2005-05-19 - Johnstown, CO - Formation

2 starlike objects travelling together N to S/SE

While driving my teen home (lives with ex) after a midnight movie showing on 5/19, we witnessed 2 objects in the sky.

After arriving at their house I exited my car in their driveway to stretch my legs while my son gathered some belongings from the car. I looked up to check the stars, which were brighter at that particular time and location (3 a.m., small subdivision basically in open treeless grassland/scrub brush terrain approx 1/2 mi E of I-25 at Johnstown exit).

We watched the sky and talked for a few moments when I noticed 2 faint starlike objects traveling from N to S/SE. They were roughly an inch apart if a ruler was held at arms length. One was not in front of the other, rather offset and slightly to the left(NE).

I checked my watch which said 3:00 a.m. exactly as they were directly overhead.

Speed was close to that of a jetliner although the impression was much faster since the faintness made them appear to be well up near the edge of the atmosphere. No noise was noted.

As they travelled to the south the first one became dim and the second became much brighter, approximately half as bright as Venus. They then both faded slowly from view.

We scanned the sky for any other movement but after a few minutes saw none, so my son went inside and after another sky check I re-entered my vehicle and drove home.

((NUFORC Note: The manner in which the two objects faded from view is characteristic of how satellites fade from view during the evening hours, as they move away from the setting sun, and into the Earth's shadow. However, we do not know if satellites would be directly illuminated by the Sun at the hour indicated. Moreover, as they orbit to the southeast, they would be approaching the rising sun in the east, so they should not fade from sight of a witness on the ground. We do not know what the witness observed. PD))