Appearance / Description of Object(s)

Only a light was visible (nuclear engine ignition?) it started as either white or yellow and progressed to reddish orange before fading out traveling 1 inch of sky at outstretched arm in about 5 seconds!

Size of Object(s)

"ignition" only visible, traveled about 1" at outstretched arm and vanished.

Distance to Object(s) & Altitude

at least extra solarsystem

Description of Area / Surroundings

Inland rural California subdivision approx. 1500' altitude, no major facilities within 100 miles.

Full Description & Details

I went out on my back deck late in the evening around midnight or later to relax and look at the stars and sky with just my naked eyes.

After just a short time looking up I noticed a light come on just where I was looking in the sky, almost directly overhead slightly to the WSW.

It looked about as bright as a star like Arcturis, and it was moving in a westerly direction and slightly changing color from a whitish yellow to a orangish yellow before vanishing.

The light traveled about 1 inch of sky with my outstreched arm and for about 5 seconds.

There was no visible craft or ship seen, only the light, and the distance was very far away, maybe extra solarsystem or even possibly further.

I couldn't rationalize what I had seen with any terrestrial phenomonym or astronomical events.

I have an open mind about anything I see in the sky and I believe that others have given creditable testamony of their observations in the sky and heavens.

Based on what I observed I could only explain it as an extra terrestial craft in near galatic vicinity doing a nuclear (or other propulsion system) burn for a short duration to proceed or accellerate that ship on a new vector to wherever it was going to next!

It could have been a Type II or even Type III civilization expeditionary craft on a patrol in our solar system's vicinity, maybe even aware of Earth's development but not giving it any scrutiny other then observation from its distant proximity and undetectability by us other then its propulsion system!

Can sighting be explained as any conventional man-made or natural object?

I doubt it, since it was not going in direction of airline skylanes, was not a meteor, star, satellite, space station or space junk, or shuttle or missle. It was just a light that came on changed color slightly moved one inch and 5 seconds later dimmed out!

Witness Background

I am a retired San Francisco Chronicle newspaper transportation driver and amateur astronomer (hobbyist) who also studied Astronomy at City College of San Francisco under such notables as Duckworth and Cudaback.

Views on UFOs, before and after sighting

I believe that people have sighted objects, so I am always vigilent and looking for them when I stargaze.

Other Comments

I theorized after the viewing that if it was an alien craft it was somewhere in our galatic vicinity, suddenly starting its nuclear engines to accelerate on a vector for 5 seconds gaining enough speed and then shutting down the engines either off or to an unvisible level of propulsion to another destination.

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