Need help...Object in Sky 12/16/03

[mattarnold]

This was a particularly bright object in the northeastern sky on the night of 12/16/03. A local astrologer couldn't identify it, so I'm submitting it to you all. Anyone have any ideas what it could be? It was much brighter than anything else in the sky. There's a more complete description in the gallery. Thanks!

http://www.pbase.com/mattarnold/object

[msephton]

I think it might be Santa.

sorry!
matt

[polyvios]

Could be dust on the lens or filter! (Just a thought)

[minoltaman]

I think it might be Santa.

[mattarnold]

Somehow, I doubt it was Santa... I also know it isn't dust, as it was moving with all the other stars, and two other people I called from different nearby towns could see it too. Anyone else have any ideas?

[minoltaman]

A few years ago in Rockford, Illinois about a half dozen of those things appeared in the sky. They were seen by thousands and nobody ever confirmed anything except that they were there. I was at a video rental store and my wife noticed them and called me over to the front wall of windows in the store. I showed the other people in the store. Little did I know thousands of people had seen those things too. They said weather baloons, planes, weather anomolies and all kinds of stuff that was proven not to be the case. To this day i believe they are still unidentified to the general public. They also moved in the sky and eventually moved out of site. The things looked eriely similar to your pix. Sorry, this is the most help I can be. They were in the east northeast skies that night.

Cheers

[mattarnold]

I sent these pics to the observatory/planetarium at the University of Colorado, and they have yet to identify it. Anyone else have a thought as to what this might be? Thanks!

[mattarnold]

I updated the gallery with a couple of pictures I took about 20 minutes ago. As you can see, the object is back, and basically unchanged. I took a long exposure to really point out how much brighter this is than everything else around it. Thanks!

[pstewart]

Probably weather balloons. But the observatory should know that, right?

[mattarnold]

I know it isn't weather balloons, as the object is in the same orientation to the Big Dipper, and was moving with the stars. This has been the case both last night and tonight. The sun was also too far below the horizon to cast any light on something for it to reflect like this.