2000-07-06 - Thornton, CO - Cylinder

Long yellowish cylinder, narrow in the middle, passes steadily and slowly east of DIA, then vanishes after halfing.

I was out having a cigarette break at work. Noticing the colors at the beginning of the sunset, I noticed a bright yellow, almost white object coming out of the western sky. Knowing that this was probably the reflection of the sun on an east bound jet, I didn't give it much thought, as there were several passenger jets heading both east and west bound that I could see also. It was partially cloudy, but no heavy cloud cover, and it was mostly clear out. What began to seem strange to me,was that NONE of the passenger jets that I could see were "reflecting" the sunset, in the same manner. While I watched a little closer, unlike the jets that I could also see, this object did not have any wings visible. All through this time, no wings were seen at all, and the object continued heading east, in a straight line, and a steady, continuous speed. (About the speed of the jets I was seeing on either side, and going in east and westerly directions.) It did seem to be going slightly slower, as some eastbound jets going to DIA, had passed it on either side. At no time was their any variance in the color also. It maintained a bright yellow, almost white "glow". As it passed over head, I STILL did not see ant wings, no noises above the traffic on I-25, to my west, and it was then that I saw that the middle of the cylinder was narrower than the ends, as if it was 2 cylinders, that had a "docking area" that met in the middle. Again, it never deviated its speed or direction. As it passed over me, going on to the east, I saw that there was a small cloud, that appeared to be in a direct line, with where the object was heading. At no time were there any blinking running lights, as there were on the passing aircraft. When the object went into the cloud, I kept watching to where I thought that it would come out. Any other aircraft that I have watched, would be through that small of a type of a cloud, in 3-5 seconds, max. I saw nothing at all, for over 30 seconds, and when I saw the light again, it appeared to be about half the size, still a bright yellow, and then after about 10-15 more seconds, it disappeared. I never saw any wings. It never deviated in the direction or speed, and after it "halfed itself", it just disappeared. No "blink out", no quick rise or fall, it was just not there anymore. I know I saw at least 6 aircraft going in other directions, that might have seen this object also. I lit another cigarette, and ran through what I had seen, and no "logical" explanation came to me. Wen it passed overhead, it seemed to be probably twice the length of a jetliner and probably 1 1/2 -2 times the girth, of an "average airliner. With the clarity and length of my sighting, I felt I should report this in the hopes that others had seen it, and have reported it also.