In July 2025, a Pennsylvania woman stepped into her garden only to be confronted by a basketball-sized glowing orb that hovered inches from her before making physical contact. What force guided this cold, metallic sphere, and why did it stop her from entering her garden that day?

Daylight Luminous Orb Approaches Witness and Makes Physical Contact in Pennsylvania

From: Researcher Stan Gordon

On July 17, 2025, I received a call from a witness who had just experienced something unusual. He was still shaken by the events that had taken place. Around 10:20 AM, he was driving in a rural area of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, approximately 25 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The weather was sunny, with a temperature of about 79 degrees. Suddenly, a large shadow appeared above his vehicle.

The witness then observed a solid shadow, resembling a hundred-foot-long, flat, football-shaped object, moving slowly and steadily straight down the center of the road. He heard no sound. He attempted to bend down and look out the window to see what was above him, but just seconds later, the shadow vanished. He quickly drove down the road to get a clearer view of the sky, but saw nothing.

On July 19, my research associate, Jim Brown, attended the Kecksburg UFO Festival. He had a display featuring some of the high-tech instrumentation he builds to investigate anomalous incidents. During the festival, he told me that he had been contacted by a witness in the Pittsburgh area who reported a daylight close encounter with a solid, luminous orb while in her yard. This incident also occurred on July 17, 2025, about thirty-five miles north of Pittsburgh. Jim later gathered more details about this intriguing case, and his investigation report will follow below.

A Long History of Mystery Orb Encounters

Over the years, I have received information about various cases involving the observation of smaller spherical objects, either on or just above the ground. I first became aware of these cases in the 1960s, referring to them as mini-UFOs. Today, they are commonly known as orbs or balls of light. These objects range in size from a few inches to about one or two feet in diameter and are often described as being the size of golf balls, baseballs, or basketballs.

While they are primarily spherical, other shapes have also been reported. These objects frequently emit light in assorted colors. They may appear solid, or in some cases, transparent or translucent. There have even been reports of a swirling mass visible within the spheres.

Encounters with these objects have included instances where they pace vehicles and enter through open windows. There have also been reports of these objects entering homes through open windows, hovering in front of windows, or even tapping on the glass panes. In more recent years, I have documented cases of these mystery orbs appearing inside homes, mere feet away from witnesses. Various physiological effects have been reported in some incidents. I have long held the view that this is one of the most significant aspects of the UFO/UAP mystery that has been somewhat overlooked.

The following is Jim Brown’s report on an intriguing case:

Encounter with a Glowing Orb – July 17, 2025

Location: Residential area near Monaca, Pennsylvania  

Date: July 17, 2025  

Time: Approximately 2:30 – 3:00 PM (This estimate is based on the witness's activities, as she did not check the clock at the time.)

Description of Object: The witness described the object as being "about the size of a basketball." She noted that there were no visible details, seams, or any other indications that it was a physical device—just a smooth-surfaced, glowing white sphere. When asked about the edges, she mentioned they were well-defined against the background, without any signs of vapor or mist around them. The orb appeared to emit its own light rather than reflect surrounding light. However, when questioned about the light's reflection, she stated that she could not see any light reflecting from the object onto her clothing, which raises some contradictions regarding its self-luminescence.

Weather Conditions: The temperature was around 80 degrees with moderate humidity. Weather reports indicated an approximate 65% relative humidity, based on observations from Pittsburgh Airport. The witness noted that it had rained earlier in the day, and once the rain stopped, she decided to weed her garden. At the time, she was alone, although she does have neighbors on both sides of her property. The sky was partly cloudy with some sunshine present. This report is based on the witness's testimony and outlines the events as they occurred.

On July 18, 2025, I received an email from the witness stating that she had been "pushed" by a glowing white object while walking to her garden to do some work. She inquired whether I would be interested in hearing about her experience. I provided her with my contact information and encouraged her to call me back. She left a callback number after I replied to her email.

July 19, 2025 – I returned her call, and after we introduced ourselves, I asked her to explain what happened. Below is an edited transcript of our conversation. (More details will follow in the final summary.)

Jim: Can you describe precisely what happened?

