Saw a bright orange object in the sky. What was it?
If the bright orange object was low in the southeast around midnight, it may have been Mars.
In late July and early August 2018, it will be only 0.39 AU away from Earth and shine with apparent magnitude -2.7, slightly brighter than Jupiter.
This is not as bright as Venus but may stand out more strongly in a midnight sky than Venus does in twilight.
For most of Mars's 2.1 year synodic period, it is farther from Earth and appears fainter.

As the Earth rotates, celestial objects appear to move about 1/4 degree per minute from east to west.
For observers in the northern hemisphere, objects near the southern horizon appear to move horizontally left to right.