Texas Couple Sight Erratic Moving Light

Date of Sighting: August 26, 2004
Date Reported: August 31, 2004
Time of Sighting: 2 to 3 AM C.D.T.
Location: Cypress, Texas (Near Houston, Texas)
Latitude:  29.94078 Degrees North
Longitude:  95.63174 Degrees West
Number of Witnesses: Two
Weather: Thunderstorms Were in the Area (According to the Witness)

Description:  At around 2 am a man's wife ran into the house and told her husband that he "ought to see this space stuff."  Apparently the husband builds telescopes and is an amateur astronomer.  He said that he and his wife watched an erratic moving light.  The light would move rapidly left then rapidly right, and then would stop (at its original position).  They observed the light for about one hour.  He said that the light had "multi-energetic" lights surrounding it like a halo.  He said that the movement was fast.  The witness described the luminance as equal to the brightness of a 5 magnitude star.  (This would be dim compared to a bright planet in the sky like Venus.) The witness also stated that object was about 30 degrees above the tree line and was observed in a south to southwesterly direction.

Investigation: This report has just been received so little data has yet been collected.  A subsequent interview with witness revealed that the original reported date had been wrong.  However, the witness was not sure of the August 26, 2004 date.  He said that this date could be a couple of days off.  For this reason this makes the sighting difficult to investigate.  A check of the weather on August 26, 2004 shows no significant weather in the area, but the witness said that intense electrical storms were in the area at the time of the sighting.  If this is true, then the date would have to have been different than August 26. 

Concluding Remarks: This sighting cannot be explained given the available data.  More data could possibly reveal the identity of the light.  Based on the information from the witness the lights could have been related to the thunderstorm (e.g. ball lightning).  However, more information would be needed to make a reliable conclusion.