2012-04-03 - Philippi, WV - Teardrop

Bright blue/white orb forms hazy cloud, changes shape to teardrop

Date: April 3, 2012 Time: Approx. 8:47 p.m. (eastern) — 8:51 p.m.

Sky Conditions: Clear/High visibility/Constellations visible Temperature: 66 deg.

Shape: Bright, light blue orb changing into hazy light blue “Hershey kiss” / teardrop with plume-like halo On the evening of April 3, 2012 I stepped out of my west-facing apartment to walk to my car when a bright bluish “star” captured my eye. Usually when I walk outside at night, I take a minute to observe the night sky, so I noticed immediately something was out of place. This bright object was moving approximately northeast to a northwesterly heading, to the right of where the sun sets. It was moving at prop airplane speed about 35-40 degrees from the horizon (I’d guess 5000’ +/- AGL). As the object moved in a slight downward arc, I noticed it forming an ever- brighter sapphire blue plume emitting from its central light which at the same time was fading slightly. As I saw a change happening, I knew this was absolutely no plane, and ran back in my apartment to grab my camera. I got :25 seconds of footage with my point-and-shoot Canon in which you can only make out a blue fuzz ball. It was dark and I couldn’t tell exactly where I was aiming, but I captured a little of the blu! e light. As I watched/filmed, the object took the shape of a Hershey kiss turned on its side, (some would say teardrop) point facing its forward direction. The hazy halo/plume reminded me of the sort of vapor a rocket emits in its trail, but this plume did not fade or get any larger, and it stuck with the object as it traveled. As it “plumed out”, the light continued on its heading, not getting any larger or smaller, just a little dimmer until it disappeared behind the mountains. If you held your thumb out at arm’s length, it was just smaller than your thumbnail at its largest. Usually when an object moves away, it gets smaller, but this object did not do that, so perhaps I witnessed it moving laterally. I’m typing this less than an hour after the sighting so it’s fresh in mind, and I’ve also created a Photoshop rendering of the object on its path and the shape changes it made as I watched.