Reports are emerging from a Gulfstream G550 flight crew of an unidentified lighted object in the sky above them. On a December 23 night flight to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the business jet was cruising near the Bahamas at Flight Level 430 or FL 450 when air traffic control asked them to look for “a foreign object” near their position. It’s unclear whether controllers were relaying reports from other aircraft or if they were tracking the object on radar.
We’re not told what time of night this occurred, but it certainly looks like a high altitude weather balloon illuminated by the sun to me. They can routinely go to 120,000 ft MSL — I think the highest was something like 170,000 ft — and it may be that at a higher altitude the sun has not yet become obscured by the earth (i.e. the sun hadn’t set yet at 120,000’).
It’s a well recognized physiological occurrence called “autokinesis.” where a single object in an otherwise dark featureless background appears to move randomly.
Sweet dreams to all you controllers, pilots and Cassandra. You’ve just been blessed by Venus the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Go home and make the most of your romantic blessing.
