What Did I Spot Over Lake Michigan?
Date and Time: December 23, 2024, 00:50:52 UTC
Location: Somewhere above Lake Michigan
I’m sharing two videos: the first one cuts off after I show the instrument cluster, while the second is a zoomed-in clip I captured a few minutes later.
While flying eastbound over Illinois, I noticed a flashing light at our 9 o’clock position. Initially, I thought it was another aircraft. By the time we approached Chicago, the light had shifted to our 11 o’clock and was positioned quite high. That’s when I recorded the first video, which also shows my altitude and location. I tracked the object for around 45 minutes to an hour, following its path from our 9 o’clock to 4 o’clock.
If I had to estimate, it seemed to be cruising at an altitude of 50,000 to 60,000 feet and was moving rapidly, reportedly crossing the Great Lakes within minutes.
The object appeared to have two white lights, one of which was pulsating, and its lighting didn’t resemble that of typical aircraft, even when viewed through my binoculars.
Importantly, we could not identify it on TCAS, and ATC didn’t register anything unusual either.
I’m curious: what could this have been?
It’s certainly intriguing to hear about your observation over Lake Michigan. Based on your description of the lights, altitude, and speed, there are several possibilities for what you might have seen.
Satellite: Given the altitude and speed, it’s possible that you were looking at a satellite, especially if it was reflecting sunlight, which could explain the bright, pulsating appearance. Many satellites can travel at high altitudes and can appear as fast-moving lights across the sky.
Military Aircraft: There are some military aircraft that operate at high altitudes and may not be detected by standard air traffic control systems, especially if they are not emitting standard transponder signals. If it was a military exercise, it might explain the unusual lighting.
Meteor or Space Debris: If the lights appeared to be falling or moving quickly, it could have been a meteor or some re-entering space debris, which can also have a bright light trail.
UFO: If none of the above explanations fit, some might consider unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, though it’s always wise to analyze all other possibilities before reaching that conclusion.
Without more data, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what you saw, but the absence of detection on TCAS and ATC suggests it could be something outside typical aircraft operations. Videos like yours can contribute valuable information for further investigation. It might be worth sharing with any local aviation groups or communities interested in odd sightings to see if anyone else reported something similar.