2000-07-02 - Ice House Campground, CA - Formation

Triangular formation of lights (not one object) + additional objects

Two witnesses were experienced Amateur Astronomers Two events spaced over a 20 minute timeframe. Witnesses were using a Mead ETX 125 and binoculars to ID messier objects for pleasure viewing. A bright (brighter than any star) Blue light was observed coming from close to North, first noticed at about 75 degress above horizon (moving south). We initially assumed it to be a satelitte. The light quickly varied from bright to VERY bright, and sumultaneously turned sharply to move in a Easternly direction. Light diminished dramatically after turn, and light did not move in a straight line but swerved sharply as it traveled in a generally Easternly direction. We were able to observe with both the binoculars and the Mead, as speed was very slow (very similar to a normal satalitte speed), but the object remained a blue point source under magnification. One member of the party (the guy with the binoculars), indicated that the object had a less bright companion about 10 degress south (higher in the sky) that shadowed its movments, but the others in the party did not see this object. Object crossed perhaps 40 degress of sky before disappearing (slowly disappeared). Most disconcerting was anomolous movement. Turns were far to tights for any aircraft we were familiar with. 2nd observation occured about 15 minutes later. Again an object appeared from north, at about the same location. However, brightness did not seem to vary during sighting. The object (moderately bright blue light), was noticed at about 60 degress above horizon moving south (via binoculars. Object moved to about 75 dgress above northern horizon, met two other objects that were stationery at that spot (we had assumed were stars), then all thre objects moved "as one triangular structure" to the east. We carefully observed background stars between objects as the triangle moved east (with binoculars and the Mead scope). The triangular formation was intially isoceles, but the lead object moved slightly north during the easternly flight so that the formation apeared as a right triangle by the time the objetcs faded in the east (there was a little haze in the eastern sky in the direction of Lake Tahoe). Again speed was very similar to satellite motion. All three objects were exactly the same brightness (blue points of light). Total time watching formation move perhaps 4 to 5 minutes.