My second sighting

[cardinaluk]

I've seen another strange object in the sky.

Christmas Day 2012 (no booze/drugs involved, as I was driving) in Birmingham, about 9:30pm leaving parents house to drive back home I saw what looked like a lantern, about 500 feet high.

Except I don't think it was a lantern, it was a glowing orange tumbling object that didn't change direction and was going much faster than a wind blown lantern would - I'd say about 60 mph. The tumbling was apparent from it shape changing and the orange glow deepening at a regular frequency.
At first I thought it was a lantern but then realised there was NO wind. It was moving in a straight line away from me to my left and it flew from the local wood (which was beheind me at the time) over the houses and disappeared.

Both parents and my wife saw it but couldn't explain and weren't nearly as excited as I was.

I was wondering if it was something that was being blown by wind, but the wind was only at a certain altitude?

Couldn't have been Father Christmas' sleigh as it was too small.

Anyone seen anything similar?

 

[Waylander]

Well yes, on New years night. Sounds I am afraid very much like Chinese lanterns. Although there appeared to be little in the way of wind at ground level, there would be many atmospheric differences as you travel up. For us it was a mild night, with little wind, but each of the four lanterns that flew past us, were traveling at great speed, and the higher up they were the faster they went.

 

[Analogue Boy]

There were loads of chinese lanterns set off near me at Midnight New Year and while it may seem still on the ground, there could be breezes higher up.

So it was probably a lantern.

 

[Monstrosa]

I've seen another strange object in the sky.

Christmas Day 2012 (no booze/drugs involved, as I was driving) in Birmingham, about 9:30pm leaving parents house to drive back home I saw what looked like a lantern, about 500 feet high...

Did either of you actually read his post.

I've no idea what you saw.

 

[ramonmercado]

Clever Aliens, disguising their ships as lanterns.

 

[Analogue Boy]

I've seen another strange object in the sky.

Christmas Day 2012 (no booze/drugs involved, as I was driving) in Birmingham, about 9:30pm leaving parents house to drive back home I saw what looked like a lantern, about 500 feet high...

Did either of you actually read his post.

I've no idea what you saw.

Well - was it a 500ft high lantern or was it an ordinary lantern at a height of 500ft?

I live near Birmingham and, as I say, I saw lanterns set off at New Year and drifting through the sky just after midnight among the fireworks. To me, it is not inconceivable that some of those who bought lanterns for New Year celebrations may have also set one off on Christmas Day.

There are other posts and observations about lantern effects and movement which can look out of the ordinary.

Besides, Cardinaluk opens by saying he saw what 'looked like a lantern' which is a pretty big clue as to what the object might have been.

 

[Synchronous]

Though I can't recall a lantern ever appearing to be tumbling, no matter how windy it's been.

 

[Ringo]

Though I can't recall a lantern ever appearing to be tumbling, no matter how windy it's been.

I saw a tumbling lantern on New Years Eve. The guys lighting it had a hard time to get it to burn properly - it wasn't that windy. I think they just got a duff one. It didn't rise straight up but seemed to be on a dodgy keel. Once it reached a certain height, it was as if it tipped over (maybe cold air rushed in and hot air spilled out) and it started to tumble down. It's motion reminded me of a deflated parachute and now when I think of it, it tumbled all the way down before crashing into the surface of a frozen lake.

 

[cardinaluk]

It did look like a Lantern. I have lots of experience viewing Lanterns but this was a strange looking one.

It wasn't ascending which may be due to high speed, high altitude winds although it was only so high as mentioned in my OP. The odd thing was that there was no wind felt (I don't know if you can check the weather on Christmas Day in Birmingham now) and this thing was shifting and tumbling. This is what made me excited about it.

As mentioned I had my back to a large wood which could possibly have filtered out the wind and so made it feel like a calm day but the altitude above the trees and the terraced houses could have been windy. (Awful sentence sorry)

I've never seen a tumbling lantern, wouldn't it go out?