In Pennsylvania, State MUFON Director John Ventre is reporting that his teams are investigating five possibly related sightings, primarily on the eastern end of the state.
Celebration of July 4th is possibly the most popular holiday to draw people out of their homes to look skyward at the thousands of fireworks displays produced by professional groups and individuals or at family gatherings. Like the UFO reports from April Fool's Day, ufologists look more cautiously at sightings that occur on a night when the skies are filled with manmade lights designed to entertain.
Orange, flaming, or red objects were seen over Michigan, Illinois, Nevada, and Kansas. A round red/orange object was seen over Washington. A fireball was spotted over Ohio. Two glowing orange objects were seen over Connecticut. Five red lights were reported over California. A red, spherical and flashing object was seen over Washington. And a flashing red light was reported over the Larchmont, New York area.
Editor's Note: Reports continue to come in from all over the country - and we will be reporting later this evening in a special July 4 Holiday UFO Traffic Report.
A group near Harbert, Michigan, apparently out for fireworks festivities, shot this video about 10 p.m. on July 4, of UFOs in their skies.
From the DailyMotion web site, the following is the photographer's description of what they saw.
"I was on the beach in Michigan (Harbert area) approximately the same time (10pm ish) when we spotted 4 glowing reddish lights. They were lined up 4 in a row, but they moved strange, not like airplanes can move, they were hovering, sort of 'floating' closer and further apart from each other. Two of them sort of just disappeared, then the two you have filed here moved closer together appearing to almost be on top of each other. They separated again and then the lights began getting smaller and smaller until they just disappeared. I am convinced these were not anything we can explain."And this report just into the UFO Traffic Reporting Center from Kalamazoo, Michigan, occurred about 11 p.m. on July 4.
"looking to the North...the UFO, from where we can best describe...more than likely was hovering over Ostego, Michigan or slightly further North....today, we all regrouped with each other....and still....we whole heartedly believe in what all 3 of us witnessed....planes just do not stop after traveling a line in one place....then reverse...then go vertical and disappear....the main look was as if a plane was on fire....but no smoke trailings? The color orange & yellow were in the middle...and no collision flashing lights like you would see on a plane.....my Dad once flew a CESSNA....I can make the distinction...from seeing them up close & far away....the amount of time seem to last close to 1 minute.This witness was asked to file the report with MUFON, and he has pledged to do that this evening.
"I realize....there are fakes & frauds....many people willing to get some free publicity....but I can say for sure....no plane could have performed the flight path we witnessed....definitely too high to be a firework...."
Please keep in mind that most UFO reports can be explained as something natural or manmade. If MUFON investigates and reports back on any of these cases, I will update this page.
The following reports and their headlines are unedited. You can read my selected cases by type of UFO report at the UFO Traffic Report index page.
Three Michigan witnesses on a private island watched a "flat black angular UFO" with a red glow on its bottom pass under the moon on July 4 at 10:24 p.m.
Michigan, July 4, 2009 - Red Glow of Constant Color on Bottom of flat black angular unknown craft Just Under Clouds Passing Just under the Moon witnessed by mechanical engineering, logistics specialist, peace officer
The three of us were at a Private Island (Located minutes from the end of Anchor Bay Drive, Clay, MI) for a Event Gathering of under 100 people. Red Glow of Constant Color on Bottom of flat black angular UFO. Just Under Clouds Passing Just under the Moon (distance under moon was the size of the moon). Witnessed by mechanical engineering, logistics specialist, peace officer.
Seen on 07/04/2009 22:24 for 4 min 19 secs. If the moon were 12:00 the Red Object came out of the horizon at 07:30 then increased altitude steadily with the same speed and Heading of direction (Reason I'm not saying North South East or West Is I was not familiar with the surroundings).
At first glance, thought to be Red coast guard helicopter, but as It passed under the moon we could see It was creating Its own Red light. The Red light was under the flat black angular UFO.
The best description of the red glow like looking at Red Glowing Molten Steel. The reason I use the term angular is I can't explain the shape of It. I've tried to sketch a drawing but I just can't seem to get It exact.
