Case Directory
  Category 1, Distant Encounters 
 
  Preliminary Rating: 5  

                                   
     

A Hynek Classification of Distant Encounter is usually an incident involving an object more than 500 feet from the witness. At night it is classified as a "nocturnal light" (NL) and during the day as a "daylight disc" (DD). The size of the object or the viewing conditions may render the object in greater detail but yet not qualify the sighting as a Close Encounter which is an object within 500'. 

Solid Object Emits Bright Green Light
October 6, 2013
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Fran Ridge:
October 6, 2013; Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
9:00 p.m. A father and his daughter had left Denver and were traveling west on Highway 40 on their way home to Steamboat Springs. The father noticed two white lights in the distance that he initially thought were Venus and a dimmer star to the lower left. The dimmer light began to descend erratically. It seemed to wave back and forth rather than just move straight down as it disappeared behind a stand of tall pine trees. Just as the smaller white light disappeared, he saw the larger light that he thought was Venus begin to grow as it approached rather quickly. At this point he told his daughter to look up and she immediately saw the object as it sped towards them. The growing round white light developed a red border that transitioned into a solid red light. A very short bright green line had also appeared just below and to the immediate left of the solid red light. The object then slowed and swerved to the right (north) towards the father's truck. When the object was positioned just to the left and in front of them, it dropped in elevation and began to slowly pass overhead. As the object slowly moved above them, the father could see that the short green line was actually a long flat, bright, rectangular strip. Both remarked about how crisp and clear the green box angles were and how there was no glow given the brightness of the green light. The father had previously worked with low powered lasers (<100mW), and said that the green color was exactly at 532nm. They were not able to see any reflections on a craft body or wing/propeller parts. All they could see were the lights. The object slowed considerably ­ almost to a hover as it was above them, and they were able to see it clearly before passing underneath. The car was traveling between 65-70 mph, so anything small should have zipped right over them, thus indicating the object had to be of considerable size. Once the object passed out of view above their windshield, they were unable to see it again out the back window or rearview mirrors. He and his daughter did not want to stop and get a better look. The father commented that he had never seen a solid object emit such a bright green light. (MUFON Case 51360)

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