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Blue (Laser?) Beam In Night Sky Pics (Crestone, Colorado)

Austin Popper

Emperor of Antarctica
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Colorado, where the gold is still elusive
Here are some photos from Crestone, Colorado, cobbed from a Farcebook post to a local group. The photographer reported seeing a thin white beam, which the camera saw as blue. Odd. Some commenters reported seeing other strange lights recently. Crestone is an interesting place, for sure. These are long exposures.

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A commenter posted this:

Crestone anomaly.PNG


I've seen some odd lights over there, but nothing like this.
 
Just so we're clear about this ... Was the real time phenomenon a series of light bursts, or a series of similar lights seen all at once?

Also ... The long-exposure single blue beam is the same thing - right?
 
Here are some photos from Crestone, Colorado, cobbed from a Farcebook post to a local group. The photographer reported seeing a thin white beam, which the camera saw as blue. Odd. Some commenters reported seeing other strange lights recently. Crestone is an interesting place, for sure. These are long exposures.

View attachment 35256

View attachment 35257

View attachment 35258

View attachment 35259

A commenter posted this:

View attachment 35260

I've seen some odd lights over there, but nothing like this.

A casual Google suggests that Crestone is a woo magnet for alternative lifestyles and the unconventionally-medicated:

This Surreal Colorado City Is a Magnet for Spiritualists and UFOs
Welcome to the “Bermuda Triangle of the West.”


“...afternoon fire ceremony...the Crestone Ziggurat...the UFO Watchtower and clothing-optional hot springs (and, of course, legal weed).”

I don’t think we need to look past a St. Valentine’s Day laser display.

maximus otter
 
Take a closer look at the third photo in Austin Popper's post above. I noticed a few things that are odd. To illustrate, here's a 2-in-1 excerpt that's been magnified.

Crestone-3.jpg

Point 1:
Look at the two lines of ground lights within the red boxes. They represent two stretches of streetlights (etc.) in the valley / flats in the distance. Note that the one on the right is horizontal and aligned with the mountain range beyond. The one at the left is angled substantially off the horizontal. Now look at the full photo in Austin Popper's post above. It appears that this photo was taken with a lens or a lens setting that induced a pretty substantial 'fish-eye' effect.

Point 2:
The bright lights comprising these two areas within the red boxes appear to be emanating streaks or beams upward from the brightest light sources. The ones in the left-hand box appear to be perpendicular to the plane in which the lights are located. The ones in the right-hand box appear to rise with a consistent angular orientation off the vertical. In each of these two cases the set of streaks are all parallel to each other within each box. The ones in the right-hand box appear to also parallel the big blue beam. The ones in the left-hand box are less obviously parallel to the big blue beam (and the streaks in the right-hand box).

These streaks are reminiscent of light pillars:

Light Pillars / Sun Pillars
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/light-pillars-sun-pillars.68107/

Light pillars require cold temperature, still air and ice crystals suspended in the air. There's no obvious reason to suspect one or more of these conditions wasn't met when the photo was taken.

The perpendicular / seemingly vertical (relative to the apparent ground plane) ones in the left-hand box resemble all the canonical light pillar photos I've seen.

The angled ones in the right-hand box resemble the same sort of light effect. However, I don't recall ever seeing a photo of a light pillar in which the pillar was angled off the vertical.

Point 3:
The closely parallel orientation of both the big blue beam and the streaks rising off the distant lights suggest there's some relationship between the blue beam and the light pillars (or whatever ... ) in the distance.

Point 4:
Absent evidence to the contrary I suspect this photo was taken using a zoom lens configured so as to induce a measure of wide-angle / fisheye distortion (see the full photo). I further suspect that a non-fisheyed view of the same scene at the same time might show the streaks in the right-hand box as vertical - i.e., more like a classic light pillar.

Note that the other photo looking in the same direction, but at a different distance or zoom setting doesn't show the light pillar thingies at all.

Point 5:
Whether we're seeing lights pillars, some other optical phenomenon 'out there' or some optical effect of the camera / lens the parallelism in all 3 light sets makes me suspicious they may all result from a single reflection / refraction effect or anomaly.
 
Really powerful UV laser, perhaps?
 
Here are some photos from Crestone, Colorado, cobbed from a Farcebook post to a local group. The photographer reported seeing a thin white beam, which the camera saw as blue. Odd. Some commenters reported seeing other strange lights recently. Crestone is an interesting place, for sure. These are long exposures.

View attachment 35256

View attachment 35257

View attachment 35258

View attachment 35259

A commenter posted this:

View attachment 35260

I've seen some odd lights over there, but nothing like this.
Looks like someone is summoning Captain Planet...
 
There is really little more information on the FB page. Mostly I wanted to post the photos before they got lost in the social media ephemera. I believe the photographer of the blue streak said the white "pulses" were more like what he saw with his own eyes. I don't know the participants, but there are some amazingly talented photographers in the area. Wildlife is abundant, and some of the photos they take of the fauna are just stunning. I'll keep an eye on the thread for further information. I noticed the odd lightt streaks EG noted too. It seems like it would take quite a powerful laser to produce the blue beam effect.

