" UFO " over Mount Graham, Arizona

[Sakari]

First, I quoted " UFO " as the true meaning. I am not a " Aliens are visiting Earth " kind of person. Just hoping maybe some of the Astronomers or the like may have an answer.

We recently moved from Oregon ( God I miss it ) to Safford, Arizona. I work in a processing plant in the biggest Copper mine in the world, in Morenci. Morenci is 45 miles from Safford, I commute daily to and from work, working rotating shifts. Myself and a friend that moved here have noticed a very bright " Star " over Mount Graham when we drive home in the dark. I never thought anything of it, thinking it is the North star, as it never seems to move throughout the times we see it.

This went on for the last 3 months, not all the time, but see it and think not much of it, other then " that sure is bright ".

It never occured to me, until last night, that it is not all ways there. 2 nights ago ( I am off ) my wife said " that sure is ****g bright ". I went to the back porch to look. We live close to Mount Graham, and have a great view. She thought it was the Vatican observatory lit up. I told her no way, it is much higher then the mountain is, and it is the North Star, or Jupiter. I did think it was much brighter then I have seen, but still did not think much of it.

Now, a night later, it was not there. Clear sky, saw other stars. It was there 2 nights, gone 2 nights, back that night, gone last night. And there most of the time I drive home. It does not move. Not sure if it will be there tonight.

Thins I know it is not, from living and seeing these things :

Plane landing.

Helicopter

Car lights

Flares.

I will also mention we enjoy on a daily basis almost, watching the Air Force practice dog fighting, including dropping flares, day and night. Cool to watch.

It is dead silent when that light is there, and it stays there for hours, if not all night most of the time. I found a video on you tube, and it appears to be the same thing. The video, or pictures do not do it justice.( there other things on the net about the observatory, but they are wayy out there. This is the only thin I found that is " credible " to what I am seeing.)

Here is the video, and any ideas would be welcome to hear. I will drive that way next time I am off, and next time it is there. I will take pics, but doubt they will be worth a crap.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Waspie_Dwarf
Link to video fixed. Links must start http:// NOT https://

[+DieChecker]

It's not a radio tower either, is it.

While driving back North from visiting my Folks here in Oregon we came around a hill and I saw what looked like a square, with a light at each corner floating in the sky. It didn't move or seem to be getting closer. I asked my wife, "What do you think that is?", and thought about pulling over and taking a pic. But then we went around another bend and it became clear that it was the very tops of two radio style towers poking over a hill that I'd not noticed due to the overcast weather and the deep darkness that you find in the hills, even near the Interstate. But, for at least 30 seconds, I thought I was looking at something actually very weird.

EDIT: Watched your video. You should probably add some kind of explaination about that last 10 seconds, or the UFO enthusiests will say that it shot off at light speed directly away from you. You are right that it does not show much. Maybe if there was something to indicate scale....

My best guess would be a planet. Or a satellite? It didn't move, right?

Edited December 5, 2013 by DieChecker

[Sakari]

It's not a radio tower either, is it.

While driving back North from visiting my Folks here in Oregon we came around a hill and I saw what looked like a square, with a light at each corner floating in the sky. It didn't move or seem to be getting closer. I asked my wife, "What do you think that is?", and thought about pulling over and taking a pic. But then we went around another bend and it became clear that it was the very tops of two radio style towers poking over a hill that I'd not noticed due to the overcast weather and the deep darkness that you find in the hills, even near the Interstate. But, for at least 30 seconds, I thought I was looking at something actually very weird.

EDIT: Watched your video. You should probably add some kind of explaination about that last 10 seconds, or the UFO enthusiests will say that it shot off at light speed directly away from you. You are right that it does not show much. Maybe if there was something to indicate scale....

My best guess would be a planet. Or a satellite? It didn't move, right?

Never moved. I will take pics my next days off of where we sat, and the mountain. Nothing in between. Not radio towers. The video, I only found that by searching.

For 3 months I was saying it is the North Star, or Jupiter. But last night, when it was not there, that made no sense to me. Then, when my wife tells me it will be there for hours, then later in the night it is gone, I have no clue....I am lost on this one.

Never moves, not even like the stars do over time.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Sakari

[Simbi Laveau]

Welcome back Sakari.

And that sounds very interesting on numerous levels.

One, it's interesting. Two , you never ever even hint at anything ever being even remotely otherworldly, as a possible explanation for something.

Dunno. Weird stuff goes on in those desert areas.

I have a feeling you may see lots of other weird stuff you never thought possible before.

Hope you are well.

[Sakari]

Welcome back Sakari.

And that sounds very interesting on numerous levels.

One, it's interesting. Two , you never ever even hint at anything ever being even remotely otherworldly, as a possible explanation for something.

Dunno. Weird stuff goes on in those desert areas.

I have a feeling you may see lots of other weird stuff you never thought possible before.

Hope you are well.

Thank You Simbi,

Doing well, hope you are also !

Enjoy that Goose dinner

As said, I have no idea what it is. I am comfortable saying not a planet, star, plane, flare, car, or light on the mountain. It is well above the mountain. I will get pics, when I get back to days off.

[Virot Maglan]

This is probably a very incorrect guess but could it have something to do with the obersvatory? Some light maybe projecting onto cloud or something?

[+DieChecker]

Can you see it over the whole 45 mile trip? Can you judge the distance?

[S2F]

Thank You Simbi,

Doing well, hope you are also !

