Bright orange light changing to two dimmer white lights than back again.
While travling West bound on I-40 at Arkansas mile marker 228, 21:55 LCL, 04/15/04 my wife and I noticed a very bright orange colored light that remained stationary. Its location being approximately 270 degrees mag. from our position, 10-15 degrees above the horizon, distance unknown but I would say at least 20 miles.
After 30 seconds from the initial sighting the bright orange light started to move in a northerly direction and gain altitude while simultaneously separating in to two dimmer white lights. The lights stayed in this configuration for another 60 seconds. Its heading was aprox. 25 degrees mag. so the lights were getting closer to us during this time.
We were driving at the time, making it difficult to determine speed of the lights.
Never the less, they moved faster than commercial aircraft viewed at similar distances.
At this time the two dimmer white lights converged and once again became a single bright orange light while continuing on same heading. About 15-20 seconds later the light vanished. Its last visual location was 340 degrees mag. from our location, 45 degrees above the horizon and still 10 miles distant.
I can say, absolutely, as I've been exposed to many commercial, military, and civilian aircraft during daylight as well as nighttime conditions, that I have never seen aircraft lights behave as these did. I also don't believe it to be a satellite because it changed direction while in flight.
While travling West bound on I-40 at Arkansas mile marker 228, 21:55 LCL, 04/15/04 my wife and I noticed a very bright orange colored light that remained stationary. Its location being approximately 270 degrees mag. from our position, 10-15 degrees above the horizon, distance unknown but I would say at least 20 miles.
After 30 seconds from the initial sighting the bright orange light started to move in a northerly direction and gain altitude while simultaneously separating in to two dimmer white lights. The lights stayed in this configuration for another 60 seconds. Its heading was aprox. 25 degrees mag. so the lights were getting closer to us during this time.
We were driving at the time, making it difficult to determine speed of the lights.
Never the less, they moved faster than commercial aircraft viewed at similar distances.
At this time the two dimmer white lights converged and once again became a single bright orange light while continuing on same heading. About 15-20 seconds later the light vanished. Its last visual location was 340 degrees mag. from our location, 45 degrees above the horizon and still 10 miles distant.
I can say, absolutely, as I've been exposed to many commercial, military, and civilian aircraft during daylight as well as nighttime conditions, that I have never seen aircraft lights behave as these did. I also don't believe it to be a satellite because it changed direction while in flight.
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I-40 West, mm 228
USA
2 min.
2 min.
light
AR
Occurred : 4/15/2004 21:55 (Entered as : 04/15/2004 21:55) Reported: 7/27/2004 2:12:26 PM 14:12 Posted: 8/11/2004 Location: I-40 West, mm 228, AR Shape: Light Duration: 2 min. Characteristics: There were lights on the object, The object changed color, There were aircraft in the vicinity or aircraft chasing the object
Bright orange light changing to two dimmer white lights than back again.