Map Showing Locations of Both Sightings Which Were About 70 Miles Apart.

Date of Sighting: September 19, 2009
Time of Sighting: 7:55 PM EDT
Location of Sighting: Patchogue, New York

Description: A bright light that was first thought to be the moon was seen in the Southern sky. The light emitted a bright beam of light. The light appeared to "vaporize" and disappeared in about three seconds.

Note: A similar sighting was reported over Newburgh, New York at the same time (see map above). Several other reports were received in the Eastern U.S. at the same time as the above sighting.

Update - September 20, 2009: The bright beam of light (cone shaped) was due to a NASA rocket launch from Wallops, Virginia Flight Facility. Read news release.