As I entered my bedroom, I looked out the back main window which faces west-southwestrly towards the geographically NW/SE angling Rocky Mountains. The sun had set almost west-northwest of my line of sight; it was dusk condition (still light enough, but not dark - about 30 min to 1 hour before darkness was to set in), and that is when I saw the bright circular object on the SW horizon, just above and slightly beyond the mountain peaks.
It was setting slowly behind the mountains; again, it was bright enough that no stars or other planet(s) were visible. At first I thought that it might have been Venus, but it seemed too low on the horizon to be Venus, and it was sinking faster than any planet's movement rate across the sky and/or horizon. It's size seemed quite large (3-4 times larger in diameter than any planet which would be visible via the naked eye - possible visual refraction error due to the object being located pretty much right on the horizon (objects look larger on the horizon, i.e. - the sun looks bigger as does the moon when setting or rising), and the distance had to be at least one hundred miles away, over the mountains to the southwest (beyond downtown Calgary), which are about 50 miles away from Calgary due west, as the crow flies.
The object was circular, had a very bright white colored light, moved through a roughly 5 to 10 degrees vertical arc within 5 minutes. I watched it until it totally disappeared out of my sight.
The only other option that I come up with what it could possibly have been is the space station? Regards.
((NUFORC Note: Venus is visible in the western sky at the time indicated. The ISS does not set on the western horizon. Probably Venus. PD))
It was setting slowly behind the mountains; again, it was bright enough that no stars or other planet(s) were visible. At first I thought that it might have been Venus, but it seemed too low on the horizon to be Venus, and it was sinking faster than any planet's movement rate across the sky and/or horizon. It's size seemed quite large (3-4 times larger in diameter than any planet which would be visible via the naked eye - possible visual refraction error due to the object being located pretty much right on the horizon (objects look larger on the horizon, i.e. - the sun looks bigger as does the moon when setting or rising), and the distance had to be at least one hundred miles away, over the mountains to the southwest (beyond downtown Calgary), which are about 50 miles away from Calgary due west, as the crow flies.
The object was circular, had a very bright white colored light, moved through a roughly 5 to 10 degrees vertical arc within 5 minutes. I watched it until it totally disappeared out of my sight.
The only other option that I come up with what it could possibly have been is the space station? Regards.
((NUFORC Note: Venus is visible in the western sky at the time indicated. The ISS does not set on the western horizon. Probably Venus. PD))
No
No
No
Yes
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Off
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No
Calgary
Canada
5 Minutes
5 Minutes
51.04
-114.08
circle
AB
Occurred : 1/18/2007 18:15 (Entered as : 01/18/07 18:15) Reported: 2/4/2007 6:03:32 PM 18:03 Posted: 2/24/2007 Location: Calgary (Canada), AB Shape: Circle Duration: 5 Minutes Characteristics: There was an aura or haze around the object
I looked out the back main window which faces WSW towards the geographically. ((NUFORC Note: Probably Venus. PD))