SIGHTING: RENO, NEVADA (UNITED STATES)

Witness Testimony

"On June 12, 2012, at approx. 11:00pm, PDT, while walking from house to shop, my eyes were drawn to a very bright light moving from North to South over Reno. I live about 38 miles NE of Reno. It was moving away at a speed I would not expect from an aircraft. I saw it first at 90 degrees and in less than a minute it changed direction and disappeared at approximately 15 degrees to the South.I found it unusual that the light was shining straight downward, and was visible from the rear. There were no strobe lights As it passed to the south, it jiggled, and the bright light faded to a very dim red light and then totally disappeared. Still no strobe visible where it was, but there were several strobes visible on East/West aircraft to the South.We are not customarily beneath North/South air traffic, it is further West. Take-offs at the Reno Airport, are usually curfewed by 10:00pm, and are much lower as they land or take-off North or South, depending on the wind. I was not aware that there were bright landing lights facing anywhere but forward (South)."