2000-09-13 - Leesburg, VA - Rectangle

Highly illuminated rectangular shaped object tilted at a 20-30 degree angle in the early AM hours.

I was driving out of my development heading for work at 5:55 AM. When I first saw the object I thought it was a blimp completely illuminated in the distance. As I drove towards the end of my street, the object became much more clear and the shape became much more defined. I believe that the object was moving towards my development as I was driving towards the object. The object was a perfect rectangle tilted approximately 20-30 degrees (long axis horizontal). The object was completely illuminated to the point where all I could see was a white light in the shape of a rectangle. If I had to guess at a distance I'd say the object was between 1000' and 2500' away from me. It lit up the sky like a full moon does on a dark night (it was still pitch black outside). I turned onto another street and continued driving while looking out the window at the object. It was moving parallel to the street I was on and about the same speed (45 mph). For a split second my line of sight was blocked by some trees. When I could see again, the object was much farther away (several miles) and all I could see was a very small illuminated rectangle. I am 30 years old with a wife and two children. I have a civil engineering degree from VA Tech and have been employed as a transportation engineer for almost 7 years. I live about 10 miles northwest of Dulles Airport but this object was like no airplane I've ever seen.