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LITTLE FALLS, MINN. - As the sun set in the clear, cold skies on Wednesday, six unusually bright stars caught the attention of Little Falls dairy farmer, Gerald Kowalzek.

"I kind of looked up and rubbed my eyes a little bit," he said. "I've never seen anything like it, ever."

He's not the only one.

As residents gazed through windows, telescopes and digital cameras, operators of the St. Cloud State University planetarium recorded the anomaly on their high-powered Chronos viewing system, which was installed in 2007.

"It definitely piqued our interest," said Dr. Ana Hollenhorst, St. Cloud State astronomy professor and former NASA astrophysicist. "We tried to verify it through other stations, but it's only visible from about 14 central Minnesota counties."

According to Hollenhorst, the stars are uncommon because of their intensity and changing hues-from deep blue to pale yellow to fiery red. Each star is about 4-17 times brighter than any other, she said.

"Based on the calls I'm getting, I'd expect that this phenomenon will generate significant national interest," she added. "It's totally off the charts, and the questions now are why it's happening and what it means."

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PINE CITY, MINN.-Still visible after 14 days, the "central Minnesota six" uncharted stars have attracted international teams of scientists, busloads of star-gazing tourists, and an unprecedented media presence-all looking skyward for answers.

Among the most pressing questions are the source of the stars' intense brightness-4-17 times brighter than other stars-and why they only seem to be visible from Minnesota's central region.

"That's the mystery," said Dr. Pieter Gaalswyk, Astrophysics Worldwide Analysis & Research Division (AWARD) leader and Nobel laureate from the University of Amsterdam. "We have never seen such colorful luminescence or a refractive index that would obscure celestial bodies from other areas of the globe."

Asked whether the stars represent some higher form of life, Gaalswyk replied, "At this time, I'm not able to refute that theory."

Meanwhile, hotels from Buffalo to Brainerd were brimming with tourists and thrill-seekers arriving daily to see the six stars firsthand. The stars are also leading most national and international newscasts.

"Seeing them for the first time, it just inspires you," said Irv Lindell, a postal worker who drove his RV from Tempe, Ariz. to a crowded Cozy Corners Campground in Pine City. "This has to be the foundation of something much bigger."

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA.-After combining the power of three high-powered telescopes, NASA officials have released the first close-up images of six uncharted central Minnesota stars that appear to reveal the features of human faces.

"It's a breakthrough discovery and virtually unexplainable," said Dr. Spencer Hickman, NASA director of celestial imagery at a Thursday news conference. "At first, we thought it was a random pattern until we found the same humanoid shapes in all six stars."

NASA engineers tapped the power of three optical telescopes-the orbiting Hubble Telescope, the Keck II in Hawaii, and the Gran Telescopio Canarias in Spain-to obtain the highly magnified digital images.

Less than two hours later, President Barack Obama addressed the matter during an unscheduled news conference on the South Lawn of the White House.

"I have been briefed on the matter and have come to the conclusion that our country is indeed safe," he said. "We are excited about the opportunities and lessons that these stars represent. There seems to be some clues in the constellation-that's all I can say right now."

President Obama and NASA officials promised to release all information as it becomes available.

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ST. CLOUD, MINN. - After NASA officials charted an apparent earthbound movement of the mysterious central Minnesota stars, scientists scheduled a news conference to finally reveal the meaning of the six-point constellation that captivated the globe.

No longer visible across central Minnesota, the stars have now settled directly above the St. Cloud Civic Center and appear to be rapidly descending. A news conference and probable terrestrial arrival is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m., Friday, April 17th at the Civic Center's Terry Haws Room.

In a public relations move that sets up the announcement as the "ticket of the century," U.S. officials have invited the public to attend while seats remain available.

NASA credits the discovery to several tips it received from the Minnesota-based Initiative Foundation, who will serve as the event host.

"This will be a historic event-one of those lifetime moments that shouldn't be missed," said Matt Kilian, Initiative Foundation director of communications who will release the information. "After intense observation and research, our team has confirmed the identities of these life forms."

Kilian wouldn't comment further, only saying the findings are "truly spectacular and inspirational."

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