A Portland, Oregon, witness watched a "bright flashing light" move westward over the city February 21 that pulsated so fast it could only be described as "mesmerizing," according to testimony from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) database.
The witness said the object "flashed for around 10 seconds before fading down. It took about 1 second to go from brilliantly flashing to dimly glowing. After the flashing I could still make out a faint, uniformly lit shape continuing along the same slow trajectory."
The following is the unedited and as yet uninvestigated report filed with MUFON. Please keep in mind that most UFO reports can be explained as something natural or manmade. If Oregon MUFON investigates and reports back on this case, I will release an update.
OR, February 21, 2010 - February 21st, 2010, 12:25 AM: Bright flashing light over southeast Portland. MUFON Case # 21979.
I am located on SE 57th avenue in Portland, just off of Duke street. Last night (12:25 AM PST, 21 Feb 2010) I was sitting in my living room when I noticed a bright point of light in my upper left peripheral vision.
Immediately I got up to watch it from the window, and beckoned my mother to do the same. What I beheld was an incredibly bright flashing light in the east-south-eastern sky, moving slowly westward. It moved slower than a plane or helicopter.
The pulsation of the light was so fast that I can only describe it as mesmerizing.
From the horizon the object must have been about 45 degrees up. It flashed for around 10 seconds before fading down. It took about 1 second to go from brilliantly flashing to dimly glowing. After the flashing I could still make out a faint, uniformly lit shape continuing along the same slow trajectory.
After 20 or so seconds I did run outside to observe for noise, but the object was making none that I could hear. No engine noise, no rotors of a helicopter, only the ambiance of my neighborhood at midnight. The object couldn't have been far away, no more than a mile or two; so if it were a conventional aircraft, I would have heard its sound.
Interestingly I was able to compare the lights of a distant airplane (the occupants of which definitely must have also seen this flashing/glowing object) to this glowing object, and neither resembled each other in any way, shape, or form. Eventually my view of the object was obstructed by a neighbor's house and tree, so I made my way to the back patio to watch it more.
The object kept hovering slowly west until trees of a nearby campground blocked it from sight. I remember it disappearing in the distance right around Orion's belt in the west, just above the douglas firs.
I just want to reiterate: the flashing was bewilderingly bright and very, very rapid. I am somewhat the aviation enthusiast, and I know for a fact that I wasn't watching an airplane's landing lights, emergency lights, flood lights, flares, or anything of the kind. [I also know I wasn't seeing the lights of an airliner head on, as I see that all the time when planes come up from California in the southern sky.]
What I saw was pulsating faster than you can blink. The whole object, not just wingtip lights or anything. I know absolutely for certain that this thing was not of astronomical or atmospheric origin. What I saw was crisply observed on a clear, windless night with plenty of stars for background visual reference. I can very confidently say this thing was not a meteor, comet, star, planet, supernova/gamma ray burst, or aurora...it was not a satellite, shuttle, nor the ISS or any kind of reentry burn up...it was not a plane, helicopter, blimp or balloon...so with all of those things marked off, what the hell could it possibly be? You tell me. I've never seen anything so brilliant. The lights had an almost fearful yet calming effect on me. Even now a couple days later, I'm mesmerized and in awe.
[I thought I should also add that there are quite a few cell towers in the general vicinity, and there have been reports of black cluster objects hovering stationary near these towers. I feel perhaps all of the transmissions sent and received by these towers attracts UFO activity.]
I'd be happy to provide more details. Thank you.
Comments
I am the person who saw this. If anyone else was a witness, please e-mail me at joelewers@gmail.com.
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