/2 min's
No of observers: 2

Location: Elkton, MD, USA

Shape: Flash
Characteristics: Emitted beams

Object seen over Elkton MD moving away from me(straight up) 10pm 7/17/11

Just before 10pm I was out back with my wife watching the moonrise. Just before we were going back into the house I noticed a bright light in the north eastern sky. At first I thought it was an airplane. However the light which at first seemed to be the headlight of an airplane within four or five seconds faded to only the brightness of the smaller dimmer stars in the surrounding sky.

The object was travelling in a south east direction and slightly away from my position. After the light had dimmed the object never seemed to change in speed but the direction was definately moving away from us. It remained dim and I followed it until it got too small to see. It seemed to be going away from earth. This all took place in under a minute. What ever I saw was moving faster then any airplane I've seen. I don't know, it's very hard to explain.

There are several small airport"s nearby and we are situated about halfway between BWI and Philly Intl. I know that some people could confuse an airplane at great distance, but I am confident it was not an airplane because it was nowhere near the normal air traffic lanes for those two major airports. I am puzzled as to what I may have seen? I have always looked up when I'm outside at night and seen many aircraft and shooting stars alike. I just have no frame of reference what I saw. Is it possible for a meteor to merely pass through our atmosphere? If so that would be a logical explaination for what I saw.

Thank You

Posted 2011-08-07