Case Number     52606
Log Number     US-12052013-0001
Date Submitted     12/05/2013 12:33 UTC
Date of the Event     12/04/2013 07:45 UTC
Source     MUFON
Disposition     Unresolved
Summary     saw 2xSaturn-sized rorange circular light for 5 min, became 1/2 circle red
Sighting Location
City     Salinas
Region     California
Country     United States
Latitude     36.827758
Longitude     -121.638999
Sighting Specifics
Viewing Distance     Over One Mile
Sighting Duration     Undisclosed
Object Features     Unknown
Object Flight Path     Stationary
Object Shape     Star-like
Weather Factors     Unknown
Sighting Details
Approx. 7:45 PM 12/4/2013 came out of my Prunedale home, located on a ridge at 630 ft. elevation, onto driveway and observed a bright circular-shaped orange light. It was the brightest object in the sky, far brighter than any star or aircraft, excluding landing lights which are always brilliant white. It was approx. 10 degrees above the horizon (ocean) at approx. 240 degrees from observation location. Sky was clear and cloudless and city lights from Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz both easily seen (30~40 miles). Observed light for 5 minutes through 9x63 Vixen binoculars. Light appeared to be much larger and brighter than Saturn/Venus. No detail was observed. Light remained stationary vertically and horizontally when compared to intervening hillside-reference, as seen through binoculars. Light turned off after 5 min. observation but did not turn off all at once. Upper half of circular shaped light turned off but bottom half remained on for additional one second and turned red before it turned off completely. Do not know how long light was there before initially observing it. Waited for 5 min. before returning inside house and checked outside every 20 minutes for an hour afterwards to see if it had returned, but did not see it again.