What Happened
On September 20, 2003, at about 8:30 p.m., a husband and wife went for a run in their Atlanta, Georgia, neighborhood. As darkness fell, they continued along Old College Way. Suddenly, he looked up and saw a “panel of orbs” hovering directly overhead, about 300 to 600 meters above the ground. The orbs appeared in three horizontal rows, each made up of six round lights that illuminated the sky. They shone brightly and made no sound. The formation moved slowly from west to east, at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees relative to the ground.
The formation appeared intact, without any sudden movements. After a few seconds, the lights began to fade, as if in response to the witness watching them. As they dimmed, a dark shadow, shaped like a short cigar, disappeared along with them. No trace of a body or structure remained.
At the same time, a small private plane passed overhead, flying north. Its engines were audible. The witness said the plane did not appear to be connected to the orbs and did not seem to change course. His wife, who missed the initial sighting, first thought it was a shooting star. But after the lights disappeared and the plane passed, she again suggested that it was a natural phenomenon.
The eyewitness described the orbs as “a panel of lights hovering in three dimensions.” He said the dark shadow behind the lights resembled a cigar but had no apparent depth or movement. He reiterated that the lights were completely silent, unlike the familiar low hum of a Goodyear blimp, which can usually be heard in the background.
Context and Significance
Reports of hovering orbs are not uncommon in UFO databases, but most describe groups of lights or lanterns moving gently across the sky. What sets this case apart is the orbs’ “egg-shaped” formation: three rows of six lights, accompanied by a dark shadow that hinted at a complete structure rather than a mere light source. The fact that the sighting was reported by a runner who was highly alert, while a private plane was also overhead, adds complexity to the circumstances.
What Do the Sources Say?
NUFORC contacted the witness and reported that he was “highly aware, objective, and credible.” The witness’s wife was also invited to submit her own report, but no further response was recorded. The account remains unverified, with no further corroboration.
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Was this a natural phenomenon, human technology, or something else?
There is still no definitive answer. The sighting may have involved aircraft lights, an atmospheric lighting effect, or a rare optical phenomenon. What is clear is that the witness had an unusual experience, and the combination of the orbs and the dark shadow created the impression of a “hovering object.”