Witness: “I was going out to my garden to do some weeding. The rain earlier had softened the ground, making it easier to pull the weeds. I was about halfway to the garden when I saw a glowing ball of light about five feet above my sidewalk, blocking my way. I stopped, and it began to move slowly toward me. I was somewhat afraid of it, but this was my yard, and I wasn't going to be intimidated, so I stood still and watched as it approached. It stopped about two inches away, then moved closer and actually touched me. It started to push, and I began to back up a bit. That’s when I fell backward and landed on my backside. The ball rose above me, floated there for a couple of seconds, then vanished. I don’t know whether it flew off or just disappeared; either way, it was suddenly no longer there.

I assessed my injuries and found that the only thing I suffered was a skinned elbow from where I hit the pavement. I looked at the spot where it touched me and saw no evidence of anything. I had heard about these white balls of light on TV, so I Googled it, and your name came up. I checked it out, and that’s when I called you.”

I followed up with a series of questions and was able to draw out additional information about her encounter and its effects:

Witness: “I didn’t notice anything on its surface—no marks, nothing. It just appeared white all around. When it touched me, it felt metallic, but not stiff like steel. It almost seemed like it would give a bit as it made contact.” (When I asked her to compare it to a Mylar party balloon, she said, “No, no, much stiffer.”) “It also felt cold, like it had just come out of a refrigerator—cold, but not painfully so, just cold to the touch.”

Witness: “There was no sound at all, unless you count my dog barking from his kennel. As for smells, the only thing I smelled was the flowers from my garden, which were nearby. Now that I think of it, that smell seemed a bit stronger than usual, but it was not different from what I usually smell in the garden. I didn’t notice any electrical activity; I didn’t get shocked or anything like that. There was no static electricity or anything similar.” 

I asked about the push itself. How much force was applied? 

Witness: “I guess it was more like a nudge. I was backing off as it moved with me. It felt like it was trying to get me to move, and I just went along with it.”

Jim: In your first email, you used the word “pushed.” Are you saying it pushed you down?

Witness: “Maybe I shouldn’t have said ‘pushed.’ It was in contact with me, but I don’t think it was actually forcing me back; it was more like it was guiding me. I fell when I caught my heel on a raised piece of concrete, which is when I injured my elbow. What I can’t say is how much force it might have applied had I actually resisted. I guess we’ll never know.”

I also inquired about any other effects from her encounter, specifically regarding emotional effects or feelings of negativity. She responded, “No, I went back out to the garden today to pick up where I left off. My elbow is a bit sore, but I weeded the flower bed and did what I planned to do yesterday. It hasn’t caused me any emotional distress, if that’s what you mean. I mentioned it to a couple of family members, but they were at a loss to explain it.”

This phone interview covered some concerns about the confidentiality levels I use and how they could be applied. She decided to place her case at level 2, which allows some information to be released.

I asked if there was anything else she wanted to share that we had not yet discussed. She said we've covered everything she could remember. I then asked why she felt it had stopped her from going out to the garden. Her response was, “I don’t think it wanted me in my garden at that time.”

She couldn’t think of any reason for that, though. I advised her to be alert and, if she came across anything out there that she couldn’t explain, to contact me, and we would take it from there. I also told her I would check back in a couple of days in case she had any concerns.

On July 21, 2025, I had a follow-up call regarding the incident. I mentioned my interest in seeing the area where the event occurred, and the witness informed me that her son would be coming over to capture aerial photographs using his drone. He took the photos on Sunday, July 20, and sent them to me. As I examined these images for any potential factors that might have contributed to the event, I noticed that a tree partially blocked the view of the walkway. The nearby buildings did not appear to present any obvious sources of light reflections. However, due to the angles and views from the camera, I am unable to release the pictures, as they might inadvertently reveal the exact location of her home and neighboring properties.

I also spoke with one neighbor who was home during the incident. However, he had no information to share; he did not notice anything unusual and was only made aware of the situation after speaking with the witness.

A second follow-up call on July 24 did not yield any new information. I asked about the witness's elbow injury; she mentioned that her daughter, a nurse, had bandaged it that night. After a couple of days, the bandage was removed, and aside from a few scratches, it has been healing well. She also reported that her garden was thriving, and the incident did not seem to have affected her plants or flowers in any way. Both she and her son have been tending to the flower beds and have not encountered any unexplained residues or materials. She assured me that she would keep me informed if anything new occurred. At this point, I am categorizing this case as "Unresolved."