Orange ball traverses Southeast Michigan sky on May 18, 2012.
Last Friday night, 5/18/12, from about 10:00PM on we were out in the hot tub watching the northern sky as we do regularly. Around 10:15 - 10:30 we saw a rather spectacular sight. An object traveled across the entire sky from southeast to northwest at an elevation of about 30 degrees above the horizon as it passed in front of us. We saw no maneuvering, but it might have turned slightly more north toward the end of our viewing. It was orange in color and looked like a burning orange, but no flames. It was not a spec but rather a sphere or disc, perhaps subtending an angle ¼ that of a full moon. No changes in appearance, color or speed. Its altitude appeared to be that of small private aircraft. It could not have been as high as commercial jets because had it been, its speed would have been so great that we would have experienced a sonic boom. It was moving moderately quickly, I estimate at 200 mph. What was most interesting is that there was no sound! from it! We both are adults, an engineer and a teacher. We’ve seen many things in the night sky: aircraft, spacecraft (ISS, Iridium Flares, etc). Never anything like this.
Last Friday night, 5/18/12, from about 10:00PM on we were out in the hot tub watching the northern sky as we do regularly. Around 10:15 - 10:30 we saw a rather spectacular sight. An object traveled across the entire sky from southeast to northwest at an elevation of about 30 degrees above the horizon as it passed in front of us. We saw no maneuvering, but it might have turned slightly more north toward the end of our viewing. It was orange in color and looked like a burning orange, but no flames. It was not a spec but rather a sphere or disc, perhaps subtending an angle ¼ that of a full moon. No changes in appearance, color or speed. Its altitude appeared to be that of small private aircraft. It could not have been as high as commercial jets because had it been, its speed would have been so great that we would have experienced a sonic boom. It was moving moderately quickly, I estimate at 200 mph. What was most interesting is that there was no sound! from it! We both are adults, an engineer and a teacher. We’ve seen many things in the night sky: aircraft, spacecraft (ISS, Iridium Flares, etc). Never anything like this.
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Washington
USA
1 min
1 min
42.74
-83.03
sphere
MI
Occurred : 5/18/2012 22:15 (Entered as : 05/18/12 22:15) Reported: 5/22/2012 7:27:22 PM 19:27 Posted: 5/29/2012 Location: Washington, MI Shape: Sphere Duration: 1 min
Orange ball traverses Southeast Michigan sky on May 18, 2012.