Bright bulging light moving like hot air balloon on fire, except it reversed its course superfast!
Walking up my parking lot stairs with my trash, I saw a bright yellow light (like a plane's headlight) coming toward me (moving southwest). The altitude appeared somewhere between a prop plane's and a jet's cruising altitude. I was a bit curious because no plane should be on that path since the airport is southeast of me. Also, I saw no flashing marker lights. I stopped and stared at the light waiting for it to go over my head. After about 1 minute of watching, an incoming 737 flew by from the west. Jokingly in my head I thought, "they're going to hit each other". Then, right as the jet passed just in front of the light, the light quickly backed up! After the plane was gone, the light began moving east as if after the jet. A bit worried, "I called for my wife to get the camera". After about 30 seconds, the light appeared to bulge twice its size like a slow explosion. When my wife came up with the camera I tried to snap a photo, but it was just too dark for a good picture. Then the light, continuing to speed up toward the east, dropped two small lights from it burning out after about 3 seconds. These small lights were about a 10th the size of the light and look like it would if someone dropped road flares from a hot air balloon. The light then disappeared above the clouds. The duration was just over 4 minutes. At that altitude it would be about ½ mile the light backup up, and in only 1 or 2 seconds! We thought it might be a weather balloon on fire, but I can't explain the quick speed it had when it reversed! About 10 minutes afterward, about 4 military sounding helicopters flew overhead heading east. I hope that was a coincidence. If anyone else saw this light at this time, please post it on this board if you have an explanation.
Walking up my parking lot stairs with my trash, I saw a bright yellow light (like a plane's headlight) coming toward me (moving southwest). The altitude appeared somewhere between a prop plane's and a jet's cruising altitude. I was a bit curious because no plane should be on that path since the airport is southeast of me. Also, I saw no flashing marker lights. I stopped and stared at the light waiting for it to go over my head. After about 1 minute of watching, an incoming 737 flew by from the west. Jokingly in my head I thought, "they're going to hit each other". Then, right as the jet passed just in front of the light, the light quickly backed up! After the plane was gone, the light began moving east as if after the jet. A bit worried, "I called for my wife to get the camera". After about 30 seconds, the light appeared to bulge twice its size like a slow explosion. When my wife came up with the camera I tried to snap a photo, but it was just too dark for a good picture. Then the light, continuing to speed up toward the east, dropped two small lights from it burning out after about 3 seconds. These small lights were about a 10th the size of the light and look like it would if someone dropped road flares from a hot air balloon. The light then disappeared above the clouds. The duration was just over 4 minutes. At that altitude it would be about ½ mile the light backup up, and in only 1 or 2 seconds! We thought it might be a weather balloon on fire, but I can't explain the quick speed it had when it reversed! About 10 minutes afterward, about 4 military sounding helicopters flew overhead heading east. I hope that was a coincidence. If anyone else saw this light at this time, please post it on this board if you have an explanation.
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West Little Rock
USA
4 minutes
4 minutes
light
AR
Occurred : 2/23/2006 18:32 (Entered as : 2/23/2006 18:32) Reported: 2/23/2006 6:51:06 PM 18:51 Posted: 3/11/2006 Location: West Little Rock, AR Shape: Light Duration: 4 minutes Characteristics: There were lights on the object, The object emitted other objects, There were aircraft in the vicinity or aircraft chasing the object
Bright bulging light moving like hot air balloon on fire, except it reversed its course superfast!