1969-11-01 - Fairbanks, AK - Formation

Sighting of 5 objects in a PENTAGON formation near Fairbanks, Alaska, around 1969

When this sighting occured, I was employed by the National Weather Service, as an Electronics Technician.

I was out alone snowmobiling, at about 7:30 at nite, when I stopped to view some faint Northern Lights, when I was South of Fairbanks, Alaska, about 2 miles, clear sky. I noticed an unusual star formation of 5 shiny objects, in a perfect Pentagon pattern. That is what caught my eyes, as there were a tremendous number of stars visible, due to the very Clear Arctic sky.

After some 2 minutes or so, I saw them all converge, at the same time, into the center of the Pentagon, at an upward angle, leaving a shiny trail behind each one, like a flash. After several seconds, after they formed what appeared to be a single object, the single now larger object left up an upward angle into space, at an amazing speed. leaving what appeared to be a streak of light, until the object got smaller, and smaller, then eventually disappeared in some 5 seconds or so! Amazing!

The objects appeared to be silvery shiny, and very small, for altitude, I would guess some 15 to 30 miles! I wish I had a digital camera!

How the objects went from a Pentagon formation, into one object was amazing, all moved at the same time, and converged at the same point, all together, then after a few seconds, the now larger silvery object, traveled out into space at about a 80 degree angle, very fast, leaving just one solid streak of light as it accelerated away.

I have done a lot of work on Weather Balloon systems, Radiosonde Tracking Systems, called WBRT's, for many years, and have tracked these many times as part of my job. I have also seen several visible rocket launches on experiments by the Univ. Of Alaska, ESSA, etc., in tracking Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights. I had a good background of electronics, radio, and radars, etc., and Weather Observations.

I have talked to Eskimos in the Arctic, at Point Barrow, Nome, Kotzebue, and Barter Island, of some of their sightings over the Arctic Ocean. This was the first, and only time, I have ever seen anything so unusual, that I could not identify. I have worked extensively with certified Weather Observers at many airports, and very familiar with Weather Observations, etc.

Now, I am retired from NOAA NWS, having worked on their new WSR-88D NEXRAD Doppler Radars, with their towers, having Fiberglass Panels, in the shape of a Pentagon! This has always been a reminder to me, of that nite in Fairbanks, back around 1969.

I wonder if anyone else has seen a formation like this, in the shape of a Pentagon??


((NUFORC Note: Date is approximate. PD))