Mark, Dont take it to heart that people are having a little fun with this thread, truth of the matter is that without all the facts, its impossible for anyone to give you a definitive answer.
There are so many things you need to know to assertain what it is that someone else sees.... for example (but not limited to):
1.Your location
2.The EXACT viewing time
3. which direction you were looking
4. The viewing conditions (including light interferance from streetlights, cars going past, neighbours verrandah lights, temperature, humidity)
Then there are all the "almost uncheckables"..
Planes, helicopters, neighbours with laser pointers, festivals or fetes from the day that might have had balloons etc.
Then none of that accounts for what you think you saw vs what you actually saw.
I once spent a full hour as a teenager watching some mysterious lights in the sky.. they were uniformed in their direction.. they were bright and they were moving FAST..they were approximately 30degrees up and they would travel south to north then shoot off at an acute angle then disappear and i was convinced I was watching an invasion.
As i moved around... i noticed there were areas where I couldnt see them.. and areas where I could, also.. when i pointed them out to my girlfriend at the time, she was unable to see them... when I ducked down to her height, they disappeared. I even went through a small amount of time thinking that only when I pointed them out, they disappeared, like an instant "recognition" cloaking device.. but I would stand back up to my original view, and they were back.
Eventually, a car came along the road I was on.. and I could have cried when I saw the very obvious explanation....what I was seeing was actually a reflection from the car lights as they travelled on the f3 freeway, being reflected off some shiny telephone wires that I just couldnt see due to a streetlight up the road hampering my night vision..and the wires being in a complete shadow from the same light.
Point is.. Its really hard to tell what you saw because there are SO many variables, try and have a sense of humour about the "little green men" comments.. people are just having fun.
Incidently, it is unlikely peoples "anger" (i havent noticed anyone getting angry in this thread) is because of a religious viewpoint being thrown out the window, its probably more likely that as scientists/astronomers, the question of aliens comes up in almost every conversation with people you encounter. I know for me the ol.."Have you seen any aliens yet" is only maybe second in comments to people suggesting I am looking through a neighbours window.
Incidently, I havent seen any "intellegent life" apart from the satelites we have put in orbit YET... but man oh man, what an experience it would be if I did!!!(and the neighbours window isnt worth looking through
)