2012-08-17 - Rochester Hills, MI - Other

Numerous red/orange floating balls in night sky

8/17/2012 11:45 p.m.

Rochester Hills, MI 48309 Clear skies, visibility 10 miles, light breeze NNW 6 mph I was taking the dog out for the night. I happened to look up very slight to the west sky (estimate angle of view 20 degrees from vertical/directly overhead) and saw a number of red/orange balls of light ‘floating’ at unknown altitude in the direction of the wind (NNW), but more quickly than the light breeze. Initially, there were some half dozen or more in my line of sight. At least one suddenly disappeared, as if a switch was thrown. I did not see any flashing of lights; only a steady red/orange glow. The size of the balls were similar to if one were to hold their hand straight out from their face holding a dime against the sky. They all appeared to be the same size, suggesting also same altitude.

Looking to the NNW sky, I saw many of these same objects approaching and flowing in steady procession, most of which were in line, however several were to either side of the main line. The procession continued for several minutes. Their speed appeared constant, with a velocity that would cause one to traverse the entire sky, horizon to horizon, in perhaps one minute. Again, they were all of similar size and color.

I awoke my wife, and she witnessed three of the objects in full view.

The first procession/grouping that I witnessed numbered approximately 50 or more. The time span of this was about 5 to 8 minutes, and my wife caught the very last of these. A few minutes later I returned outside to take another view of the sky and saw several more before they all disappeared, and I saw no more of them.

While outside with my wife, I witnessed a bright flash of white light in the north sky. By bright, I mean it was a quick, intense flash, as if a light bulb suddenly burned out and ‘flashed.’ I happened to be looking right at that particular area of sky at that moment, as that is where the procession of red/orange objects originated from. There was no evidence of any planes in that area of the sky. After the flash of light (which I can only liken to a camera flash), there was no more activity I saw in that area of the sky. It was the only flash I saw. I am at a loss to explain it.

The objects were completely silent. I could not (nor could my wife) hear anything at all that resembled propeller or jet aircraft noise.

I had a 3 watt LED flashlight with me when I was viewing the objects, prior to awakening my wife. At one point prior to my wife arriving outside, I saw a ‘shadow’ floating overhead, and I immediately put my flashlight upon it. This flashlight is bright, but it is a small hand held light with perhaps only a 150 meter effective range. I was able to place the light directly upon the shadow and illuminate the underside of it. It appeared to be a flat, disk shaped object, but oddly the trailing edge seemed to have more of a heart shaped appearance (e.g. a stencil heart that a child might draw with a pencil). This object was very low, given my light’s ability to cast light upon it. It vanished a mere two seconds after I put light upon it. I did not see where it went; it simply vanished from view. At the time, it had passed directly over me, and was moving quickly toward the southern sky.

I live in the traffic pattern/approach to an airport, to the west of my home. Air traffic never comes over from north to south, and I am quite aware of what airplanes in the night sky look and sound like from the ground. These were not planes. I have never before seen anything like this. Nor has my wife.