Glowing Orb Sighting at the Imperial Sand Dunes, CA – 1998
Time: Around midnight, Thanksgiving weekend 1998.
Location: Buttercup Hill, Imperial Sand Dunes, approximately 30 minutes west of the Yuma, AZ border.
I wanted to share an unusual experience that my friend and I had many years ago. I’m being sincere about this, but you can take my story as you wish—I’m not trying to convince anyone. After reading various posts on Reddit and hearing other tales, I feel reassured that I won’t be written off as crazy by everyone! 😜
It was our annual trip to the dunes during Thanksgiving, and I was there with my friend and his family, both of us still in high school. Naturally, we brought along two 40oz beers to celebrate our arrival from Arizona. We decided to wait until late at night, once everyone else was done riding, to enjoy them safely.
While we were sitting atop Buttercup Hill, enjoying our drinks and smoking cigarettes, we spotted a bright, glowing orb rising over the ridge of the large dunes to the south. Its warm hue was mostly orange with some yellow mixed in. It looked like a bright buggy whip light creeping over the hill, but it kept rising higher, which ruled out that explanation. The orb moved in strange, erratic patterns, almost as if it were scanning the area. The most unsettling part was watching it dart left and right from our perspective.
We observed the phenomenon for about ten minutes, debating what we were seeing and how no one would believe us when we returned home. Eventually, we made our way back to camp. Just like many others who have had similar experiences, the friends and family I told about it laughed it off and didn’t take me seriously. And even if smartphones had been around, any footage would have likely turned out as a blurry image of a hazy light.
Peace out! ✌️
Thanks for sharing your sighting! It’s always fascinating to hear about experiences like this, especially in a setting like the Imperial Sand Dunes. I can only imagine how surreal it must have felt watching that glowing orb. The way you described its movements sounds pretty eerie, and it’s interesting how such moments can leave a lasting impression even years later.
It’s a bummer that some people dismiss these experiences, but it’s good to find spaces like this where others can relate. Did you ever end up looking into what it could have been? There are so many theories out there, from military experiments to more otherworldly explanations. Either way, thanks for opening up about your experience—it adds to the rich tapestry of stories surrounding unexplained phenomena! ✌️