There isn't anyone I know of who investigates anomalies in the Crestone area. Christopher O'Brien used to do that, and wrote three books about his experiences, but he moved away years ago. He still visits, but I've only seen him once, twenty-odd years ago when he still lived in Crestone. Interwebs are particularly slow here at the moment, as in dial-up slow, so I may not get on FB for quite a while. I hadn't thought to save that post, so I'll do it when I can summon it.
 
w
There is really little more information on the FB page. Mostly I wanted to post the photos before they got lost in the social media ephemera. I believe the photographer of the blue streak said the white "pulses" were more like what he saw with his own eyes. I don't know the participants, but there are some amazingly talented photographers in the area. Wildlife is abundant, and some of the photos they take of the fauna are just stunning. I'll keep an eye on the thread for further information. I noticed the odd lightt streaks EG noted too. It seems like it would take quite a powerful laser to produce the blue beam effect.

There isn't anyone I know of who investigates anomalies in the Crestone area. Christopher O'Brien used to do that, and wrote three books about his experiences, but he moved away years ago. He still visits, but I've only seen him once, twenty-odd years ago when he still lived in Crestone. Interwebs are particularly slow here at the moment, as in dial-up slow, so I may not get on FB for quite a while. I hadn't thought to save that post, so I'll do it when I can summon it.
I note that in this particular frame with the Blue 'Laser' Beam, it does show quite clearly that the beam itself is located behind whatever these white flecks are? Initially I thought they were star-related, but obviously not!
Clip 1.jpg
 
... I believe the photographer of the blue streak said the white "pulses" were more like what he saw with his own eyes. ...

Thanks for the clarification ...

If you find more info, please make a point to check whether these 'pulses' were seen as a dynamic string of moving streaks (i.e., shooting out into the distance) versus a static line of streaks (like a static dotted line) across the sky. Additionally ... If they were seen as a dynamic 'stream' of streaks it would be useful to know in which direction they were apparently streaming (e.g., uphill into the shadowed direction versus downhill toward the lights in the flats).
 
I note that in this particular frame with the Blue 'Laser' Beam, it does show quite clearly that the beam itself is located behind whatever these white flecks are? Initially I thought they were star-related, but obviously not!

I still think those are in fact stars, and the blue beam is translucent (allowing them to shine through). This suggests - but does not prove - the big blue streak isn't an artifact of the camera's capture of the image.

On the other hand ... I'm still baffled as to why a line of white or near-white streaks captured during a long exposure should yield the appearance of a surprisingly uniform band or streak that's blue - a shade of blue notably similar to chroma-key blue (as in blue screen overlay techniques).

The main reason I think those dots represent the clear sky starry night is that there are sky borne lights among them that were moving while the exposure occurred. As it happens, the excerpt you posted contains one of these moving objects (my first guess - a satellite) in the upper right area.
 
Interesting stuff. Weird things happen with long exposure times, and I think those are stars too. I did just get the post pulled up, and the photographer is an IT guy who does some work for local schools. I'll see if I can get more information. There isn't a lot of serious discussion in among the topical jokes about space lasers, jokes about aliens, and so on but it's worth a try.

By the way, this post appears on a group page started by a local who was sick of the political bickering, crackpot conspiracy nonsense, and high drama of the other local interest group. There is no posting of political stuff of any kind allowed. It's a pleasant place to visit for timely information and the sharing of excess material baggage (free stuff), among other things. A world of difference from the food fights and angry spewage at the other page. I left that group as soon as the new one took off. Life's too short, & etc.
 
"a woo magnet for alternative lifestyles and the unconventionally-medicated" .. love it Max .. I'm stealing that.
 
I still think those are in fact stars, and the blue beam is translucent (allowing them to shine through). This suggests - but does not prove - the big blue streak isn't an artifact of the camera's capture of the image.

On the other hand ... I'm still baffled as to why a line of white or near-white streaks captured during a long exposure should yield the appearance of a surprisingly uniform band or streak that's blue - a shade of blue notably similar to chroma-key blue (as in blue screen overlay techniques).

The main reason I think those dots represent the clear sky starry night is that there are sky borne lights among them that were moving while the exposure occurred. As it happens, the excerpt you posted contains one of these moving objects (my first guess - a satellite) in the upper right area.
These two snips seem to make interesting captures...
Screenshot 2021-02-15 094004.jpg

sky image snip.jpg
 
Here are some photos from Crestone, Colorado, cobbed from a Farcebook post to a local group. The photographer reported seeing a thin white beam, which the camera saw as blue. Odd. Some commenters reported seeing other strange lights recently. Crestone is an interesting place, for sure. These are long exposures.

View attachment 35256

View attachment 35257

View attachment 35258

View attachment 35259

A commenter posted this:

View attachment 35260

I've seen some odd lights over there, but nothing like this.

Didn't they see something similar to this over at Skinwalker Ranch?
 
Didn't they see something similar to this over at Skinwalker Ranch?
I don't recall that, but then it seems like pretty much everything imaginable has been reported in, over, or around that place. I might have to do some looking on the googles.

