Multiple reports of strange lights over Waukesha, WI, 1/1/2013

Greetings!

Here's one for the archives:

What Were Those Lights Over Waukesha?

Multiple people in Waukesha County called WTMJ reporters and the Waukesha Sheriff's Department, reporting unusual lights in the evening sky.
...
"We got a second call a little after that, probably about a little after 7:15 p.m. A lady in Waukesha called and said that she saw it to the west, that it was standing still in the sky, numerous lights, appearing to be too large to be a planet. It wasn't moving. She didn't think it was an airplane or a helicopter.

That second call corresponded to what one caller told us.

"I looked in the sky and saw this bright light," said the caller.

"It was changing colors, so I knew it was not a star. It actually started changing shapes and stayed stationary. It was not an airplane, and it was not a helicopter.

"It had red and gold, it had blue and green. I don't know what the heck it is. I did see color changes. You did see red at the bottom. Then there would be a red spot at the top, then there would be a blue light at the left, and almost like a tail that gave shape to it."

Another caller into WTMJ gave us this description.

"I saw this white light above the horizon in the city of Waukesha, and it had green and red lights circulating around it," said the caller.

"It was moving. It was really low to the ground, and it was moving slow. It didn't look like a helicopter, and it wasn't making any noise.

"We saw two of the exact same thing, at the same height, looking the same colors, and the one went towards the other one and disappeared. We were watching it and, all of a sudden, couldn't see it anymore.

"When I was standing on my back porch, it looked like it had an aura around it."

That's because comets typically do have auras as they travel.

I love how the last line of the "news" story brushes off the entire incident as definitely a comet, because comets typically have auras.

I don't think comets display as a white light with "green and red lights circulating around it", nor do they fly low and move slowly as described.

Wish there was some video. Maybe some will turn up on YT. If it was a comet 38 million miles away, then there should be more witnesses in the Midwest US for sure. Anyone know of other reports?

Edit: Here's another link, a similar story from the area in 2009:
Curious lights in Waukesha County sky might have been comet

"She called in at about 6:30 p.m., and she said she saw a red and blue light in the sky.It wasn't moving

"We got a second call a little after that, probably about a little after 7:15 p.m. A lady in Waukesha called and said that she saw it to the west, that it was standing still in the sky, numerous lights, appearing to be too large to be a planet. It wasn't moving

There are some bright scintillating stars in the sky this time of year I believe that is what they saw . .

Here's Arcturus

Hmm,thats odd,your second link is from 2009 and similar to the first one.

Feb. 25, 2009

www.jsonline.com...

Originally posted by kdog1982
Hmm,thats odd,your second link is from 2009 and similar to the first one.

Feb. 25, 2009

Thanks! I edited the OP to reflect that the similar story in the 2nd link is from 2009.

I guess strange lights are always a comet according to the authorities in that area.

reply to post by InTheFlesh1980


Comets dont just show up out of no where either. Comets are something that we see approaching and leaving and the viewing times are usually months long not minutes. Comets dont surprise and they dont just show up and then disappear either. What ever it was we can say for sure what it was not and that is a comet.

I've seen these balls of light personally. Like you said, "they appear out of nothing." I wanna go ahead and make this thread my RED FLAG #4.

For more videos of these type of lights:

RED FLAG #1
RED FLAG #2
RED FLAG #3

saw the same thing in arizona late last night.
brighter than a star ... rapidly changing colors.
in the south / east section of the sky, no other stars visible in that area.
stationary ...the only movement would be due to the rotation of earth.
no tail... i didn't think it was a comet.

maybe there are more reports.

edit; just watched OP's vid [i had youtube blocked]
what i saw was just like that but the change in color was much more vivid.

reply to post by InTheFlesh1980


Both articles appear to be describing the same incident from 2009

OP article...

"The first call we got was from a woman from the Town of Ottawa," said Ruff.
"She called in at about 6:30 p.m.

2009 article...

Ruff said the first call came into the sheriff's department at 6:31 p.m.

In any case, I cam almost guarantee what they saw was Sirius, flashing all sorts of colors, and being mistaken for a ufo, as it often is.

"It had red and gold, it had blue and green. I don't know what the heck it is. I did see color changes. You did see red at the bottom. Then there would be a red spot at the top, then there would be a blue light at the left, and almost like a tail that gave shape to it."

EDIT to add:

Yeah, because stars often are thought to be low enough to the ground that the witnesses feel they should be able to hear noise, if the object makes a noise.

reply to post by JayinAR


I was speaking of the two sightings of the stationary red/blue blinking object, not the other sighting of the moving objects, which were probably aircraft.

I always have difficulty with mass sightings of multi-color lights on July 4th, or the new year.

So.. perhaps something other-worldly.. but more likely a celebration, imo.

I always have difficulty with mass sightings of multi-color lights on July 4th, or the new year.

So.. perhaps something other-worldly.. but more likely a celebration, imo.