2005-10-10 - Hendersonville, NC - Light

Last night, October 10, at about 11:00PM for about ten minutes I observed a peculiar point source light in the Eastern sky. It was at about 30 degrees above the horizon on an apparent bearing of east by north from reference point intersection of I-26 and US64 in Hendersonville, NC moving on an apparent north-south axis across a roughly 20 degree arc, back and forth.

Range undeterminable.
Apparent speed varied from about that of a high altitude passenger jet to twice or more, usually with the lower speed for a distance followed by a high speed burst of from one to seven seconds. The short bursts were sometimes a few seconds apart; the longer isolated bursts were after a time at the lower speed.

A passenger jet was crossing at crusing speed north of the area of observation for a speed reference.

There were no audible indications of power plant noise, and no sonic booms, suggestingit wws out of sonic range.

The observed object was operating in a traffic free zone.

Acceleration - deceleration was almost instantaneous. Change of course was almost instantaneous, including 180 degree course reversals. Apparent altitude was mainly constant, except for shallow apparent dives during highest speed bursts. In the high speed operations, a hint of a wake or propulsion-generated whitish exhaust could be inferred, but this could not be confirmed.

Observatons were from 2,200 feet in a residential area. A yellow street light was behind me. The sky was partly cloudy, but the observed area stayed clear until the end of the observation when the light disappeared behind an apparently very much lower passing cloud. Visibility was very clear.

I am an engineer (BSEE-51, Southern Methodist University) who worked in antisubmarine warfare weapons, systems and tactics for 20 years including R&D operations at sea. I held secret clerance, top secret clearance during the latter part of that time. This was followed by analysis of various advanced electronically controlled capital goods systems. I was a Merchant Marine officer (radio communications) from 1945 through 1950.

I do not want publicity. This is in effect a confidential report of observed data for those who can make use of it in a "scientific" analysis. I would be pleased to cooperate in analyzing this incident, if desirable.

My engineering background says "extreme performance aircraft" in which case I have no need-to-know. The only other things I can think of at the moment are: 1) High intensity light beam played on the bottom of clouds or a vapor layer.

But no clouds or vapor layer were evident, nor any "beam" effect.

2) A large insect close at hand (erratic flight pattern and high rate maneuvers), lighted from below. But, no beam effect, and it would require high intensity lighting from nearby source - none observed). And no luminous insect display, no blinking pattern.