I know what It is not. It was not the International Space Station because It was on ground side of the Clouds. It was not a Jet, Helicopter, Blimp, or Small Air Craft because It had no Tracker Beacon or vapor disturbance. It was not a hot air balloon because It was too fast and Entering proximity of no fly zone of Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
We lost sight of the UFO because of the Buildings and tree line elevation. This was Real. It was Unknown. And It was In the Air. The Slang Military/Airman term for this is "Rock"=RAUC R=Real A=Airborn U=Unknown C=Craft.
To describe my feelings, I would have to say at first jumpy/shaky, but within a few minutes after fulfillment/Collected. When I got home at 02:44 I could not sleep until after 06:00 and Only slept for 3 or 4 hours. I will agree to the release of my contact information to third parties only if MUFON tells me who and what the third party is and where they're from and if I agree I will.
A dozen Illinois witnesses reported a "bright, orange flickering ball hovering in the Western sky."
Illinois, July 4, 2009 - Bright orange ball of fire flickering, moving from east to west stopping and starting
Bright orange flicking fireball hovering in the western sky, stalling, then became dim then brighter, stalls for a minute or two, then traveling east and then going up and out of sight. 12 people witnessed, very eerie, nobody discussed after the episode, until today, Sunday.
A Nevada witness and his brother reported a large, glowing orange object in the sky that was heading north over Nellis Airforce Base.
Nevada, July 4, 2009 - flaming object moving south to north
Last night, 4th of July, just when all the fireworks were going off, I walked to the 7-11 at Pecos and Lake Mead Blvd. On my way back, I got a call from my brother and he said to look in the eastern sky. There was a glowing object. I saw it heading north over Nellis Air Force Base. My brother watched it from Henderson in the south move to the north. I seen it moving slowly for a large object, which reminded me of a rocket stage separating when you see the flash. It was orange flaming like a plasma burst around it that happened a couple of times, then it was too far to see anymore. I want you to check the radar in this area. It seemed to go right over Nellis Air Force BAse. Maybe more to the east of the base.South to North at that time. I looked at my phone clock, it said 9:36 so a few minutes before that.
A Chanute, Kansas, woman reported a "flaming orange ball coming in their direction. The object was described as "like an orange fire inside of a clear ball." Now joined by her husband, they saw another one, and 20 minutes later, two more appeared. "Every time we would walk toward it to see it better, it would move back to the north." The witness describes one encounter when the object came close to the house. "When it went by the house it was close enough that I could see a clear ball with an orange fire inside, it made no noise and did not seem like it was very big, but it was definitely bright."
Kansas, July 4, 2009 - orange light
In Chanute, Kansas around 11:00 pm on the 4th of July, last night, we had just finished shooting off the last of fireworks and everyone was going inside. I had stepped back out on the porch and noticed to the NorthEast a firework display a couple of blocks from our house.
I stood and watched it, after the firework was done I noticed a flaming orange ball come from the same direction.
At first I thought it was a burning ember from the firework but it just kept coming my direction. I walked out into the yard and it was still lit up and coming my way. I really believed it was a burning ember, but the closer it got to me I noticed it looked like an orange fire inside of a clear ball.
It traveled straight past our yard and our house and continued to travel to the south. I watched it for at least 45 seconds continuing on it's course south until I could no longer see it. I went inside and told my husband what I had just seen. He walked out with me and we were looking in the sky, a few minutes later he asked me if that was what I had seen and to the East we saw another one off in the distance. I told him yes, that was the color.
We sat in the back yard and continued to watch the sky. Within 20 minutes we saw another two from the North. Every time we would walk toward it to see it better, it would move back to the north.
We had no storms in the area on the 4th. I know I have never seen anything like this in my life. We watched for over an hour and did not see anymore of them. This was no burning ember or firework, it stayed lit too long and traveled a very long distance in a straight line, it never went any higher and stayed at the same altitude. When it went by the house it was close enough that I could see a clear ball with an orange fire inside, it made no noise and did not seem like it was very big, but it was definitely bright.
A dozen people in Washington state watched a slow-moving object that appeared to be about three miles away with a red-orange color that made it appear to be lit from the inside.
Washington, July 4, 2009 - Red/Orange glowing rounded craft flying in the sky to the Southwest and watched by 12 adults
While shooting fireworks at our home, we noticed a light moving slowly in the sky - No Anti Collision lights - Pictures and video were taken and will be added - The event lasted about 3 minutes, and it was not a firework. Two of the adults are ex-military and very familiar with military craft. They both stated that what we were watching was not a plane or helicopter or any other conventional craft.
