2011-05-05 - Sioux Falls, SD - Chevron

Three brillant white lights going one direction and stopping and two red chevron shaped objects going near opposite course

On 5/5/11 at 2305 from a position of approximately 43.82 N 96.71 W looking due south, 180, I saw a brillant white light. I inititally only saw one because of a tree line so I thought it was just a satellite. I took a few steps to the side and that's when I saw all three brillant white lights in a perfect triangle formation. As I was looking due south, they were moving across the sky on a heading of about 030. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first, one, I've never seen three satellites in such a formation, two, I've never seen a satellite so brillantly bright, let alone three in such a formation. The lead point on the triangle stopped and the other two lights caught up and also stopped forming a perfect line. They hovered there for about 30 seconds and then the lights went out completely. About two seconds after that two, red, chevron shaped craft in near perfect formation entered heading approximately 220. I was just letting my dog out, I own a C! anon 20D and 40D and obviously, that late at night, simply letting the dog out, I didn't have my camera on me. I wish I could have gotten a picture for you. In all my years in aviation I have never seen such a thing. There was zero commercial, general aviation, or military aircraft around at the time, not a single port or starboard light, no anti-collision lights, just the event that occured. The wind was light and variable at the time, visibility unlimited, and I did not hear any sound, the altitude they were at had to easily be above 40,000 feet (FL400). I've seen countless meteors, during the summer, my kids and I lay outside on the grass and watch. Our favorite is the Perseids showers in August, these two red chevron shaped objects were not meteors. We've also seen the space shuttle begin its rentry into the atmosphere over California and Nevada, it was nothing like that.