First, an observation made by my brother and his wife, six months ago. Around midnight, above the hill behind their house. Seven orange lights in a rough circle, presumed to be Chinese fire lanterns. That is until, all converged to a central point. Then went straight up and disappeared.Now my sighting on 10:15pm 23/5/09. Weather: Cloudless sky, numerous stars visible. No wind whatever detectable at ground level. Confirmed by the BBC CFAX forecast, as 2 mph SSE. A possibility of frost overnight due to the stillness and cloudlessness. With the wind at 9:00am 24/5/09, anticipated to be NNE at 4 mph.Went outside to place rubbish in the bin. Turned, to see what I can best describe as a very bright but tremulous, ragged sheriff���s star of orange light. With the hint of a smaller red light somewhere within it. Bearing 225 degrees at 50 degrees elevation. This light moved at a rapid and steady speed in a very slight arc toward a bearing of 65 degrees. While maintaining the existing angle of elevation relative to me. As it passed, at it���s nearest point to my position, the orange light faded (as I would expect the main white landing headlights on an aircraft to do).While I stood there, a second light repeated the display. And within a few moments of that disappearing, a third light did the same. I obtained the interactive TV weather reports mentioned above. Still curious, I returned outside at about 10:30pm, to see a pair of these lights pass over while perfectly maintaining a set separation line astern formation. I would assume that all these items were Chinese fire lanterns/some type of aircraft, except for the following. If launched at the nearest non-visible point to me, at an absolute minimum, they would have had to travel a quarter of a mile (measured at ground level), in thirty seconds. That equates to a speed of 30 mph or more (depending on actual height). Yet there was absolutely no evidence of any wind. Their passing was silent, monitored in a period of perfect silence, with hands cupped behind the ears. Although, interspersed with these two sets of events I did experience the standard illumination pattern of a couple of aircraft, passing in an almost opposite direction at a similar apparent speed. These were airliners cleared off the Bovingdon stack into Heathrow. On route to Woodley VOR, before turning left onto Heathrow ILS Runway 09. These exhibited the usual distinctive distant rumbling roar, which lags behind them. If Chinese fire lanterns, I would not have expected these other items to all fade in exactly the same spot, directly in front of me. But rather some to fade as they approached, with others fading some moments after they had passed. If launched close at hand, wouldn���t they have burnt for more that thirty seconds to a minute? In addition, and strangest of all. With the last two, and because I was staring more intently with hand-shielded eyes. I could still follow their trajectory after the orange light was obscured. They were visible as two feint pale blue/white star-like dots. Apparently continuing at the same speed, height, and direction. If this was a reflection off some metal surface, it was not caused by the street lighting hereabouts. As this is orange Sodium, and not white SON. Furthermore, on going to the rear of the house, I saw what appeared to be one of these same dim ���star-lights��� travelling from SE to NNW at 80 degrees elevation on a meandering path.