With all the speculation regarding the local UFO sightings (which have now been proven to be false - thanks to Kev @ wingingitroundtheoworld.com - who believes it was him - I love it when a mystery can be solved) I decided to stick on videos of what you can see in the night sky, and falsely believe it's a UFO.
I have a previous write up on this here, but this is video examples to help the cause!
Firstly Iridium Flares:
These are communication satellites wit ha highly reflective surface. When at a particular angle from these, they can "flare up" and are real eye catchers!! They are great to look at and you can even use the website www.heavens-above.com to find out when you can see them in your area.
They look like the video below.
Notice the constant speed, and the bright "flash". It should also be noted that these tend to be an orange colour, as the flash you see is actually the reflection of the sun.
Next on my list is Chinese Lanterns.
Watch this video.
Now, notice in this video that the camera picks up on the fact that the orange light is PERFECTLY round. This to me is a sure giveaway. Also if you look closely, the light appears to emit from the bottom of the "object" in the sky, and it also appears to flicker too much like a candle. Another sure fire sign of a Chinese Lantern!
Another good example is ISS (International Space Station) or any type of satellite.
In the next video we will see what ISS looks like from the ground. It is simply a white dot in the sky that like Iridium Flares will move at a constant speed in one particular direction. The same can be said for regular satellites too.
Here is the video:
The ISS like Iridium Flares can also be tracked on www.heavens-above.com
Finally shooting stars / comet:
Shooting stars are quite common despite not seeing them very often. In either case, shooting stars and comets will look like the next video.
I love seeing shooting stars, I just wish I could catch one through my scope!!
So next time you see something in the sky take a moment to think about what you have seen here. A lot of things can be explained, but I'm not ignorant to the fact that there are strange objects out there! I have witnesses things myself.
What I suggest is mark the exact time, and date you witness something strange and make sure you know which direction you are facing. You could post a forum topic or comment with something like, at exactly 9:15pm on 29th July 2009 I was looking South and saw something odd. This way, software like Starry Night can be used to find anything that was in the sky at that time (unless it's a Chinese lantern!!), and we can help debunk anything celestial that was in the sky.
