Lights Over Monhegan

So here's a strange thing I saw while vacationing recently on Monhegan Island, Maine. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. The whole thing lasted maybe 35 seconds.

On August 11th I was watching the Perseid meteor shower on a clear night with my wife. Monhegan is a small and fairly remote island with very little light pollution, although the moon was causing some. We saw some meteors and a lot of satellites. At around 10:28 PM I saw what I first thought was another satellite to the south, moving about ENE, but quickly noticed that there were actually three lights moving in unison and making no audible sound, arranged roughly as an equilateral triangle. There was no blinking or any indication that the lights belonged to either a single or multiple conventional aircraft. The apparent size of the triangle formed by the lights was about 2 inches per side when held at arms length. I believe I recall seeing stars between the lights, i.e. that there was not a singular structure blocking stars out, but I can't be sure. Each point looked like a small star or a satellite, and the apparent speed at which they traversed the sky was only a bit slower than what you might expect satellites to do.

Then suddenly as we watched, the two foremost lights simultaneously became MUCH brighter, and a couple of seconds after that, all three lights simultaneously disappeared. I scanned the sky all along the trajectory for a while looking for them again and never saw anything. After a couple of minutes looking, I decided to check the time so that I could gather data later. It was 10:31. This was what I used to estimate the time of occurrence as 10:28.
Also there was something very peculiar about the brightness which is difficult to explain. Lights in the night sky often appear to grow larger when they get brighter, like when a satellite reflects the sun. But usually the shape of the point light source becomes less well-defined. These lights seemed to have a crisp circular border when they got bigger and brighter, and within that circle the brightness was very uniform. It didn't seem to shimmer or look at all "starry".

Now, I've seen lots of satellites from my youth up until now. Several times I have watched them flare up and become very bright briefly before going back to normal. Here are two things I've never seen satellites do:
1. Travel in groups of three in fixed positions with respect to each other (I'm aware of one mapping project involving two tandem satellites, not aware of three but maybe someone can help me out with that).
2. Disappear completely after flaring up. I've seen them start out dim, become bright, and then go back to their original state. I've never seen them start out dim, flare up and then disappear completely. And there was plenty of sky left in their trajectory to get a look at them again if they were still out there. Furthermore, all three disappeared at the same time even though only two got bright.

I'm focusing on satellites only because that's what they most resembled, but I've seen lots of things before and none of them fit with this. I've seen all sorts of aircraft, civilian drones, shooting stars, Chinese lanterns, I've even seen ball lightning.

If anyone has an explanation, I'm all ears, but please try to consider everything I've written. I wouldn't be writing this post if I didn't think it was something out of the ordinary.
Thanks!
SAR

a reply to: SecrecyAndRidicule

I believe I recall seeing stars between the lights, i.e. that there was not a singular structure blocking stars out, but I can't be sure.

Then why mention it. Just one possibility. When aircraft enter certain designated airspace they have lights they turn on, and turn off when they leave. You may have seen one leaving airspace around an airport that turned off its landing lights.

The triangle of lights makes it harder to rule out terrestrial craft.

What color was it? And did they changed it?

a reply to: intrptr

I think the OP has written a proper report of what he saw.

Not sure why you felt the need to discourage this.

Anything that "might" be terrestrial craft shouldn't be mentioned?

OP i've seen similar objects on a couple occasions and wondered too.

Keep looking up and keep reporting.

a reply to: Urantia1111

Keep looking up and keep reporting.

I do, but not about jet liners. What I described matches what he saw, I have seen exactly that when airliners raise or lower landing gear or turn on or off approach lights. Besides that its just a report without any other like anomalous flight characteristics except straight and normal and or pics or video, so this ordinary explanation can't be ruled out.

originally posted by: intrptr
Then why mention it. Just one possibility. When aircraft enter certain designated airspace they have lights they turn on, and turn off when they leave. You may have seen one leaving airspace around an airport that turned off its landing lights.

The triangle of lights makes it harder to rule out terrestrial craft.

Well, I mentioned it because I believe that's the case. I just can't say so with absolute certainty. For what it's worth, I had thought that one solid object would be even more bizarre than three isolated ones because an object having all three lights would either be somewhat big and silent, or far enough away as to be inaudible but therefore much larger.

