help me identify what I observed

Hi,

Walsall, UK
29-09-11 23:30

I had been observing Jupiter with my son. It was clear, though there must
have been a very thin haze of cloud because the seeing wasn't brilliant. We
stopped to watch a low-flying plane pass over the house on its way to
Birmingham airport. The plane approached from roughly SW and as it passed
overhead turned to a more easterly track in the direction of the airport. As
it disappeared over the house I saw three yellow/orange lights out of the
corner of my eye.

The lights were not sharp, they were dim, slightly fuzzy and a thin oval
shape, with the centre brighter than the edges. Each was the same length
(about half the diameter of a full moon). All three followed a parallel
course from south to north. Two were close together, about two moon
diameters apart, and the third further away and slightly behind.

They travelled very fast. From first observing them almost overhead to them
disappearing (fading out in unison about 20 degrees above the horizon) took
only 3 to 4 seconds.

I shouted to my son who also saw them. When I asked him to describe what he
saw, he described the same as I had observed.

My initial impression was that it was some kind of reflection onto a thin
cloud layer, but I can't see how it could be connected to the plane we saw
given the relative directions and the speed difference.

Pretty sure they were not Chinese lanterns, satellites or meteors (all of
which I have observed before)

I would appreciate any thoughts!

--
Andrew Woodward