2008-11-30 - Modesto, CA - Formation

10-12 white/shiny objects in changing formations over Modesto, CA

My wife, step-son and I were working in the backyard when I began to watch a helicopter fly from east to west just north of our location. As the helicopter flew past I noticed what I thought was a large swept-wing aircraft flying south to north. It was much further away than the helo, at a much higher altitude. It was also moving south to north. As I began to concentrate on it, it became clear it was not a single aircraft. It was a formation of maybe ten to twelve white or shiny objects. The edges of the objects were not clearly defined,but appeared to be round or oval in shape.

As the formation moved to the north it began to change shapes. The objects would form a line and then transition to a circular formation and back to a v-type formation. I thought maybe it was a flock of birds, but based on the perceived distance from my location(maybe one mile), they were moving too fast. The formation began to move in slightly different directions, even stopping at one point. The changes of direction were not drastic, but certainly enough for me to notice. The objects moved in a very "mechanical" fashion in that the movements were smooth yet deliberate (if that makes sense).

Weather conditions were clear and sunny except for some faint remnants of morning fog. I eventually lost sight of the formation in a low-lying cloud north of my home. I tried to point out the formation to my wife, but she could not see it. My sixteen year old step-son saw it and referred to it as a "silver line", but he did not say anything until I mentioned it.

I am a nearly twelve year law enforcement officer and I've seen some strange things over the years, but nothing that struck me like this.