Orange light moving E to W at high altitude, red beacon visible after passing overhead
9-08-2009 21:31 EDT 39.9624°N, 86.1194°W I observed an object pass overhead at the referenced coordinates, orange, and about the same apparent size (perhaps 20% larger), magnitude, and color of Antares.
First observed about 60°elevation E. of zenith, as an orange light. After it passed directly overhead, a red flashing beacon was occasionally visible, but no strobes and no navigation lights. It traversed my entire 100° field of view in under 1 minute.
At the time of the observation, there were 2 commercial airliners passing to the south, one going East, the other, West. The aircraft was much higher and faster than either. I could not hear any engine noise after it passed overhead. (Generally, I can hear engine noise a few seconds after airliners pass overhead due to the speed of sound (1,100’/min.), and can guess their distance accordingly.) I heard the engines of the airliners after they’d passed.
We are near the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZID). This did not resemble any airliner I’ve seen passing at night.
I suspect that the orange "light" was due to sunlight reflecting off the fuselage, but sunset was at 20:05.
1. How high did this aircraft have to be, to be able to reflect sunlight 1.5 hours after sunset? 2. What type of aircraft was this? (I suspect military, am unsure of size or type.) (The ISS, Cosmos 1844 and Resurs 1-4 objects were visible within a few minutes of this, but on different tracks and of different magnitudes.)
9-08-2009 21:31 EDT 39.9624°N, 86.1194°W I observed an object pass overhead at the referenced coordinates, orange, and about the same apparent size (perhaps 20% larger), magnitude, and color of Antares.
First observed about 60°elevation E. of zenith, as an orange light. After it passed directly overhead, a red flashing beacon was occasionally visible, but no strobes and no navigation lights. It traversed my entire 100° field of view in under 1 minute.
At the time of the observation, there were 2 commercial airliners passing to the south, one going East, the other, West. The aircraft was much higher and faster than either. I could not hear any engine noise after it passed overhead. (Generally, I can hear engine noise a few seconds after airliners pass overhead due to the speed of sound (1,100’/min.), and can guess their distance accordingly.) I heard the engines of the airliners after they’d passed.
We are near the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZID). This did not resemble any airliner I’ve seen passing at night.
I suspect that the orange "light" was due to sunlight reflecting off the fuselage, but sunset was at 20:05.
1. How high did this aircraft have to be, to be able to reflect sunlight 1.5 hours after sunset? 2. What type of aircraft was this? (I suspect military, am unsure of size or type.) (The ISS, Cosmos 1844 and Resurs 1-4 objects were visible within a few minutes of this, but on different tracks and of different magnitudes.)
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Off
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Carmel
USA
1 minute
1 minute
39.97
-86.12
light
IN
Occurred : 9/8/2009 21:31 (Entered as : 09/08/09 21:31) Reported: 9/8/2009 9:03:39 PM 21:03 Posted: 12/12/2009 Location: Carmel, IN Shape: Light Duration: 1 minute Characteristics: There were lights on the object, There were aircraft in the vicinity or aircraft chasing the object
Orange light moving E to W at high altitude, red beacon visible after passing overhead