Enjoy that Goose dinner

As said, I have no idea what it is. I am comfortable saying not a planet, star, plane, flare, car, or light on the mountain. It is well above the mountain. I will get pics, when I get back to days off.

Try to get a night and day pic from the same place for reference. Could you provide coordinates and direction of the object? I could check Google maps and Stellarium to see if there is anything in that direction.

Good to see you around again Sakari, sucks that you had to move. Arizona's not bad but it's no substitute for the PNW. I miss this place after being gone for more than a week at a time.

[+DieChecker]

Arizona's not bad but it's no substitute for the PNW. I miss this place after being gone for more than a week at a time.

And he had lived right on the Ocean. Man, I'd love to be minutes from the Ocean, where I could just drop by after work and walk a mile in the sand.

[Sakari]

This is probably a very incorrect guess but could it have something to do with the obersvatory? Some light maybe projecting onto cloud or something?

No, it looks like Venus. It was there earlier for about 2 hours, it is now gone. Wierd.

Can you see it over the whole 45 mile trip? Can you judge the distance?

Yes, except when in passes. My friend said it moves, I said no, we are moving. As said, I thought north star or Venus. But it is not al ways there.

Try to get a night and day pic from the same place for reference. Could you provide coordinates and direction of the object? I could check Google maps and Stellarium to see if there is anything in that direction.

Good to see you around again Sakari, sucks that you had to move. Arizona's not bad but it's no substitute for the PNW. I miss this place after being gone for more than a week at a time.

Miss it very bad......

And he had lived right on the Ocean. Man, I'd love to be minutes from the Ocean, where I could just drop by after work and walk a mile in the sand.

Loved it, could here the waves at our house.

[Sakari]

I'll get some pics.....And directions.

[+DieChecker]

Loved it, could here the waves at our house.

[Simbi Laveau]

Why did you have to move. Job? Health?

My best friend spent much of her life in Phoenix, and she said it was just dull.

And hot, and watching scorpions cross the road gets tedious after a while.

I dare say there's more to do there since she moved to NYC in the 90s though.

[PersonFromPorlock]

A suggestion, if you have a tripod: set it up and aim a camera or telescope directly at the light, then lock it in position. Then look again once it's light.

[Sakari]

Why did you have to move. Job? Health?

My best friend spent much of her life in Phoenix, and she said it was just dull.

And hot, and watching scorpions cross the road gets tedious after a while.

I dare say there's more to do there since she moved to NYC in the 90s though.

Job...Oregon was my dream, but need to pay the bills

Arizona is not bad, I spent my entire life ( except last 5 years ) in Nevada.

Hear, not " here "........Damn Iphone.

[psyche101]

Have you checked heavens above?

Jupiter does seem to be rather bright right now, it has been catching my eye for about 2 weeks now. Any chance high cloud cover could obscure the view on certain nights?

[DONTEATUS]

How about Venus ! Its Rockin this Month In Big-D !

[Sakari]

I just got star chart. The light was there earlier, but gone. Not Venus.

I am wondering if it could be Hubble?..Or the space station?.....Maybe when the sun hits it just right on the solar panels?

Will look more into it on my day off. I saw it on my way way home, and the wife saw it.

[ChrLzs]

Sakari, you are aware that sky moves overhead and that Venus is only up for a coupla hours? And that later, another bright star will have moved to a vaguely similar height, if not azimuth? ( eg Fomalhaut, Canopus, Rigel or Sirius, Procyon or Jupiter being likely candidates at the moment, depending on where you are looking..

You really need to carefully note the time and your direction of view (N, E, SW..?) and the angular height above horizon. Horizon = 0 degrees, overhead = 90, a fist at arms length is about ten degrees, btw...

[Shiloh17]

Could be a stationary satellite that turns it's reflectors into the sunlight to keep it charged. That could be why it is there,

then isn't.

[Macroramphosis]

One of these, perhaps ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_satellite

[toast]

I just got star chart. The light was there earlier, but gone. Not Venus. I am wondering if it could be Hubble?..Or the space station?.....Maybe when the sun hits it just right on the solar panels? Will look more into it on my day off. I saw it on my way way home, and the wife saw it.

It´s not ISS or Hubble as both are moving very quickly around the planet.

Download STELLARIUM, it´s interaktiv, for free and a very good tool for star-friends. You can add your location and it will show you always whats going on up there (conventional). Don´t talk, try it!

http://www.stellarium.org/en_GB/

[PersonFromPorlock]

I see that from where you are, the observatory is to the Southwest. That could mean your light is a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit over the equator well to the West of you, which would explain both its apparent non-movement and on-and-off nature (it would be in sunlight well into your night, but not all night).

Edited December 6, 2013 by PersonFromPorlock

[Sakari]

Thank you all.

I am pretty sure it is Venus. I think the suggestion another star was there later may be it. I did first tell my wife it was a planet. It was when she said " why is it gone then ".....Then it came back.

Power of suggestion....I hit it, hook, line, and sinker.

I used Sky chart, and Venus lines up.

[+DieChecker]

Thank you all.

I am pretty sure it is Venus. I think the suggestion another star was there later may be it. I did first tell my wife it was a planet. It was when she said " why is it gone then ".....Then it came back.

Power of suggestion....I hit it, hook, line, and sinker.

I used Sky chart, and Venus lines up.

President Jimmy Carter once reported Venus as a UFO. Claimed it was following him, I believe.