The object moved slowly, with slow pulsing strobe of bright gold that would light the center of it. It was about three miles away and very beautiful. It seemed that the center was darker than the rest of the ship, and as it traveled, it went from a reddish color to an orange - the object appeared to be lit from inside - Like a frosted glass shade on a lamp.
There were 12 adults, most of us non-drinkers, and we had been watching fireworks in the distance and were alerted by the fact unlike the fireworks that had been going on all around the neighborhood, this object was moving horizontally, did not explode, made no sound, and made a slow arc towards the West before it got so far away we could not see it.
The flashing and the lack of anti collision lights as well as the shape and color set this craft apart from any of the aircraft we have ever seen. Two of us noticed it at the same time and called out for the others to look and to stop setting off fireworks. We all stood in amazement, confusion, amazement, and fear -A few of us were excited and almost euphoric - Feeling lucky to see it. We all discussed the object as it flew in the sky, ruling out every flying craft we could think of as we watched it. We lost sight of it when it flew out of sight.
The pictures are on a camera that belongs to one of the people that saw this event and will send them to me tomorrow. I will send them to you when I get them.
I will gladly share the names and emails/phone numbers of all who saw this craft as they have all agreed.
A group of 20 people in Ohio watched a glowing orange light moving across the sky. The object "looked like it had flames, or some kind of glare shooting out or off of the top."
© MUFON imageWitness photo was cropped and enlarged.
I was sitting outside at a friend's house waiting for the city fireworks to begin. The location was about half a mile west of a major interstate, in a country setting. There were approximately 20 people outside at the same time at this particular house.
Someone pointed an object out in the sky, to the south west of us. At first we thought it was a plane due to the speed it was traveling and where it was located in the sky (there is a small city airport nearby, and a larger airport in a city northwest of this area). If it had been a large airliner, we should have been able to see details of it, as it wasn't all that high in the sky, but we couldn't.
Almost at once, everyone realized it was quite bright, an orangish color, and looked like it had flames, or some kind of glare shooting out or off of the top, but it also appeared to be glowing.
At first I thought, oh no, this is a plane on fire and I thought it was looking for a place to land or it might crash but then I thought, well, this plane doesn't act like it's in trouble. There wasn't any erratic movements, it just continued flying smoothly. It seemed to be traveling south to north but as it passed by to the west of us, we were still unable to make out any distinguishing features.
At no point did it lose any altitude. We did not have any sun glare in our eyes as it was cloudy/overcast, we just couldn't see anything except the glare/brightness of the object. The object continued to move north and then seemed to turn somewhat west and gain altitude, as it appeared to be stationary in the sky, but was getting smaller. It looked like it was moving up and away from us.
We watched until we could no longer see anything at all. (A second group of people next door appeared to be watching the object as well) I should also mention, that at no time, could we hear any noise during this whole event. I took one picture with my cell phone. Now, I don't know what to think it was. I do believe that there are other life forms we don't know about yet, but did this have anything to do with that? I have no idea.
The attachment was taken with a Samsung SCH-u340 phone with a vga-camera. The resolution was 320x240, the white balance was "cloudy", the quality was "fine", the color effects were "normal". If you can open it, and then enlarge it, you will see what looks like a star with a reddish glow coming off the upper left corner. It also appears to have some sort of heat signature emitting from the entire surface, all of the way around it.
A Connecticut witness saw two silent, orange glowing lights in the sky over Long Island Sound. Neighbors reported that they saw three lights together and additional lights "scattered around a large area of the sky that were not always visible. They also thought the lights were heading west along the coast."
Connecticut, July 4, 2009 - Glowing orange lights following CT shore toward the west.
When taking out the trash, I looked up at the night sky and saw 2 orange glowing lights to the southwest barely over Long Island Sound. There was no noise, except for many fireworks, and I thought they were heading south toward Long Island but they were already a good distance away and it was hard to judge their direction as they disappeared behind cloud cover.
Later, neighbors that were at the beach down the street told me that they saw at least 3 lights at one time close together and it seemed there were more scattered around a large area of the sky that were not always visible. They also thought the lights were heading west along the coast.
