2005-11-26 - Maryhill, WA - Light

Fast moving starlike object west of Maryhill, WA: Zenith to horizon in 1 sec. Flat trajectory with wobble, did not flare like meteor.

While enjoying the dark night sky approximately 1 mile west of Maryhill, WA I witnessed what at first I thought was a meteor except that once it was over I said to myself, "that was no meteor," for the following reasons: object remained at a consistant brightness from the time I first saw it to when it disappeared in the clouds near Mount Hood; and it had a flat, not arced, trajectory with bit of a waffle midway-kind of like a curve ball. Also rather than being bright like most meteors, it was fairly dim, though appeared self-illuminating and a gold or amber color. Overall it somewhat resembled a spark from a campfire though traveling very high and very fast. There was also what appeared to be a westbound (Seattle?) commercial airliner in the sky very close to where I first saw it; the airplane lights were much brighter. (I would not be suprised if people on the aircraft saw it. The object traveled from overhead (approx highway US97) to the horizon (Mount Hood)in one second or less, a straight-line distance I would estimate to be about 50 miles. It seemed to be travelling at several thousand feet in elevation not unlike commercial aircraft; I believe it did produce a slight glow in the clouds underneath as it passed through or over them. When the object waffled, I got the impression that it had done a roll or rotated laterally in flight. Weather was cool; temps in the low 40s; sky was clear (no haze) with some patchy clouds. Oddest thing I have seen in the sky in 22 years.