2001-07-05 - Houston, TX - Oval

Moving bright red light becomes motionless, releases short burst of silvery filaments, then slowly disappears, straight up in the sky.

I stepped out onto my back patio, to smoke a cigarette at 12:05am on the morning of July 5. I had looked at the clock, because I was waiting for my wife to return from the airport. I immediately noticed a red light, moving generally from west to east. It was bright enough that I initially thought it was a low flying, small plane. I thought it would turn, at some point and I would see a blue or white light. When I did not, I continued to watch it move in the direction of my house. Then, it slowed and seemed to make a very tight semi-circular turn, then stopped,and became motionless. At this point, I thought it must be a helicopter, but I continued to watch it. It gradually became a smaller red light, like it was moving straight up. Then it seemed to stop again. It appeared to be slowly spinning now, because about every 20 seconds, it seemed to have a dark band, running vertically. I continued to watch it (by now about 15 minutes had elapsed), I saw what looked like a short burst of silvery threads below it (about 2 inches proportionately in the sky ). At this point, it had the appearance of a red star, in the sky, vs the earlier appearance of a low flying plane. It then slowly disappeared, as if it was moving straight up. The sky was clear that night, with no small moving clouds, in the area. I have been thinking about what I saw, since that morning and decided to search the internet, for a place to report it. I noticed 2 other reports, very similar to my own, so I now know that I was not alone, in viewing this object. I am a affluent, professional, business man, rational, and not under the influence of drugs. Once I foud your web site and read the other 2 sightings of the same object, I almost did not report it. Then I decided I should, since one more description might help in determining what he obect was.