UFO sighting South East Michigan

About an hour ago I was standing on the porch having a smoke. I'm about 2 blocks north of the Detroit city line. Anyways I'm having a smoke and 2 cop cars came racing down the street. I was thinking they're after someone. But they pulled into the school parking lot and were just sitting there. Suddenly 6 bright red orbs came over the horizon. At first I was thinking they were helicopters or maybe some military operation. So I run in the house and grabbed a family member. We sat there and watched them for about 3 or 4 mintues and all six disappeared at the same exact time. So we went in the house for a minute and when I came back out 3 more orbs came over the horizon. As I'm watching the 3 merged into 1 then shortly after it just disappeared. The orbs were bigger and brighter then any star in the sky. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what I saw. If it weren't for my family member seeing it no one would have ever believed me. My family member is a strict Catholic. She's really baffled by it also. I don't know what to think of it. I'm hoping it shows up in the news over the next couple of days. I'd like an explanation for what I saw. I'm wondering if it was some kind of prank or something?

a reply to: wantsome

Man, that's extreme. Did the cops stay in the car or did they get out and watch too? I'm sure if something like that happened to me I wouldn't have the mindset to think I need to grab my phone and take some video. But did you?

I saw the same/similar thing when I lived in southeast Michigan about 6 years ago. There were A LOT of orange-red orbs, flying formation style. They just kept coming over the horizon. I was at work outside on break, and pointed it out to other people but absolutely nobody thought it was strange or really paid any attention.
a reply to: wantsome

Like this...maybe?

originally posted by: TobyFlenderson
a reply to: wantsome

Man, that's extreme. Did the cops stay in the car or did they get out and watch too? I'm sure if something like that happened to me I wouldn't have the mindset to think I need to grab my phone and take some video. But did you?

No the cops stayed in their cars. I grabbed my digital camera but it's kinds of a piece of junk. I don't know how the pics will turn out. I'm gonna check now.

originally posted by: iWontGiveUP
Like this...maybe?

Yes they looked like that but didn't move as fast.

a reply to: wantsome

What were you smoking?

Ok, that wasn't nice, but honestly? Can we hear/see more?

originally posted by: silo13
a reply to: wantsome

What were you smoking?

Ok, that wasn't nice, but honestly? Can we hear/see more?

Pass the Dutchie

originally posted by: silo13
a reply to: wantsome

What were you smoking?

Ok, that wasn't nice, but honestly? Can we hear/see more?

Did you get pics?

Did the cops follow?

I have 2 photos but they only show up as one small red dot in a sea of black. No point in really uploading them. I'm just hoping something shows up on social media or in the news.

double post

When you say "horizon" are you saying you can see the actual horizon from your viewpoint? Or, is the "horizon" the trees or buildings in front of you?

It makes a difference since if they appeared over the actual horizon, as small lights, then grew larger as they seemed to approach, then the timing can help get a rough estimate of speed.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
When you say "horizon" are you saying you can see the actual horizon from your viewpoint? Or, is the "horizon" the trees or buildings in front of you?

It makes a difference since if they appeared over the actual horizon, as small lights, then grew larger as they seemed to approach, then the timing can help get a rough estimate of speed.

There is a school at the end of my street and behind the school is an apartment complex about 1/4 mile away. They came into view from the west and as they moved closer they appeared to move higher in the sky. Then in the blink of an eye as if someone flipped a switch they disappeared.

a reply to: wantsome

So, they did not really appear from "over the horizon" then?

OK, so they were much closer when they appeared.

Proper description is essential in allowing people to help you determine their origin or purpose.

In that case, they could have been aerial flares launched as fireworks (there are types that launch like a roman candle but have little parachutes to make then hover and descend slowly). They have a fixed burn time...so that timing is important too.

The police could have been there to locate who was launching them and calling it into the station to dispatch a unit to the area.

It is plausible.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
a reply to: wantsome

So, they did not really appear from "over the horizon" then?

OK, so they were much closer when they appeared.

Proper description is essential in allowing people to help you determine their origin or purpose.

In that case, they could have been aerial flares launched as fireworks (there are types that launch like a roman candle but have little parachutes to make then hover and descend slowly). They have a fixed burn time...so that timing is important too.

The police could have been there to locate who was launching them and calling it into the station to dispatch a unit to the area.

It is plausible.

They weren't falling They looked to be maintaining the same altitude as they came closer. I watched the video above again and it's really similar to what I saw except at a further distance. The orbs looked identical in color. They didn't move as fast although the ones I saw were moving in an irregular pattern. They were crossing back and forth and stuff. They were about a mile or more away and about 45* up in the sky. They also disappeared almost the same way as in the video.

Maybe Chinese Lanterns. The police wanted to ensure that they burned out and didn't descend into Detroit. It's too early for the annual Devil's Night celebration.

originally posted by: carewemust
Maybe Chinese Lanterns. The police wanted to ensure that they burned out and didn't descend into Detroit. It's too early for the annual Devil's Night celebration.

Sounds more logical then aliens. I'll buy that.

originally posted by: wantsome

originally posted by: carewemust
Maybe Chinese Lanterns. The police wanted to ensure that they burned out and didn't descend into Detroit. It's too early for the annual Devil's Night celebration.

Sounds more logical then aliens. I'll buy that.

Say it ain't so

Heres a photo for giggles

I didn't think about grabbing my camera until the light show was almost over.

So far all the prosaic explanations given do not match the description of the sighting. Lanterns merging into one and then vanishing doesn't happen, and flares don't travel parallel to the ground or move fast, or move irregularly like zigging or zagging accross the sky.