2000-09-14 - Portland, OR - Triangle

Triangular shaped object viewed through a telescope after initial sighting by 4 adults.

While sitting outside on a deck at an approximate elevation of 400-500 feet above the Wilamette river looking to the East, 4 adults including myself witnessed an object crossing over head slightly South of our position. It moved at rapid speed from west to East toward the river. We discussed it's speed and at first thought it to be a satellite however as we watched it pass without sound we agreed it was too close to be a satellite. At this point the object slowed considerably to what looked looked like a stop and apeared to have some color qualities. At this point approximately 45 seconds after our first sighting, I became more puzzled as to what the object might be. It was too fast for conventional aircraft, made no noise and now had stopped. The sky was overcast but the object was visible the entire time. It had stopped approximately over Mt Scott at which time I asked my brother in law if he had binoculars, he said ther was a telescope inside. It was just inside and on a tripod. I quickly brought it outside to the edge of the deck. The object was still stationary and as i began to look it apeared to turn brightlights directly our direction. I was able to get approximately a 4 to 7 second clear look at the object. I was actually shocked to see see the object through the telescope so clearly. It was not an airplane. It had a bright red light at the top of a triangular shape with many smaller lights running at angles down the sides creating the shape of a triangle. It actually looked more like a cone with small strings of lights running from the top point of the triangle down to the base. It was not moving very much toward the north so my brief vision was amazingly clear. When a actually realized what I was looking at was not an aircraft, I simply said to the group just that, "that's not a plane", it then moved to a point where it was obstructed by the house in front of us. I ran with the telescope 1 short block to a view spot at the end of the street where there was a 180 degree view looking East, bu! t was un able to find the object again. I could see however all the incoming aircraft to Portland international. There is actually a good deal of aircraft activity visible from both the deck and from the end of the block. It was easy to compare what I had seen to the other aircraft and I became even more clear the differences between what I saw and the aircraft in the area, both looking through the telescope and to the naked eye. A strange feeling indeed.