2010-10-30 - Ruston, LA - Teardrop

Possible solid object surrounded by teardrop-shaped streak seen in morning sky.

Driving to work around 7:30, I saw a jet streak in the western sky. It appeared as jet streaks usually do, moving in a straight, more or less horizontal path and dissipating slowly. However, near it to the bottom left, I also noticed a teardrop shaped "streak" that did not seem to be moving and was pointed downwards. I could only faintly make out a solid object at the base of the teardrop, as if it were leaving a tail behind it. I thought this was strange, since it wasn't really moving. (And even later, when it did move, it did not move downard, as the position of the "tail" would have suggested.) I made a note of it at that point but was in a hurry, so I had to stop watching.

Around 9:00, after running some errands and returning to work again, I noticed the teardrop-shaped "object" again. As I was driving towards it at the time, it was difficult to tell if and how quickly it was moving. However, it seemed to be slowly drifting west. It appeared larger (perhaps closer?) than before and slightly further north.

I parked my car behind the building that I work in and came back around to the main road to get a better look, as there were trees, power lines and other buildings blocking my view. The process of parking and walking around could not have taken more than 45 seconds.

When I came back to the main road, though, the object was much smaller (farther away?) and much farther south in the sky. At this point it was obviously drifting southwest steadily but not particularly quickly. I attempted to record it on my phone but the sun was too bright for the object to show up.

I went inside my place of work and described to my employees what I had seen. I was inside for about 5 minutes before walking back out to check if the object was still visible. It had disappeared from view.