Starting in mid-March, 2019, and continuing on a regular basis up to this week, my family and I have noticed incredibly bright lights, normally a single one at a time, traveling in a straight trajectory, typically SW to NE. They are bright white, as luminous as the brightest star in the sky, with no other lights present. We have witnessed them passing overhead at high altitude and low, (they are completely silent). We have also witnessed the lights stop, slow down, and accelerate in a manner not seen with 'regular aircraft.
My wife and I are avid sky watchers, and as such, we are aware of the airports in the surrounding areas. We are also familiar with satellites, and the varies commercial and military aircraft, (and how the ambient light can make them appear wingless, even distorted). These lights are something else. The easiest way to describe then is to picture a satellite in the night sky, then make it as bright or brighter than the brightest star, traveling at commercial airplane altitudes.
Last night, (6/17/2019) we spotted what we thought was a commercial airliner heading NE, (towards Bishop International) flying so low through the late evening sky that you could almost make out its shape. It had three incredibly bright white lights, fairly close together, but far enough apart to have a triangle shape. As it passed us we clearly saw the back of the craft, where two small orange lights, (one on top of the other) were on its right, and a larger red light on its left. The lights were not positioned like we are accustomed to seeing on commercial craft, and the flashing pattern was very different as well - the bottom orange light would flash, followed immediately by the large red light, then the top orange light would do a fast double flash, pause for a second, then repeat.
My wife and I are avid sky watchers, and as such, we are aware of the airports in the surrounding areas. We are also familiar with satellites, and the varies commercial and military aircraft, (and how the ambient light can make them appear wingless, even distorted). These lights are something else. The easiest way to describe then is to picture a satellite in the night sky, then make it as bright or brighter than the brightest star, traveling at commercial airplane altitudes.
Last night, (6/17/2019) we spotted what we thought was a commercial airliner heading NE, (towards Bishop International) flying so low through the late evening sky that you could almost make out its shape. It had three incredibly bright white lights, fairly close together, but far enough apart to have a triangle shape. As it passed us we clearly saw the back of the craft, where two small orange lights, (one on top of the other) were on its right, and a larger red light on its left. The lights were not positioned like we are accustomed to seeing on commercial craft, and the flashing pattern was very different as well - the bottom orange light would flash, followed immediately by the large red light, then the top orange light would do a fast double flash, pause for a second, then repeat.
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Off
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Yes
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Durand
USA
Varied
Varied
42.91
-83.99
other
MI
Occurred : 6/17/2019 21:00 (Entered as : 061719 21:00) Reported: 6/18/2019 8:05:34 PM 20:05 Posted: 6/20/2019 Location: Durand, MI Shape: Other Duration: Varied Characteristics: There were lights on the object
Starting in mid-March, 2019, and continuing on a regular basis up to this week, my family and I have noticed incredibly bright lights,