No one, including myself, thought they were going very fast.
I'm not convinced that it wasn't a group of balloonists, but I can't imagine that many balloonists fly at night. In addition, there seems to be similar reports later the same night to the west in Pennsylvania.
In California, a group watched multiple red lights in the sky that "were in sort of a triangle formation." The lights were visible for about 20 minutes. They included a video with this report, which I decided to show here. The video is pretty poor, with the objects in the lower left corner - although the audio is great as you hear the witnesses talking about the lights. If you want to view this on your own, go into the MUFON.com witness database and enter the July 4, 2009, date - and narrow the search to California.
California, July 4, 2009 - 5 Red Lights hovering in the Sky over Spring Valley, CA
We were watching the July 4th fireworks and to the east we noticed five, then four, red lights in the sky. They were in sort of a triangle formation. The lights were steady in the sky, not moving. They were red like planets. There were no other colors or blinking lights. They appeared to be at the same level as the stars. They didn't get closer or further away, but disappeared after about twenty minutes.
Washington state witnesses "noticed a red spherical shaped object suddenly appear in the evening sky and move slowly and silently from east to west." The object flashed brightly and then changed direction.
Washington, July 4, 2009 - UFO fly by
My mother and I were sitting on the back patio. Which is secluded because the house sits up on a bluff surrounded by trees. The way the house is situated on the property, as well the location of the property it is statistically improbable this was the result of fireworks. We live by McChord AFB and Ft. Lewis and they had festivities on base so no night flight activities there. Our house is also on the approach to Seatac Airport (South to North). However yesterday they were on the North/South approach. Moon rise had not occurred as of yet either.
Ok, now that I have tried to dispel the usual suspects let's get to the story.
As I was saying. my mother and I were sitting on the back patio when she noticed a red spherical shaped object suddenly appear in the evening sky and move slowly and silently from east to west.
This lasted about 1 minute when all of a sudden it flashed real bright, stopped, changed from east to west to a southwesterly slight climbing in altitude direction. It flashed two more times very quickly, not as luminous, and just disappeared.
Ok, I am thinking this could have been a meteor skimming across the atmosphere before bouncing off into space. Well I would have been fine and dandy with that explanation, until not even a minute later it reappeared in the same position doing exactly the same motions, except varying speed then coming to a complete stop.
It flashed brightly and then changed direction climbing in altitude and heading due south. It flashed two more times although not as intensely bright then just disappeared. The whole duration lasted five minutes. From 21:59 to 22:04 PDT. I thought that was pretty fricken awesome, it was what happened afterwards that has me thinking this baby wasn't from anything we manufacture.
Because at 22:06 I saw a low orbiting satellite fly over going from south to north and at 22:08 a second low orbiting satellite flew over heading from west to east. I understand there is a lot of equipment flying around in orbit, and maybe this is just coincidence. But...at 22:16 a low flying aircraft was over the same general area as the UFO not a normal flight pattern and this was a jet. Still coincidental? At 22:26 another jet, this one smaller and older because the engines were louder not fighter more like an old 727, flew over the same general vicinity.
At 22:28 a third aircraft this one a Cessna sized aircraft flew around the same general area this time flying in a circle around the general area before moving on. After that the skies were quiet except for the fireworks in the background. The episode ended at 22:38
A group of witnesses in Glenn Cover near Larchmont, New York, first "noticed a strange flashing red light in the sky." The object was flashing in sequence in patterns. During the 10 minute sighting, they noticed between the flashing, that there was "a dim white light on the craft."
New York, July 4, 2009 - Hovering flashing red light approximately over Larchmont, NY
We were on the shore of Glenn Cove looking out over the water when I noticed a strange flashing red light in the sky. I have never seen anything that quite resembled it so I told the others to look at it.
We watched it and noticed it flashed in sequences of 2 2 2 2 2 then 1 1 1 1 1 and kept repeating this pattern.
It looked to be over the Larchmont, NY area. It moved slowly to the East then back to the West. It did this a few times and at times seemed to be stationary. Then it moved slowly to the west until it was out of view.
We watched it for about 10 minutes. We couldn't tell the size and shape because it was dark outside. In between the flashings of the red light, which was fairly constant, I could make out a dim white light on the craft.
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