Occurred: 2024-06-11 00:31 Local
Reported: 2024-06-28 18:50 Pacific
Duration: 50 minutes
No of observers: 3 - Pilot - Military
Location: , , Unspecified
Location details: While flying from N24 24.6 W144 59.2 on a course of 054 degrees to N26 59.7 W138 12.3 at 35,000
Shape: Orb
Color: White
Estimated Size: Unknown
Viewed From: Aircraft
Direction from Viewer: 330-360
Angle of Elevation: 10
Closest Distance: Unknown
Estimated Speed: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object, Emitted other objects
Lights in low earth orbit illuminating brightly then fading, staying stationary, then moving in multiple directions, then orbiting
While flying between Latitude / Longitude coordinates stated above in the location details, and at FL350 between 0831 Zulu time and 0921 Zulu time, myself and 2 other pilots observed multiple unexplained orbs of light at our 830-1000 o'clock position, roughly in the direction of the Alaskan Aleutian Islands In reference to constellations, these UAPs were on a line drawn from the handle of the Big Dipper, intersecting through the bottom right corner of the dipper's spoon and observed roughly half the distance of the entire Big Dipper constellation away from the bottom right corner along the described line. All observations reported below were located between 5 and 20 degrees of elevation in the northern sky.
The observation started with a single stationary orb of light resembling a star, which slowly increased in illumination to the brightest light in the night sky. Twice over the duration of this event, some orbs of light illuminated to possibly the brightest light I've ever witnessed while watching the night sky. This interval was roughly 7 seconds. After the second observation of this event I began timing the intervals between observations, and the first 3-4 events timed at approximately 45 seconds. Multiple observations that followed were at irregular intervals between 5 seconds and 2 minutes. This was followed by an observation of a second orb slightly below and to the left, exhibiting similar behavior by increasing and decreasing illumination intensity. The maximum range of intensity varied as well as the maximum and minimum illumination during the course of observation. I was initially cautious in my observation believing there was undetectable weather phenomenon obscuring or altering our view such as high level cirrus clouds or other cloud formations on the far northern horizon. After minimizing any remaining light pollution in the cockpit, cross-referencing weather reported by onboard systems (to include enhanced vision systems) with air traffic control, and utilizing unaugmented vision through naked eye observation - it was concluded by all 3 pilots that there was not any weather obstructing our view of the phenomenon. We discussed our observations over our many years of many similar looking space related events such as geo-stationary and rotating satellites, star-link satellites, iridium satellite flashes, reflections from space debris, rocket launches and booster separations, military missile testing, etc. As we continued our observations, we quickly ruled out the aforementioned events. The orbs of light began moving rapidly along straight lines but at different degrees of elevation from left to right across the sky. The lights would then lose intensity and start again from the original observation point. At one point a a total of 7 orbs of light, in different degrees of elevation from the horizon were observed at the same time, sometimes all at the same level of illumination, and sometimes at varying degrees of intensity. I'd estimated the speed to be between 2-4 times the speed of an observable satellite. At different times through the event, the lights would both become stationary and/or move in the opposite direction from right to left. At 3 different times the orb movement deviated from what we originally witnessed as straight line movements, to abrupt changes in elevation, to smooth changes in linear movement from straight line to a curved path. At one point it appeared that a single orb of light while at a high level of illumination had 2-3 other dimmer orbs of light accelerate away from it at a very high rate of speed..
I was absolutely amazed at the randomness of the event, the unexplained behaviors, the change from stationary to fluid movements, to rapid accelerations, and the degree at which multiple objects appeared or disappeared and on so many different planes of elevation and azimuth. The only resemblance of a pattern within the time of observed lights came in the last 8-10 minutes of observation when 5 orbs of light entered a racetrack orbit, with varying degrees of light intensity. To rule out the possibility that these objects were closer than estimated such as 45,000-70,000 feet and 100-300 miles away, Air Traffic control was queried a second time as we neared the western coast about any radar-indicated traffic in the vicinity of observation and none were reported.
From my experience I'd estimate that these objects were either in low-earth orbit near the polar region or even much further into space. All 3 observers are highly trained, highly experienced commercial international airline pilots, including 2 retired combat military aviators, with over 40,000 hours of combined flying experience.
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