2003-07-04 - Renton, WA - Egg

Dark oval object over Seattle

Mr. Davenport, I am providing this information because the likeness shown on your website of the dark oval object with copper colored swirls seen in New York is eerily similar to what I observed over the Seattle area July 4th . The time of the event is approximate - it may have been an hour or more later. I spotted the object to the northwest of my Renton location in the direction of downtown Seattle.

My first impression of the dark object was that it was perhaps a dirigible in place to observe fireworks displays, but if it was something the size of a dirigible it would have to be at an altitude at which dirigibles are not normally seen. My curiosity piqued, I grabbed my binoculars to get a better look. What I observed for the next five minutes or so was simply puzzling. The shape was similar to a blimp but rounded on each end - an egg shape that is elongated somewhat on its horizontal axis. The color was dark , there were no appendages. I wondered what I was seeing as the thing drifted slowly to the south , apparently wind born. Only once did the thing seem as if it could possibly be under some control when the larger end turned into the wind, but that motion would be consistent with the action of the wind on its shape. I took particular notice of an odd coloration on the smaller end a couple of minutes into the observation when it was about due west. Might this have been a reflection of the sunset? At any rate I lost the object when I moved to the front of my building. It was then to the southwest. My impression was that the object was three to eight feet in length. I didn't call the sighting in because it seemed to be some very odd type of balloon. It turned in the wind as a balloon would. The similarity in appearance of the object to that shown on your website was so great that that I deemed it noteworthy, especially if there were other observers.