UFO over Artesia, New Mexico

I am in Artesia, New Mexico this week for work. Last night, I was at a co-worker's house looking at the planets through his ten-inch reflector telescope when we spotted what appeared to be a bright satellite moving steadily from west to east across the sky. My co-worker ran inside for binoculars so we could check to see if the object was maybe the International Space Station. By the time he returned, the object had moved below the moon and was passing above Mars. As he raised the binoculars, the object disappeared. It hadn't moved out of viewing range; it had simply winked out.

This experience reminded me of early morning walks with my dog Charlie when we lived in Aspen and the winter sun was late to rise. I would sometimes see lights in the pre-dawn sky that I knew were not planets or bright stars. As I watched, they would occasionally wink out, leaving only an after-image in their wake.

I never had an explanation for this phenomenon until a recent exchange with a person who is avid about UFOs. He told me that the disappearing behavior is not for cloaking or concealment but rather a side-effect of the crafts' propulsion systems. The beings behind the crafts are not trying to hide, though they are definitely keeping a very low profile. This may be because their presence here, I was told, is not just a visitation; it is an occupation.