I have not received any sort of reply to my questions on the FB page. This does not surprise me. There are, of course, people who mess with lasers as a hobby. Lots of people enjoy making "hot rod" flashlights that sometimes explode, catch fire, or simply irritate the neighbors. Crestone is full of weirdos, but most of them are not well off enough to mess with such expensive toys. It only takes one, though. Still, I think if this is the result of some ground based tech, then kilowatts are involved, to what purpose we can only guess.

Now that I think about it a bit more, I could see this easily being an attempt to summon some Space Brothers or something.
 
The photos were taken on a long exposure, the two objects were most likely travelling a different speeds relative to the cameras pov
Yes I agree 'Souleater,' with this one attachment 35365, that would definitely explain the differences between the two paths of light.
Any Ideas about attachment 35364? This capture seems to illustrate some kind of movement towards the left and then upwards (if they are not all laser lights), seems to show some sort of camera movement which doesn't show up with other objects included in the photo?
 
Yes I agree 'Souleater,' with this one attachment 35365, that would definitely explain the differences between the two paths of light.
Any Ideas about attachment 35364? This capture seems to illustrate some kind of movement towards the left and then upwards (if they are not all laser lights), seems to show some sort of camera movement which doesn't show up with other objects included in the photo?
That's the weirdest part of these images, I think. I really don't know anything about the photographer, but I don't see any signs of a hoax. I might try to contact him directly to get more details, but I doubt I'd get very far with that. It would be interesting to know what kind of camera was used, how long the exposures were, the direction the camera was facing, and so on.

There are a couple of photographers in the area who make a bit of a specialty of night sky images. I was hoping one of them might comment. There is a bit of a ho-hum attitude about weird lights in the sky around Crestone. I myself have seen what Chris O'Brien calls "cheap fireworks" in the vicinity and they are very puzzling. Eventually you just shrug and move on.
 
That's the weirdest part of these images, I think. I really don't know anything about the photographer, but I don't see any signs of a hoax. I might try to contact him directly to get more details, but I doubt I'd get very far with that. It would be interesting to know what kind of camera was used, how long the exposures were, the direction the camera was facing, and so on.

There are a couple of photographers in the area who make a bit of a specialty of night sky images. I was hoping one of them might comment. There is a bit of a ho-hum attitude about weird lights in the sky around Crestone. I myself have seen what Chris O'Brien calls "cheap fireworks" in the vicinity and they are very puzzling. Eventually you just shrug and move on.
I note also that in the second photograph the Blue Laser appears to begin quite a way off the ground...
blue laser_o.jpg The second photo looks a bit odd (to me). I would have expected the laser light to begin it's beam from the ground up, not beginning it's journey as it appears in this photo from the air?
 
I note also that in the second photograph the Blue Laser appears to begin quite a way off the ground...
View attachment 35390 The second photo looks a bit odd (to me). I would have expected the laser light to begin it's beam from the ground up, not beginning it's journey as it appears in this photo from the air?
It could be down to atmospherics, if the air was clear at a low level and more hazy slightly higher it would show the beam off more at the higher altitude, idk just a theory
 
Here are some photos from Crestone, Colorado, cobbed from a Farcebook post to a local group. The photographer reported seeing a thin white beam, which the camera saw as blue. Odd. Some commenters reported seeing other strange lights recently. Crestone is an interesting place, for sure. These are long exposures.

A commenter posted this:

View attachment 35260

I've seen some odd lights over there, but nothing like this.
Reportedly said by one person to have been Space X satellites - but not backed-up officially.
(A few minutes ago) Just come across this report which does seem to verify Space X's involvement.
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/03/06/colorado-lights-sky-spacex-starlink-satellites/
 
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It could be down to atmospherics, if the air was clear at a low level and more hazy slightly higher it would show the beam off more at the higher altitude, idk just a theory
Doesn't seem ~ according to photo, that the atmosphere might have played a part in initially blocking it out, as it doesn't appear to be thick enough visually, and anyway I imagine that if it was dense enough to fade the beam then I imagine that it wouldn't be able continue along it's path being as it would be much diminished.

Just a thought 'Souleater'... If the origin of the 'laser beam' was actually far more distant in it's origin, then it might help to explain why it's initial path would appear to be vague from it's original starting place, as any unseen lower atmosphere could then be a factor? I also see that at the place where you can easily make out it's beginnings, it seems to show a rounded shape, not a piercing line of laser light.
 
Can we just establish that there's no railway line nearby (so no track-inspection laser)? I've seen that myself and it's a quite arresting sight.
Very interesting. Something else for me to look up while avoiding work. Anyway, there was a train from Moffat to Crestone for something like six years around the turn of the last century. By 1906 or so the gold vein at the independence Mine had petered out and the trains stopped running. I think the tracks were gone soon after that. The main line down through the valley was removed in the 1950s. The old gold mine is now a spiritual retreat, and quite an impressive one. Has its own fire truck, even. Beautiful place. Cynical people might say it's still a gold mine. There are not very many cynical people in these parts, though, which is something I really like about the area.
 
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