1999-03-04 - Lancaster, CA - Other

Picture perfect white, "comet-like" object moving West to East. Second object, same as first -- but moving due South. Elapsed time, 8 minutes.

I am a 34 year old Technical Writer, employed by a defense contractor at Edwards Air Force Base, California. I served one tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as a field artillery, fire-direction controlman. I have spent a total of 10 years on or around military bases. 03/04/1999, 1900: Sighting occurred while driving Westbound on Avenue J, in the vicinity of 5th Street East, Lancaster, California. The sky was full dark, clear with no clouds. This road is two-lane, mostly open desert with very little light. As the sighting continued, I entered the outskirts of Lancaster – a more urban environment. If my direction of travel is thought of as “12 o’clock,” the object was at 11 o’clock, approximately 50 –60 degrees above the horizon. I do not know how long the object may have been there, as I just noticed it out of the corner of my eye. Its speed was approximately that of jetliner – perhaps 500 mph. Its direction of travel was from the Southwest to the Southeast. The size of the object was the length and thickness of my thumb, held at arm’s length – approximately two inches by ¾ of an inch. The object was ½ to ¾ as bright as a full moon, if obscured by light cloud cover. By this I mean it was bright -- white, but with something of a haze about it. The edges were sharply defined and its overall shape was of a “picture-perfect” comet – with forked tail. I will send a hand drawing by snail-mail if you would like. After 30 seconds (approx.) the forked end of the tail began to spread out until a leaf-shaped “cloud” had taken shape. Note, the head and part of the tail remained sharply defined and attached to this “cloud.” The “cloud” was thick (no stars shown through), white and somewhat luminous from either internal or reflected light. Looking at the “leaf shaped” “contrail” with peripheral vision, I could make out a round mass within its center – seemingly of the same cloud-like material. This center mass, though barely discernable, remained long after the object and “cloud” disappeared. The object continued on its southeasterly course for approximately four minutes before “disappearing.” One minute it was there and the next – it was gone, leaving the cloud behind for another one to two minutes. 03/04/1999, 1906: The second sighting occurred as I continued to drive on Avenue J, now within the urban area of Lancaster, California. This object appeared to be just like the first, but oriented due South, and without the leaf-shaped “cloud.” The object was lower on the horizon –perhaps 45 degrees and with a pronounced nose-down angle. This sighting lasted approximately two minutes, before I lost sight of the object. There were two aircraft in the area of the sightings: one, heading South at a lower altitude to the first object during the last minute or two of the sighting. The second aircraft was at a higher altitude heading North, and observed after the second object was no longer visible. If I can be of any further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me. ((name deleted))