2004-11-07 - Lavina, MT - Disk

Many unusual lights on one object.

At approximatly 2030 hours MST 11/07/04, there was an object in the North Eastern sky that was about the size of a nickel. Though there is no way to estimate distance. Call it the size of a thumb nail with the thumb held at arms length.

The unusual part of the object was that it had many red lights that flash around the perimeter in a half arc (Northern half). There appeared to be about six or eight of them although they were difficult to count as they flashed in a random manner. If this object was at a great distance from where I was standing, that would cover a very large arc. The object appeared to be green, although there could be flashing green lights also. It had green highlights that came and went. They too appeared to be random as to placement. It also showed a great deal of yellow although the red and greens kind of overpower the yellow. Further, the yellow seemed more concentrated at the middle of the object. The colors were not opaque, they were distinct and bright.

My first thought at seeing it was an airplane with navigation lights and the cabin lights on brightly. However, it didn't move. Not in any direction. I was visiting a friend at his house and called him out to view it also. He saw the same as I and got his binoculars. What we then saw was the same thing, just a little more clearly. The most powerful he had were 7 X 50's. We watched it for about a half hour when some cloud cover moved between us and the object and we could no longer see it clearly at all. (Although it was still vaguely visible.) One of the main points being, it did not move in all of that time.

I have since come home and can still see it but not clearly at all. I have to look though tree limbs as well as the cloud cover.

The second part of the evening that is interesting is that we saw what appeared to be the Northern Lights, but.... they went from the western horizon in a complete arc around to the east. I've seen the Northern Lights many times from here, but NEVER in a 180 degree arc. An odd part of that is they appeared to start from the horizon and arc up to a single point just slightly south of overhead. I have seen the N/L's jump and shimmer all over the northern sky, but never arc to a single point overhead here in Montana. Both the eastern lights and western lights as well as those from the north all arc'd to that single point.

Just to mention, that point was no where near where we saw the object. It was in the lights, but in a much more easterly direction.

I still wonder about airplane, but have never seen one of those with an entire series of lights that flashed in a large arc. Nor one that appeared to be an disk.

Such fun. I have never seen anything like it in either case.

To add, my location is about 8 miles east of the town of Lavina, Montana out in the hills. There is no possible local lighting that could have caused that.

((NUFORC Note: We express our gratitude to the witness for the original report, and for the follow-up, which allows us to close this case. PD))

((ADDENDUM FROM WITNESS))

But, was wrong.

Thank you for your response, Mr. Davenport.

Tonight the sky is clear and I went just went out and looked again. Sure enough, it is there. So you are correct. (As you knew, I'm sure. lol.)

I do kind of believe the Northern Lights affected what I saw last night (wondering about which being partly why I included that in my report to you) for I had never seen coloring quite like that.

Yet the star is there in the same place and while not as bright tonight (northern lights have not been turned on at this time) it does have the chromatic effect and the coloring is there, merely not as pronounced. Which must be why I have not noticed it before. I do watch the sky frequently.

Be assured, if I see another 'flying star' I will contact you again.

Be well.

((END))