As reported

Unknown over Waltham, MA

A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.

The report, as filed

Stars or satellites change places in the sky.

Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center. Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.

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Routed to: Federal Aviation Administration · records window 1978-02-12 → 1978-03-01

From the same sky

Related entries

August 22, 2023 · 9:30 PM · CIRCLE

Waltham, MA

My wife and I were sitting outside on our terrace approximately between 7 and 10pm. I was looking up at the night sky enjoying the view of Mars. At around 9:30pm I noticed an object cruising at a very high altitude between Mars and the first star of the big dippers handle. I first thought that I was watching a satellite, but it's speed was too slow. I showed my wife what it was I was looking at and when I pointed it out right before the first star of the big dipper the object stopped. Within the next few seconds the object got very bright and shot straight up and disappeared within a few seconds.

October 10, 2019 · 8:30 PM · UNKNOWN

Waltham, MA

At 20:30 we (me and my wife) went for the "smoke break" (we're not smoking in house 'cause of kids). Right after lighting up my cigarette, I found a light in the night sky, over Prospect Hill, and not very high. Light was strange 'cause it doesn't looks like plane or helicopter. I called out my wife, and we started watching that light. After few minutes, I grabbed binocular (x30) and tried to watch object via optics, but it wasn't helpful, object still looks like a bright light. After few minutes we noticed a second light, and little bit later the third. These lights are slowly floated/moved in the sky. Fortunately, I do have a telescope, cheap one (truly :), this model https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32968885736.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.f2f34c4dRnKHpZ However this telescope has good aperture (76 mm). After few tries I captured one of slowly moving objects by eyepiece (it wasn't easy 'cause of cheap telescope design, and because objects was relatively low). But it's really hard or even impossible to estimate a real distance to objects, and real altitude. By the way, in the telescope I was able to see object a little bit close. It looks like it has bright white-yellow light in front (like a lamp or cockpit window or I don't know...), and two small flashing lights on the sides. These lights was mounted on airship-like dark body (but I'm unsure about shape and size). I thought it's some kind of drone or quadcopter, but more it looks like mini-airship with mounted lights. All of these objects drifted slowly (but very slowly) or hung in the night sky; after 10 or 15 minutes one object started moving little bit faster and disappeared from sight soon (unfortunately, trees on our backyard are blocking view). Another object appeared after 2 or 3 minutes, and it came not from the ground (like a quadcopter, for example) but afar from the south. Finally, all these objects were darkened and disappeared at about 21:00-21:10. But another similar object was appeared just before I called you, at 21:50 (I went smoke, saw the object - but it was dimmer than before, and decided to call). Periodically I checked sky in that direction but haven't seen anything else. I do not know what it was: military or private company night tests of drones/airships (flashing lights on the side looks like human made - spaceships/probes don't need small flashing lights at all), but something wasn't right. Who will allow that kind of tests in the highly populated area? Kids are playing or flash-mobbing? According to flight time and luminous intensity, it's not a regular retail quadcopters with LED flashlight attached. I don't know.

June 14, 2015 · 10:15 PM · SPHERE

Waltham, MA

While standing outside on our back porch (second floor of an apartment), a bright light which initially appeared to be a bright star, began to move east across the sky in straight line. It was somewhat overcast at the time of the sighting. We know it wasn't a satellite as it was below the cloud cover. Additionally, the object remained a constant white light as it moved, with no flashing lights. Planes often fly over our house and this object did not have any of the characteristic features typically seen. The object was also completely silent as it moved across the sky. Before the object left our line of sight the brightness gradually faded until it was no longer visible. The object seemed to remain moving at a constant speed from the beginning of the sighting to the end.

December 15, 2012 · 9:00 PM · SPHERE