I just saw something really weird in the sky. What was it?

[What's his face]

So I was taking the dog for a walk today and I saw this bizarre thing in the sky. It was a small, shapeless point, similar in size to an airplane at cruising altitude. It was moving at about the same speed in the sky as an airplane. What was odd about it was that it was surrounded by a bright, orange glow and had a tail about the same length that the moon has in the sky, that made the whole thing look like a comet. This picture from Google Images is the closest thing I could find to what I saw, except, as I said, everything was orange.

After a few minutes, as it approached the horizon, the tail faded away and disappeared, leaving just a bright orange oval-ish thing.

Now I'm not crazy enough to think this was an alien invasion ship on a brainsucking mission but it was really bizarre and I'm curious as to what it actually was.

Does anyone with knowledge in science stuff have any ideas? Are we under attack by beings from the tenth dimension?

 

[auntiehill]

It was probably a meteorite, burning up on entry.

 

[What's his face]

I doubt it. Shooting stars cross the entire sky in seconds, and don't change shape.

 

[STR]

First thought is a jet leaving a contrail. If it was near dawn, you could get orange light reflecting off of everything because the airplane isn't necessarily in the same lighting conditions as you are. If it entered a different thermal layer, the contrail could disappear too.

You said it yourself, it looked like an airplane, moved like an airplane, and I recall a similar parable involving a duck...

 

[What's his face]

That's my best guess too. It was towards sunset.

 

[STR]

Bingo. Living near O'Hare airport, I've seen a lot of planes from a lot of directions, and it's not uncommon to see a plane reflecting sunlight from high up even after the sun set on the ground 30 minutes ago.

 

[What's his face]

Come to think of it, there is an airport in that direction.

Damn. I was hoping it was aliens.

It was really weird though. I've never seen that kind of effect before.

 

[RandyS]

It looks like a commet.

 

[gturner]

Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from Venus.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

 

[Gepard]

^Standard moderator issue?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

^Standard moderator issue?

 

[Joshua Howard]

It have been a Borg ship traveling through a time warp portal.

 

[Australis]

It could have been a meteor, high up, so it just looked like it was travelling slow.

 

[Nardpuncher]

I've seen meteorites that break apart while entering the atmosphere and this can cause them to wiggle as they deteriorate.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Hey diddle diddle, the cow burnt up on re-entry.

ETA: http://www.chrisbeetles.com/gallery/picture.php?pic=57562

 

[STR]

Come to think of it, there is an airport in that direction.

Which would explain why the contrail disappeared. The plane descended below an altitude in which one would form.

Damn. I was hoping it was aliens.

It never is. That doesn't stop http://abovetopsecret.com from being fairly active. BTW, there be real crazies there.

 

[Brent]

Could be a satellite reflecting sunlight

 

[Owain Taggart]

It was pigs flying after Duke Nukem Forever finally having been completed and having a release date.

 

[PsychoPere]

Damn. I was hoping it was aliens.

It never is. That doesn't stop http://abovetopsecret.com from being fairly active. BTW, there be real crazies there.

More real than TNZ?