Posted: December 3, 2010

Location of Sighting: Gwynedd/Anglesey
Date of Sighting: 2/12/10
Time: 7.40pm

Witness Statement: I was walking the dog around a nearby field on the edge of Caernarfon. It was an icy night with light snow on the ground and crucially - a clear sky. I was watching a satellite make its way slowly through the night sky when a bright light caught my peripheral vision. It just seemed to switch on as I turned to look. It was across the Menai Straits above Anglesey (what seemed roughly to between Llanidan and Dwyran.) What I saw was an orange light, circular with undefined edges about the size of a match head at arms' length. (larger and brighter than any star or planet). It had a definite translucent quality - such a crisp, vibrant sort of orange. I compared the colour to the orange street lamps in the distance and it was a deeper orange. An almost red hot coal orange. Within this colour was some dark/black areas which seemed to be writhing around. Not unlike pictures we see of the sun.

At first it seemed to be stationary, but it got gradually larger and appeared to be heading in my general direction. This lasted around half a minute. I have seen Chinese Lanterns on many occasions and in differing weather conditions and I can be sure that this was not one of these. To start with there was no flickering and the colour was stronger and brighter than a Lantern. Any doubt was then done away with as the light abruptly changed trajectory without slowing down. It veered off at a ninety degree angle and off into the distance heading over Llanddwyn beach area (Western Anglesey) and out over the Irish Sea and out of sight.

I instantly phoned some family members to tell them what I had seen. (My phone's camera would never have picked up the light so I didn't even try). As I was on the phone relating the sighting the light appeared once more! It appeared in the same place as the first time and again traveled towards me at a steady speed (about the speed of a helicopter) and gradually got larger as the first one did. But then it veered off on a tight angle without slowing down and off into the West again. But this time it stopped abruptly and then split into two lights! One sat next to the other for a good ten seconds or so before they both finally faded out. They made no sound, changed speed and trajectory and changed shape. No Chinese lanterns look like this and no aircraft I know of flies like this - not to mention split into two! It may be worth mentioning that RAF Valley is on Anglesey. It was an incredible sight. Very enigmatic! I feel lucky to have seen it.

It fits the descriptions of Earth Lights very well. But what are they?