2015-01-09 - Woodson, IL - Sphere

2 orange spheres seen East of Woodson Illinois and south of Woodson-Franklin Rd.

At approximately 7pm on January 9, 2015, I was traveling west bound on Woodson-Franklin Road towards Woodson, IL, returning to Jacksonville, IL. Temperature was around 10 degrees and sky was very clear and stars were very bright.

As I passed the new water tower and I looked out the drive side window <to my left>. I noticed a Very bright orange sphere in the distance. The sphere was about 30 degrees above the ground to my left. I would feel comfortable stating the object was miles away at least.

I kept glancing over at the object as I was approaching the last 2 corners on the road before the straight away into the Town of Woodson. I looked away from the object and had to watch the road since there was a oncoming vehicle coming around the first corner at Walsh Road. The road jogs north for about 1/4 to 1/2 mile, then turns back west into Woodson.

As I came around the 2nd corner into the straight stretch to Woodson, I glanced over to the south again and saw the original object still approximately at the same location. However, I also saw a second object, much closer, and slightly lower, traveling east thru the empty corm field. I would put that object at 1/2 mile south of the roadway, approx. 150-200 feet off the ground. It was also a solid orange sphere. It was visibly moving East.

When I first saw it It looked to 2/3rds of the way down the straight stretch towards Woodson from the corner I had just rounded. I was traveling at 55 mph to start and noticed it was moving east at a decent speed.

I slowed down to about 30mph while watching it, and confirmed that it was moving east, and it passsed between my vehicle and the distant orange object. It was at a lower angle and closer to the ground than the distant one.

I sped back up to 55, and entered Woodson, crossing the train tracks, and continuing to the highway towards Jacksonville.

Just prior to leaving home, I was visiting and my vehicle was warming up. I had been looking at the sky looking for the new comet that would have been just past Orion's Belt.

At that time, I did not see anything unusual in the sky or in the western sky. I am very familiar with star gazing, astronomy, and Chinese lanterns. I can confirm these were not meteors. These were not Iridium Flares. These were not the space station. I can confirm these were not lanterns. They were solid orange, no flickering, perfectly round.

I did not take any pictures of the objects. Without a tripod and time exposure, or a very high ISO camera, it would have been moot to even attempt a photo.