I am not saying a space craft. I am not saying an alien.

I saw something flying in the air which I didn't recognize.

There for it was an Unidentified Flying Object.

Your are right. UFO is not alien.

The second and third brightest objects in the sky. Could also be Jupiter, also very bright.

All these objects are bright enough to give light -- so to speak -- to a variety of atmospheric effects.

If you see something unusual it may even be something common and recognizable seen through a filter of uncommon atmospheric conditions. I've seen a lot of them with my telescopes set up and waiting for the sky to clear. Just because it's unusual doesn't mean it's a fucking space alien.

but it did seem to move in a way I wasn't expecting, I assume it was the angle which I was viewing from.
I did not think I saw an alien. I am not sure if you realized this but I was agreeing with you.

And you are correct that airplanes are commonly unidentified even though they are something like a Piper Cub or a Boeing 707. (Showing my age here -- ahem!)

But if it was night do not discount a mundane astronomical object. There are a multitude of atmospheric conditions which give rise to extraordinary visual effects. It's not really surprising that people mistake weirdness for aliens from space. Culture has prepped them for it.

Until they weren't.

Here's a more palatable fantasy: the military invented a revolutionary technology, too 'cool' to be kept in the box for very long.

You're using one of those. Now.