help please in identifying what I saw

[woodward2]

Hi,

Walsall, UK

29-09-11 23:30

I had been observing Jupiter with my son. It was clear, though there was possibly a very thin haze of cloud because the seeing wasn't brilliant. We stopped to watch a low-flying plane pass over the house on its way to Birmingham airport. The plane approached from roughly SW and as it passed overhead turned to a more easterly track in the direction of the airport. As it disappeared over the house I saw three yellow/orange lights (similar colour to sodium street lamps) out of the corner of my eye.

The lights were not sharp, they were dim, slightly fuzzy and a thin oval shape (long axis in the direction of travel), with the centre brighter than the edges. Each was the same length (about half the diameter of a full moon). All three followed a parallel course from south to north. Two were close together, about two moon diameters apart, and the third further away to the right and slightly behind.

They travelled very fast. From first observing them almost overhead to them disappearing (fading out in unison about 20 degrees above the horizon) took only 3 to 4 seconds.

I shouted to my son and pointed. He also saw them. When I asked him to describe what he saw, he described the same as I had observed.

My initial impression was that it was not a solid object, but some kind of light reflection onto a thin cloud layer (even though no clouds were visible), but I can't see how it could be connected to the plane we saw given the relative directions and the speed difference.

Pretty sure they were not Chinese lanterns, satellites or meteors (all of which I have observed before).

I would appreciate any thoughts!

[Multi-Coated]

What you describe sounds like lanterns of some sort although I don't think you're convinced. Sometimes size / speed / distance can be misleading.

[DavidOfBanff]

it's Batman, trying out his new cloud projection apparatus, after everyone's gone to bed.

He'll be round shortly to give you a good wingerfagging for having your laddie up so late !

[woodward2]

They were certainly a similar colour to lanterns I have seen before, but they were far less defined and moving much faster.

We have a local night club in the town centre which occasionally shines some kind of searchlight into the sky which is often reflected off clouds. This was definitely not that (different colour, shape, motion and speed) , but the "quality" of the image was similar, if you understand what I mean, which is why I initially thought of light reflected off clouds.