Thank you for the landing lights suggestion. The location was 47 miles from the nearest airport at Portland Maine, whose radar terminal has a jurisdiction of 40 miles, there were no planes in the area under 10,000' at the time. But for higher altitudes I don't know.
I know this because I FOIA'd the FAA and after a couple emails I got a phone call from a guy who was explaining this stuff to me. He was very helpful and I didn't get any "conspiracy" impressions that he was hiding anything. He said that radar data was exempt under FOIA but that they had looked into it for anything flying under 10,000' on a system called PDARS which showed one craft nearby at the time. It was a private helicopter that approached the island from the west, and when it was 15-20 miles away it then turned north. Besides the path not matching up, I can tell you that if a small helicopter were close enough to account for these lights it would make some serious noise. If I wanted info on what was above 10,000 I had to FOIA some other part of the FAA I think.
My only other point about landing lights is that there were originally three lights, then two got really bright and a few seconds later all three turned off completely. I don't know why a plane would do that 47 miles out or anywhere else. I know that doesn't mean "therefore aliens" but it's a point that should be considered.

Thanks again

a reply to: SecrecyAndRidicule

My only other point about landing lights is that there were originally three lights, then two got really bright and a few seconds later all three turned off completely. I don't know why a plane would do that 47 miles out or anywhere else. I know that doesn't mean "therefore aliens" but it's a point that should be considered.

Approach lights swing up and down, giving the viewer the appearance they get brighter and dimmer as they turn in their housing. Landing gear wells are lit up too, go out when doors close.

How you determined altitude at night isn't clear. Why they cycled their approach lights isn't clear either. Maybe it was military, maybe training flight, who knows.

Otherwise straight and level flight about the speed of a jet liner?

Believe me when you see something not of this world it will be clear and distinct, removing all doubt. I know I witnessed one of these 'objects'. What you are describing could have been or not could have been an airliner.

a reply to: intrptr

I didn't determine any exact altitude, I only said that I had info on flights below 10,000' but not above it. Now, this info wouldn't include military but it should include all commercial and private planes. More importantly, for a plane of any reasonable size to span all three lights it would have to be close enough to hear. That again does not rule out exotic unknown military craft, but it was most certainly not a jetliner.

It's very interesting that you've seen something. I'd love to hear about it. If you wrote about it here could you link to the thread?

As for your statement about removing all doubt, that assumes that what you saw is the only "not of this world" kind of thing in the sky. It also assumes that all sightings are of the same confidence level, regardless of lighting, duration, actions of the craft and proximity to the observer. Last of all it assumes that your one sighting makes you an authority on the entire subject which it doesn't. I recognize that it's hard to explain in writing, and I can't remove all doubt but I have very little. If you'd been there I believe you'd feel different, but we'll never know.

a reply to: SecrecyAndRidicule

It's very interesting that you've seen something. I'd love to hear about it. If you wrote about it here could you link to the thread?

I haven't done a thread. Although compelling to me, it is only subjective experience, not corroborated by any actual evidence...

About knowing and removing all doubt. These things tend to do that. If you saw one you would know what I mean.

a reply to: intrptr

Fair enough. Thanks for all your input

Might want to check out this thread... and associated ones, just for poops and giggles... it gets good

Weird California sighting

originally posted by: SecrecyAndRidicule

Here are two things I've never seen satellites do:
1. Travel in groups of three in fixed positions with respect to each other (I'm aware of one mapping project involving two tandem satellites, not aware of three but maybe someone can help me out with that).

Could you have seen either the US NOSS or the Chinese Yaogan Triplet satellites?





See other links for videos and info.

www.satobs.org...

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: tommyjo

I think we have a winner! Yaogan 9A-C passed over Monhegan, highest at 10:28 PM and heading in the direction I saw. I'd be lying if I said I don't feel a bit silly, but I've never seen any get so bright and then disappear completely, let alone a whole group of them. thank you tommyjo!

heavens-above.com... 27758&type=V

originally posted by: SecrecyAndRidicule
a reply to: tommyjo

I think we have a winner! Yaogan 9A-C passed over Monhegan, highest at 10:28 PM and heading in the direction I saw. I'd be lying if I said I don't feel a bit silly, but I've never seen any get so bright and then disappear completely, let alone a whole group of them. thank you tommyjo!

heavens-above.com... 27758&type=V

No problem. Thanks for the link to the match up. No need to feel silly. Thanks for posting the detailed account of what you witnessed.