- Joined
- Aug 16, 2001
- Messages
- 455
On February 13 I was walking across the bridge which connects downtown Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau) and Ottawa, Ontario when I paused to observe some lights in the sunset. Two of them were pretty much stationary, and I took them to be airplanes flying almost due West into the sunset.
A third appeared, which I would have dismissed as another airplane were it not for its strange subsequent behaviour.
Around 5:30, it started to brighten. Then it became successively, planet-like, then comet like. A plane contrail, I thought. But the "contrail" continued to lengthen and thicken, until it was a classic UFO cigar shape.
Suddenly, in a matter of a second or two, the cigar shape split into two, and the left-hand (South) piece quickly shrank to a planet/star in brightness and size, which pulled off very slowly to the left (South) while the right-hand (NOrth) piece shrank down to a dot brighter than Jupiter or Venus, and continued to brighten for some time, apparently remaining motionless.
I took out my "toy" binoculars, part of an orienteering gadget and watched from the single star to the double star stage.
I think I must have seen a remarkably good meteor/comet display.
On the same day, three hours later or so, there were numerous UFO/meteor sightings in the state of Ohio, reported on this Fortean Times website the next day (Feb. 14). Today, there were UFO reports from New Brunswick (the province) reported by FT, date-lined Feb. 18 on the original newspaper site.
It was a memorable sighting. The only other "meteors" I have seen have been tiddley little fizzlers. This thing was bright against a magnificent sunset! Venus in her glory wasn't brighter!
A third appeared, which I would have dismissed as another airplane were it not for its strange subsequent behaviour.
Around 5:30, it started to brighten. Then it became successively, planet-like, then comet like. A plane contrail, I thought. But the "contrail" continued to lengthen and thicken, until it was a classic UFO cigar shape.
Suddenly, in a matter of a second or two, the cigar shape split into two, and the left-hand (South) piece quickly shrank to a planet/star in brightness and size, which pulled off very slowly to the left (South) while the right-hand (NOrth) piece shrank down to a dot brighter than Jupiter or Venus, and continued to brighten for some time, apparently remaining motionless.
I took out my "toy" binoculars, part of an orienteering gadget and watched from the single star to the double star stage.
I think I must have seen a remarkably good meteor/comet display.
On the same day, three hours later or so, there were numerous UFO/meteor sightings in the state of Ohio, reported on this Fortean Times website the next day (Feb. 14). Today, there were UFO reports from New Brunswick (the province) reported by FT, date-lined Feb. 18 on the original newspaper site.
It was a memorable sighting. The only other "meteors" I have seen have been tiddley little fizzlers. This thing was bright against a magnificent sunset! Venus in her glory wasn't brighter!