this momentous day in March 1997 continues to intrigue researchers, analysts, the media and thousands of residents of Arizona and beyond.
6.15
St. Clair, Illinois Sightings in Jan, 2000
One of the more recent and well-documented sightings observed by multiple witnesses occurred during the early morning hours of January 5, 2000 in St. Clair County, IL just east of St. Louis, MO. This sighting was researched by several organizations including NUFORC98, MUFON99, and NIDS100 and later a TV documentary101 was aired which included excellent computer simulations on what was seen based on all the various witness reports. The following summary description is quoted from the NUFORC report of the event.102 “On Wednesday, January 05, 2000, the National UFO Reporting Center received two telephone messages (at 0316 and 0351 hrs. Pacific Standard Time) from Officer Thomas ‘Ed’ Barton, employed by the Lebanon, IL, Police Department. The messages apprised our Center that a UFO sighting had occurred in St. Clair County, Illinois, and in surrounding areas, at approximately 0410 hrs. (Central) earlier that morning. “Later the same morning, we were able to talk to Officer Barton, who reported to us the following: At approximately 0410 hrs. (Central) on that morning, he overheard an announcement by the St. Clair (IL) Emergency Dispatch operator that a citizen had entered the Highland, IL, police station, and requested that an officer go outside and view a very peculiar object that was hovering nearby in the sky. The citizen had witnessed the bizarre looking object on his way to work, and he apparently refused to leave the station until a police officer had viewed the object with him. “Having heard the announcement about the incident over his radio, Officer Barton looked to the southeast from his location in Lebanon, and noticed two extremely bright white lights suspended in the sky, close to the horizon. The two lights were radiating so much light that the spectacle reminded Officer Barton of the Japanese ‘Rising Sun’ symbol, used on the Japanese battle flag. A very short period of time later, the two large lights appeared to merge into one, and the illumination the object was radiating appeared to increase dramatically. “Officer Barton began driving south and east in attempt to approach the object. He turned his overhead flashers on, and at times was driving at 75-80 M.P.H. toward the object, which was still generally to the southeast of his position. After a short period of time, Officer Barton realized that the object appeared to be traveling toward him. “ He stopped his vehicle, extinguished his overhead flashers, and rolled down the window on the passenger side of his vehicle. The object approached his location, and passed overhead at an estimated altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet, and within an estimated 100 feet lateral distance of his position on the ground. It was headed generally to the west, or northwest, at this time. The object was distinctly triangular in shape, with three white lights on the apices of the triangle, and 98
National UFO Reporting Center Mutual UFO Network 100 The National Institute for Discovery Science 101 “UFO Over Illinois: Anatomy of a Sighting”, Discovery Channel, 2000 102 Report prepared by: Peter B. Davenport, Director, on Monday, January 10, 2000, at 2300 hrs. (Pacific). (Revised on January 22, 2000.). Web site at: http://www.msatech.com/nuforc/CB000105.html 99
402
