My wife and I stepped outside for a cigarette around 8:30 PM on Saturday 5-9 evening and I was surveying the northern sky looking for the rising full moon. I was looking to north for at least 20 seconds, and there was nothing other than some stars in the sky.

Then a brilliant white light appeared out of nowhere about 50 degrees up in the northeast section of the sky. It was so bright that it created the Christmas light effect where your see the light coming off in rays, and judging by the distance and altitude that is was a very large object.

It was traveling at a tremendous speed and was very high in the atmosphere. As I tried to explain it, I knew it wasn't a plane, because I constantly watch planes from the Albuquerque airport. It was a solid light with no FFA flashing lights.

My next thought was it could possibly be a spotlight from a helicopter, but the object was traveling away from us, and way faster than any aircraft I have ever witnessed, and there was no noise. The object itself appeared to be what was generating the light, and there was no tail.

It was not a meteor because I have witnessed many in the area. It appeared to be a controlled flight pattern (directly in straight line) and as it headed away from us it did not sink in the sky, but actually climbed in altitude and disappeared into the outer atmosphere.

In all, it lasted maybe 20 seconds. To compare, it takes a plane at least 60 seconds to fade into the horizon. I really want to know if anyone else witnessed this.