2002-12-02 - Queenstown, MD - Circle

I usually get up very early to take our dogs out in the AM, usually around 5:15 to 5:30AM. It was still dark, moon was partially covered, & there were many stars in the sky. While walking, I noticed a very bright light coming from the southern sky & assumed it was a plane or helicopter. As I watched it, it was moving fairly fast & the closer it got, the brighter it got, I then thought perhaps it was a plane in trouble, etc. As it come closer, it was descending rapidly, & then passed maybe 1/2 mile in front of me, barely over the tree tops!!! It was a round glowing white ball of light and had a tail attached to it. It was moving fairly fast but was very distinctive. It was so low that I thought it was going to hit our barn but it must have come down in a field close by. I did not hear anything when it "landed". I woke my husband up & we noticed that in the sky there was a "path" or rather a "band" in the sky where this object had traveled from south to north. Sort of like a vapor trail left by big jet aircraft. Our question is, what would this have been? I called the local airport, the FAA in Baltimore, & I got the impression that they thought I was a nut. All I can say is that I am a professional person, in my forties, and this is the first time I have ever seen anything like this. Please advise as to what this could have been.