2010-10-07 - Clarksville, TN - Sphere

Pulsating sphere hovering over Ft. Campbell area for two nights in a row, moving erratically and shining brightly.

I am a 40 year old military officer, who had worked for over 10 years in Army Aviation before switching to Military Intelligence. Regarding this event, my wife and I had just returned from taking the kids to karate practice. Because my wife had mentioned seeing a strange object in the sky a few weeks ago (over Labor-Day weekend), I went out onto the deck to look at the sky. Having just returned from overseas duty on R&R leave, I was not home on the night she had seen the strange craft. Last night however, I quickly noticed a bright star-like object that was much brighter than any other star in the sky, and (assuming it was Venus or something) watched it for a few moments - not that I have any idea where Venus would normally be located. The object I was looking at was located to the WNW, seeming to be over or near Ft. Campbell (approximately 10 miles away).

Just before I was about to turn around and go in, it suddenly dropped about a third of the way from where it was in the sky towards the ground, almost dipping below the outline of a tree in my neigbors yard (the neighbor who lives one house over and behind me). Shocked that I was possibly seeing a real UFO, I yelled for my daughters to come outside. Both of them came out to see what I was looking at. The object was moving slowly left and right now, but then darted back up to where it had originally been in the sky. It moved far faster than any Army Helicopter I have ever seen would be able to, and bobbed around in a manner that was disconcerting to watch. It seemed wierd. I would have to guess that it was less than 10,000 feet high, since jetliners in the sky crossed nearby a couple of times and looked much higher. It looked like a bright star that was alternating between staying there and darting left and right, occassionally swwooping down and up in no discernible pattern. I finally went and got my daughter's telescope, using it to focus on the object as best! I could (hate it because her tripod is broken). When I could! get it to stay centered, it was clearly visible as a sphere-like object that was translucent - containing pulsating lights flashing from within the sphere - reddish lights mixed with white flashes. It was pretty impressive. I don't know if it was from the telescope or from the object, but the sphere seemed to have some sort of texture to it's surface - like lots of blocks or lines making up it's shape. My daughter also was able to see it through the telescope. After a while, we got tired of looking at it and went back inside. About 30 minutes later, I went to bed... but poked my head out the back door to see if it was still there. It was, but it was not moving a whole lot now. Today (the next day) I looked in that area of the sky numerous times throughout the day to see if there was anything there. No luck. Tonight, the object is back, but seems much higher and farther away than it did last night. It is moving also... but not as crazy as it was last night, at least not in! the few minutes I spent watching it. The pulsating lights on it are fairly obvious though... far brighter than the typical 'twinkling' you get from stars (the Doppler effect). If it comes closer, I will try to film it with my camcorder.