1998: Sphere seen over Salt Lake City, UT

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THINK ABOUTIT SIGHTING REPORT

Date: September 15, 1998

Sighting Time: 3 AM

Day/Night: Early Morning

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Urban or Rural: Urban

Hynek Classification: NL (Nocturnal Light) Point or extended luminous source observed at night.

Duration: 3-4 seconds.

No. of Object(s): 1

Height & Speed: The object, which had appeared in the west, moved north, then turned northeast toward the witness at a speed estimated by the witness to be 60 mph. This estimate proved roughly correct. Based on a total distance of 310 feet traveled by the object from initial sighting to when last seen, the calculated speed is 70 mph if the time required was 3 seconds, or 53 mph if 4 seconds had elapsed.

Size of Object(s): 65 feet (average)

Distance to Object(s): 260 feet

Shape of Object(s): Round

Color of Object(s): gray

Number of Witnesses: Single

Source: MUFON (Jan, 2003)

Summary/Description: At 3 AM on Sept. 15, 1998, witness Chris Rock stepped outside and fired his laser pointer into the sky toward west-southwest in the general direction of Jupiter. Within a minute or two, a gray, spherical object, with an apparent 7″ diameter at arm’s length appeared in the western sky, hovering over an adjacent building at a (measured) distance of 260 feet from the witness and 40 feet above the ground. The object sat motionless for 2 to 3 seconds, before passing over the witness and out of sight.

Full Report

Drawing by the witness of his sighting. (source: MUFON)

At 3 AM (MST) Sept. 15, 1998, witness was working at Westminster College, 1840 So. 1300 E., Salt Lake City On stepping outside, witness reports the night was cool, around 65 degrees F, visibility clear (no clouds). While facing west, he fired his laser pointer into the sky toward west-southwest in the general direction of Jupiter.

Within a minute or two, a gray, spherical object, with an apparent 7″ diameter at arm’s length appeared in the western sky, hovering over an adjacent building at a (measured) distance of 260 feet from the witness and 40 feet above the ground.

Upon seeing the object, witness turned off the laser pointer. Witness stated he was awed by what he was seeing and doesn’t recall feeling or thinking much in the ensuing moments. The object sat motionless for 2 to 3 seconds. The witness states, “It did not bob or weave. It sat as if it was locked in place. Then in an instant it was moving across the top of the building in front of me. Then it turned to move past me on my right, almost straight over my head.” The object, which had appeared in the west, moved north, then turned northeast toward the witness at a speed estimated by the witness to be 60 mph.

This estimate proved roughly correct. Based on a total distance of 310 feet traveled by the object from initial sighting to when last seen, the calculated speed is 70 mph if the time required was 3 seconds, or 53 mph if 4 seconds had elapsed.

The witness stated that the object had no evident period of acceleration; i.e., the object was motionless one instant and then moving at 60 mph the next. The witness watched the object pass over him, heading northeast, then lost it from view as the it passed behind a building.

The moment before the sphere moved out of view was when it was closest to the witness: 60 feet away at an ahitude of 40 feet. At this point, the witness reports the object had an apparent size of 21″ at arm’s length. During these last moments, he observed the underside of the sphere, which he described as “reddish, pinkish, with pits and pings and very much crater like.”

He added that, apart from the bottom, the object was smooth, gray, and featureless. The witness said he felt the object was aware of him. As the object passed over him, it went behind trees, heading east behind a building.

The witness pursued the object on foot, but before he could clear the tree cover he heard a “bang,” and when he came into a clearing the object was nowhere to be seen. “I don’t know if the ‘bang’ sound was related to the object or not,” the witness stated.

He stated that during the sighting no sound was heard coming from the sphere, nor was there any perceptible emission or disturbance to the immediate surroundings attributable to the object.

After a couple of days, the witness telephoned Peter Davenport at the National UFO Reporting Center.