2016-11-03 - Helena, MT - Circle

I observed 2 large, circular, bright, white lights in the evening sky tonight, before any stars were shining.

I observed 2 large, circular, bright, white lights in the evening sky tonight, after sunset and before any stars were shining. I had been walking down the sidewalk for an hour, and was looking at the sky after I noticed some thin noctilucent clouds directly overhead. The two white, circular lights caught my attention where there were no clouds, about 20 degrees above the horizon. They were of equal size (I estimate 60 feet diameter) and equal brightness, about 3 fingers apart with my arm outstretched in front of my eyes. That is way too far apart from each other to be aircraft landing lights from a single aircraft, at what seemed like a distance of about 3 miles, South-East of downtown.

I watched the 2 lights closely for 4 seconds, and noted they seemed absolutely motionless.

Then, I looked down at my cell phone for 3 seconds, in order to start my camera application, and by the time I looked back up to take a photo, both lights had disappeared.

I continued walking home and watching that section of the sky for another half an hour, and they did not re-appear, neither did any stars. During that following half an hour, any approaching aircraft would have already arrived and landed at the city airport, which was on the other side of me from the lights, and I would have easily seen any aircraft landing lights approaching and heard aircraft engines, because they would have had to pass over me to get to the airport. Besides, aircraft do not approach the city airport from the South-East.

I am a U.S. Navy Veteran Seaman of Deck Department, a trained look-out watch, having spent 3 years at sea, and experienced at identifying stars, planets, satellites, aircraft lights, etc. There are never military fighter jets operating in this area, and only rarely are there lone military helicopters, and never flying in pairs. I believe these lights were from craft not of this world, to have totally vanished in 3 seconds, after shining brightly and directly towards me.