APRIL 2003
07.04.03 MELBOURNE (SUNSHINE), VIC ca2100hrs (NL)
(Source: E-mail Report via AUFORN@yahoogroups.com 09.04.03)
I was with some friends in a (West?) Sunshine parking lot in front of some shops. It was the 7th of April. I don’t know the exact time but it was dark. Was before 9pm because the shops were still open for a bit afterwards. One guy saw something in the sky and I went to see what it was.

It appeared to be an orange fireball. The colour didn’t fluctuate. it moved from the left of the horizon to right. It looked like it was fairly close and low in the sky. It was round and had a flame erupt from it in the opposite direction it was travelling. The flame was low velocity (not shot out like in a jet. more like a simple fire burning) and didn’t appear to be affected by wind. I cant recall exactly, but I think that the flame stopped after a short while. It also didn’t make any sound. Which is why I think none of the shoppers noticed it. The ball moved low in the sky and gradually started to move up and away from me.

I stopped observing it after about 2 minutes. About 5 minutes later, it was half way up the sky. It was a distant orange glow. another 5 minutes later, it was too far to see. I assume it would’ve been in space by now. Which must mean that its velocity gradually increased as well.

It was not a hot air balloon. nor was it any kind of jet, and if it was, it would not use afterburners for that long. not a meteor, those travel much faster and go down not up.

What got me about this thing is that it always looked the same from any angle and its colour and intensity never changed. It looked clear from far away, until it got too small to see. That’s about all I can think of right now.