SIGHTING: LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA (UNITED STATES)
Witness Testimony
"On 110814 I was vacationing with family (wife and child) in La Quinta Ca. After spending the day hours in downtown Palm Springs we returned to our rental in La Quinta Ca. We changed and headed for the pool. We rode our bikes from our home to a pool located near the main gate of the community. We swam in the pool and then moved to the hot tub. While in the hot tub we relaxed and stargazed, as we often do while we are there. I began looking west towards the Santa Rosa Mountains admiring the numerous stars in the night sky. We talked about how dark it was compared with home in Oregon for the time of day, it was around 1815 to 1840 hours. We chatted about how many stars were visible and how pleasant it was out. A movement in the sky next to a 2 palm trees which line the interior SW corner of the pool landscaping caught my eye. I thought at first it must be the shadow of a large bird flapping its wings. It took a second for me to realize it was not bird in flight. The object was not just behind the palm tree but in the sky beyond it. It occupied the airspace between my location and the mountain. As it moved across the sky from behind the palm tree I saw it was large. Its size made it difficult to judge its actual dimensions (I would guess as large as a commercial airliner) or its altitude in the sky. Frankly, its appearance confused me so could only base my observations by comparing it to the mountain and palm trees. From my vantage point it was as large as the top of the palm tree fronds (not its actual size but the object was in the distance and still looked about the size palm tree top) This palm tree is about 40 feet tall and the object was about the same size in the sky. Its altitude seemed to be no more than the height of the mountain that runs adjacent to the community on the far west side. When I first noticed the object it seemed blurry. It moved into a clearing passed the palm trees at an angle just in front of me. There were no obstructions between myself and the object. It was literally right in front of me. The night sky was my backdrop as it moved across the sky. It was a large equilateral triangle. Its height was far less in comparison to its length of its sides. The outside of it was darker than the night sky but it blended into the sky above it. The object itself was black and seemed shiny when it was at its most focused point (meaning the shape was blurry and then came into focus). I could make out the outer edges of the triangle and also the whole body as it blocked the stars in the sky it passed in front of. I could not make out any surface details. Each corner of the triangle housed a round light. The lights were not small beacon lights but quite large. The round lights were not extremely bright and seemed a muted yellow even dim. The lights did not pulsate or flash like airplane beacons either. It also appeared clearer to me the more directly in front of me it was. It continued across the sky until it was NE of me. It passed behind more palm trees at which point I lost it in the sky and could no longer locate it. The object made no noise and seemed completely silent. The aircraft moved from the SW towards the NE across the sky. It moved slowly but never stopped, slower than a C130 at an airshow slow. The entire aircraft slowly rotated on its axis. I believe it rotated counter clockwise. It did not change direction or altitude. Its movement across the sky seemed effortless. It seemed to float in the air like a raft would float on the water but light like cottonwood seed fuzz. A smooth movement like a ball bearing rolling across a glass top table. Its movement was very different than any plane, helicopter or balloon I have ever seen. Smooth, slow, light and effortless. During the time I was watching the object I attempted to point it out to my wife and young son. Neither were able to see it and they told me I was quite excited while pointing toward it and not making much sense to them. I described to them what I saw a large triangle with three round lights in the corners slowly rotating as it moved across the sky. Important things about this siting. This was a calm night with little to no breeze. This particular community proximity to mountain makes flying a plane, helicopter too dangerous/not possible especially at night without lights. The community has only ground lighting. The community is far away from city lights. The community is flanked by the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west blocking all light pollution from the west. The community is also far away from urban areas and is quite quiet, especially in the evenings. The object was much lower than any plane I have witnessed above the property. Most planes I have seen are flying at cruising altitudes far above the mountains. The helicopters I have seen are military and also fly well above the mountains. I believe we had a full moon on the 8th but the moon starts low at the horizon line until it moves upwards into the sky later in the evening. "
