NUFORC Sighting 130674

Occurred: 2016-10-17 19:45 Local
Reported: 2016-10-18 07:06 Pacific
Duration: 30 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Chicago, IL, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object

Bright, flickering, flamelike light out over Lake Michigan. Stationary, not a plane. Not a lantern, there were extreme winds.

Around 1945 last night, I witnessed a stationary, but extremely bright and flickering light in the sky, almost like a stationary fireball. I was looking eastward from my balcony, and the light appeared to be maybe a couple of miles or so off the shore of Lake Michigan out over the water. I initially assumed this was a plane, but it was definitely stationary so I ruled that out. Then I figured it must be Mars or Jupiter because the object had a reddish hue to it and was relatively low on the horizon, but after checking a star gazing app, I confirmed both Mars and Jupiter were in opposite skies from the object.

Next, I assumed a Chinese lantern, but this didn't seem likely from the start. The object was extremely bright and looked like a flickering flame. There were very strong wind gusts on the night of 10/17, so this object remaining stationary for an extended period rules out the lantern because it certainly would not have sat still given the strong winds.

I went about my way and checked maybe 30 minutes later and the object was gone.

NUFORC Note:

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

Posted 2016-10-21