Estudillo, 23, is part of a small but growing - and increasingly vocal - nationwide community that believes in forces and beings beyond our knowledge that might be visiting our planet on a regular basis. Call it the hot rods of the gods or the grays if you like.
But Estudillo and his 26-year-old girlfriend, Rae Gonzales, said they saw "something" in the skies near Buckley Air Force Base shortly before 4 a.m. July 20 and the sighting was no chance encounter - Estudillo and Gonzales regularly make forays to an observation site near E-470 and East Jewell Avenue to watch the skies for out-of-the-ordinary occurrences.
The couple described the object they saw as a glowing copper-colored disc with a blue, iridescent, comma-shaped tail that looked, as Gonzales described it, like "diamond dust" coming off one end of the disc. The object moved in a straight line behind some patchy clouds then reappeared, so it had to be fairly high up but not high enough to see without binoculars, the couple said.
When asked if the object could have been a weather balloon, Estudillo matter-of-factly said, "Nah, they don't glow like that."
Gonzales said she saw the same object and that she and Estudillo were amazed to find that after they separated to record in their notebooks what they saw, their sketches and notes were nearly identical.
"I'm not into it as much as he is," Gonzales said. "But I definitely did see something."
Estudillo is passionate about skywatching.
"I started as a fourth grader," Estudillo said. "I'm constantly looking up, every day. When I got older, it got stronger; it's sort of my calling."
Estudillo and Gonzales have traveled to the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado to catch a glimpse of what many have described as glowing red and orange orbs that appear at night, something Colorado-based Mutual UFO Network International Director John Schuessler said is a common sighting.
"The orbs, that has been occurring for years around the world," Schuessler said. "Lately, we've had a number of sightings in the San Luis Valley and its darn remote."
That remoteness is good for sighting such things as the orbs because the air is generally more clear than near populated and developed areas.
"When something like that moves in the San Luis Valley, you know it," Schuessler said.
Schuessler, who worked as a life support systems manager on NASA's Gemini program, was one of the non-profit group's founding members in 1969. He retired three years ago. The group's Colorado headquarters is located here in Aurora and the international headquarters is in Littleton. Schuessler said his group often works in conjunction with the National UFO Reporting Center run by Peter Davenport, a regular commentator on national radio about such phenomena.
"At the time, when we started the group, my interest grew out of my work in the space program," Schuessler said. "People I trust told me some things that were mind-boggling. I haven't had a sighting myself, but I deal with data and I accept the data."
He said there are several factors that have driven the rise in UFO-consciousness over the last two decades.
"First, you can only poo-poo something for so long," Schuessler said. "Also, there are a lot of people with a scientific background getting involved."
As an increasing number of military veterans have come forward publicly over the last decade with sightings they have had, civilians have become more comfortable with it as well.
"What's somebody going to do to them?" he asked. "The times have changed, too. We really have no more of the 'loose lips sink ships' attitude that began in World War II. The Internet can be a useful tool - and a devil as well - but it does communicate things worldwide. It's very hard to cover it up when its worldwide. And I don't think people are as intimidated today as they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. It really doesn't matter to them what people think, and a lot more people are thinking for themselves now."
As for Estudillo's sighting, Schuessler said it is intriguing, although the iridescent tail is not a common element.
"We've got almost nothing like that recently, but the disc shape and copper color, that's fairly prevalent."
When Estudillo told members of the Denver UFO Society, of which he is a member, about his sighting, several other Aurora members told him they had seen the same thing recently.
Officials at Buckley Air Force Base said they were unaware of any reports about such an object and referred questions to Air Force spokesman Capt. Joe DellaVedova at the Pentagon.
"We're not in the UFO business," DellaVedova said, but added that his office receives UFO reports about two or three times a year.
DellaVedova did speak briefly about Project Blue Book, an Air Force investigation into UFO's that was discontinued in the late 1960s. The project spawned a brief but popular late-1970s NBC television series about two Air Force officers who investigated fictional accounts of UFO reports based on real Project Blue Book material.
"Project Blue Book is on the web now," he said. "But as far as us getting reports, it's pretty rare."
Estudillo, whose interest was partly influenced by his grandfather's work for NASA, said he believes there will soon be major revelations about what many UFOs actually are. When asked, he agrees that UFOs need not always mean little green men, but said there are bound to be things discovered that we as humans have not yet encountered.
"My grandfather always used to say 'For sure, they're out there,'" Estudillo said. Stranger still, his grandfather spoke of someone coming for him on the day he died.
"That day there was a UFO spotted," he said.
As long as curiosity remains high, Estudillo said he believes a revelation might come sooner than later.
"It's 2001 now," he said. "There's gotta be a reason for all this."
If you think you've seen something in the sky that defies explanation, there are several local and national outlets for making a report. The Colorado MUFON chapter in Aurora can be reached at 303-451-5992. The National UFO Reporting Center also takes reports at its website at www.nuforc.com. The NUFORC website also outlines formats for concise report submissions.
SIDEBAR:
Skywatching takes preparation and discipline
Local skywatcher Joshua Estudillo admits his hobby might seem strange to some people, but there is a method to it.
Whether you are looking for UFOs or simply want to catch a glimpse of astronomical phenomena, Estudillo has some tips for those who are new to skywatching.
"Don't drink alcohol or smoke while you go," he said.
Alcohol impairs judgement and smoking has been shown to affect night vision.
Dressing for the weather is a must, but always take along at least a light jacket - nighttime temperatures can still drop into the 40s even in July or August if a cold front is moving through.
Basic equipment should include:
o A video recorder, with night vision mode if possible
o Comfortable outdoor chairs
o Good binoculars with a 7 x 50 rating or higher
o A notebook and pens and pencils
The most important thing to have with you, Estudillo said, is something that can't be bought though.
"A healthy curiosity and an open mind," he said.
Colorado Couple See Copper-Colored Disc Near Air Base
Joshua Estudillo makes no claims to being Aurora's Fox Mulder, but the self-described sky watcher said he has seen some things in the skies that defy explanation.[Original headline: The truth is out there...]
o A digital or film camera with zoom capability
It's also a good idea to bring a partner who shares your interest along as well. Find a semi-remote area and set up shop. The human visual range can pick up about a third of the total sky. Watch sectors of the sky on a scheduled basis and make notes of what you see.
Aurora Sentinel | Frank Bell - Aug 1 2001
