On a warm May 14th night in 2019, I received a box in the mail containing new swings for the swing set, and went out to the backyard with my 10-year-old to put them up. I put up one link when I noticed an unusually bright light in the sky NW 20 degrees that I assumed must be the sun reflecting on an aircraft coming in. After 10 minutes of not moving, it grabbed my attention. It was about 2 or 3X as bright as Venus but in the NW. I was disrupted enough to pull my oldest boy off the Xbox and my wife to see the disturbance.
My son was unimpressed, and my wife didn’t care for anything potentially out of the norm. I went back in and I grabbed my binoculars to see it better but it only made the light slightly bigger and shakier. I went back to the swing set with only one link attached so far, reaching to attach the second link I looked up noticed a second reflective object floating in the sky about 40 degrees NW and a little higher where I normally would not se! e anything. It was twice as bright as the first one. I brought the wife and kids out to see this one too. The wife went to bed and the boys back to their Xbox's as I watched both of these stationary reflective objects as they dimmed away and turned from bright white to red then dark red. Later, as the bats and stars came out at 9:15pm, they faded to nothing.
I returned to the backyard the next day earlier this time and to observe the skies to find nothing. Skies were as usual.
Analysis: I observed these two objects from 8pm to 9:20pm in Brandon, SD on 05/14/19. The first object was noticeable at about 8pm and about as bright as 2X Venus NW 40 Degrees. At circa 8:15 the second object came into view and was about 3X as bright as Venus and NW70 Degrees and higher of the horizon. The moon was about half and rising at about 135 Degrees. I called my Dad in northern ND and he could see the moon but not the reflective objects.
The objects didn’t move that I could tell and didn’t blink. They were bright and faded red as the sun set. I have lived in this house for 8 years and this was certainly a new experience. I have the planets app on my phone and during this time there were no planets in the area. I consider myself above average for astronomical activity and can usually point out planets and constellations.
Right now, I don’t know what this was. After searching the internet, I have only three guesses.
1. This was some sort of government stationary (90 Min+) Satellite in the north. Although, a quick internet search says that those are above the equator.
2. It was maybe Jesus and Joseph Smith both just checking on us? Hard to say.
3. It could also just be a glitch.
I don’t know. If anyone with more Astronomical experience could tell me what I saw I would like to hear back.
SE South Dakota.
We should be able to upload pics.
((NUFORC Note: Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides little contact information. PD))
My son was unimpressed, and my wife didn’t care for anything potentially out of the norm. I went back in and I grabbed my binoculars to see it better but it only made the light slightly bigger and shakier. I went back to the swing set with only one link attached so far, reaching to attach the second link I looked up noticed a second reflective object floating in the sky about 40 degrees NW and a little higher where I normally would not se! e anything. It was twice as bright as the first one. I brought the wife and kids out to see this one too. The wife went to bed and the boys back to their Xbox's as I watched both of these stationary reflective objects as they dimmed away and turned from bright white to red then dark red. Later, as the bats and stars came out at 9:15pm, they faded to nothing.
I returned to the backyard the next day earlier this time and to observe the skies to find nothing. Skies were as usual.
Analysis: I observed these two objects from 8pm to 9:20pm in Brandon, SD on 05/14/19. The first object was noticeable at about 8pm and about as bright as 2X Venus NW 40 Degrees. At circa 8:15 the second object came into view and was about 3X as bright as Venus and NW70 Degrees and higher of the horizon. The moon was about half and rising at about 135 Degrees. I called my Dad in northern ND and he could see the moon but not the reflective objects.
The objects didn’t move that I could tell and didn’t blink. They were bright and faded red as the sun set. I have lived in this house for 8 years and this was certainly a new experience. I have the planets app on my phone and during this time there were no planets in the area. I consider myself above average for astronomical activity and can usually point out planets and constellations.
Right now, I don’t know what this was. After searching the internet, I have only three guesses.
1. This was some sort of government stationary (90 Min+) Satellite in the north. Although, a quick internet search says that those are above the equator.
2. It was maybe Jesus and Joseph Smith both just checking on us? Hard to say.
3. It could also just be a glitch.
I don’t know. If anyone with more Astronomical experience could tell me what I saw I would like to hear back.
SE South Dakota.
We should be able to upload pics.
((NUFORC Note: Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides little contact information. PD))
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Brandon
USA
90 minutes
90 minutes
43.59
-96.58
circle
SD
Occurred : 5/14/2019 20:00 (Entered as : 05/14/2019 20:00) Reported: 5/15/2019 8:29:26 PM 20:29 Posted: 6/7/2019 Location: Brandon, SD Shape: Circle Duration: 90 minutes
An unusually bright light in the sky NW 20 degrees. ((anonymous report))