What Happened
Around midnight on July 5, 2026, two observers watching fireworks from their porch in the Lolo area of Montana witnessed an unusual aerial phenomenon. According to the eyewitnesses, a circular object roughly 20 feet (about 6 meters) across traveled from west to east over Highway 12, then repeated the same motion four or five times over several seconds, like a “shooting star.”
After its initial path, the object stopped at an estimated altitude of 1,000 feet (about 300 meters) above the ground and began emitting a bright green light. One witness used binoculars and observed that the green light lasted about 20 seconds. The object then began shining two red lights side by side, before switching to a single red light.
While the red light was on, the object began moving back west. Unlike a shooting star, it continued to glow as it moved slowly, making course corrections until it disappeared from view. The witnesses estimated its speed at between 800 and 1,000 miles per hour, or two to three times the typical speed of aircraft in the area (250 to 350 miles per hour).
Local Context
The valley lies beneath a flight path serving Missoula International Airport, so regular aircraft traffic is a daily occurrence. The reported speed of the object, however, was well above the average speed of regional aircraft, and green and red lights are not typical features of local aircraft.
Why Is This Interesting?
Several details make the object difficult to identify at a glance: its circular shape, changing light colors, very high speed, and ability to stop and hover at a relatively low altitude. The witnesses suggested it might have been a drone, but there is no information indicating that such an aircraft was operating in the area at the time, and its lights do not match those of most commercial drones.
Summary
The incident remains an open case: an unverified eyewitness account with no video or additional measurements. It highlights the importance of gathering accurate, openly available information about unexplained sightings in rural areas.
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The report is based solely on the eyewitness accounts of two observers. The source has no additional audio or visual documentation.
