2006-07-28 - Loveland, CO - Formation

3 object formation over Loveland, CO

I had gone outside in SE Loveland, about 2.5 miles west of I-25 and the 402 exit, just after 4 AM on 7/28/06 to watch the Aquarid meteor shower. The night was clear and cloudless with just the barest hint of approaching dawn on the eastern horizon, and an occasional airliner or 2 from Denver International Airport was visible far to the SE. After spotting 1 or 2 unremarkable meteor trails in the southern sky within half an hour, I was about to go back inside when I noticed a formation of 3 faint unblinking starlike objects in a triangle formation in the mid southern sky moving N/NE at about airliner speed. It was positioned "backwards" as it were, with the point of the triangle in the rear of the direction it was travelling. It also was a longer distance from the front two objects to the rear, giving the appearance of a long thin triangle. Size was unknown but my extended thumbnail at arms length would just fit in each point of the group. Other stars could be seen behind the objects as they travelled so it didn't appear to be a single object. When the formation was almost directly overhead I noticed another starlike object, somewhat brighter, that was travelling to the south and which crossed the formation's path, although I don't know if the objects had any relation to each other and I kept my attention on the formation as the other object passed by. No noise was heard nor any other effects from the objects. After watching for approx. 1 minute the objects began to fade and I lost sight of them about midway into the northern sky. It almost seems like they stopped in the sky but due to their faintness that's only speculation. Further scanning of the sky revealed no more objects or meteors and the sky was beginning to brighten towards dawn.