2009-07-06 - Redding, CA - Changing

Large orange shape changing object emits smaller orbs, winks out reappearing instantly in other locations

Last night, here in Redding, California, Monday 7-6-09, I took my two dogs out one last time before I headed off to work an ovenight shift. It was about 11:33 PM.

I looked up overhead and spotted a brilliant orange object, somewhat circular in shape. It was about half the diameter of the holes punched in three-ring notebook paper held 30" from the eye. I estimated its altitude at 25K feet or higher. From my position near the intersection of the Shasta View Drive and Tarmac Road, at 40*34'49N X 122*19'26W, the object appeared to be at 85 degrees above the horizon to the SSW. Judging by its altitude, it was probably directly over the southwestern margins of the city limits of Redding, California.

At first, its coloration was steady and unchanged; the object was stationary. But as I watched, it began to change shape, with several smaller orange objects coming from it, rapidly separating from the main object to a short distance then momentarily flashing and winking out, never to be seen again. This happened about four different times.

The main object would alternately appear as a circular shape then dim slightly from a bright orange color to a bright red and back again, and as it did so, it took on the appearance of multiple spheres clustered together; very much like the oft-cited theodolite camera footage shot near Area 51 some years ago.

But then the large object quickly winked out itself, going from bright orange to red, then to a brownish hue and vanished completely. It was completely out of sight for about a second and would suddenly flash and reappear in another location a short distance away, where it again stood motionless. This on-off-on and sudden relocation event happened about six times. Held at arm's length, these "jumps" would appear about three inches from point to point. At an altitude of 25,000 feet altitude or more, this represents a jump of about a half mile or more, (transitioned instantly).

I debated whether to run and grab my high-powered binoculars, but was afraid that the object would disappear before I could return to view the phenomenon. The object moved in several directions in this disappear-reappear sequence and finally, as I was on my cell phone yelling for my girlfriend out in Palo Cedro to go out and look, it began moving in a south easterly direction and vanished just as she was just stepping outside. The sighting lasted about three minutes.

I saw the International Space Station (ISS) pass overhead moving in a northeasterly direction about an hour earlier, so I know this was neither a sighting of nor mis-identification of that.

After checking with the administration at the Redding Municipal Airport, I was told they have a recently installed ARTS-3C radar system that is "slaved" to the TRACON System at the Oakland Bay Airport, but they have no provisions for recording the returns locally. I checked the internet for live radar feeds, but I guess there aren't any available to "mere civilians". Maybe it might be possible to find out if there is some ATC radar tapes that could be examined for a signature on this.