1998-03-07 - South Abaco (Bahamas) - Cone

Two very bright white lights with blue cone shaped contrails approached from northeast, turned south, and then appeared to depart ionosphere heading east.

I stepped outside to water a plant and looked up into a clear and starlit eastern sky. Two very bright white lights appeared to be coming toward me from northeast, like landing lights but in space. Both turned in formation and headed south, apparently entering ionosphere where a bright light blue aura appeared in front and broad badminton birdie shaped cone of blue appeared behind each. I shouted to others to come outside and bring videocamera. My thoughts were that these objects looked like Hale Bopp and might be comets; but, they slowed down upon apparently entering ionosphere and maneuvered in loose formation. Four other people came outside and observed the objects as I videotaped them moving south in the eastern sky and then turn to the east and apparently depart the ionosphere again. I zoomed video out to get exact ground reference point so that celestial geometry could be figured. The next morning I calibrated videocamera clock with GPS time. I later talked with observers 21 miles away and 50 miles away who saw similar objects around same time. The videotape is digital and quite good. Today I read your web page accounts and agree with most descriptions of objects orientation and behavior, except that the objects I observed definitely came from northeast, turned south, and then apparently left ionosphere heading east. This does not seem to be typical ICBM behavior. It is of note that the brightest aspect of the objects was on the leading edge, and illumination was much less in rear view. This is also not typical ICBM illumination pattern, which is brightest in stern view. I am former US Navy pilot and have seen numerous missle launches.

((NUFORC: Except for time, event consistent with missile launch.))