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Things That Are NOT UFOs

I can't remember if I've mentioned this one before, but a non-UFO to be aware of is...cranes.

If you live in a city or fairly large town and it is reasonably flat, and there is construction work going on then there may well be cranes around some distance from you.

I'm going to struggle a bit with the technical terms now... but the horizontal shaft of a crane from which the cranes `claw` dangles, often has a red or anber light on it. (Presumably for safety reasons). With the more spohisticated kind of crane, this light can be moved to and fro the horizontal shaft - to show the operator where the `claw` is located, I presume.

If construction work is taking place in the night (or late afternoon/ early evening in winter) then you may observe this light from a distance without seeing the framework to which it is attached. The light will appear stationary or slowly `hovering` to and fro.

This has certainly given me pause for thought before - not in the sense of thinking I was seeing a spacecraft from Zeta Reticuli - but just in the sense of being puzzled as to what I was looking at.
 
Mostly as in jet aircraft around 30,000 private jets get up to 40,000 and above
 
Sid said:
If they were just weather balloons then why all the fuss from China? There just unimportant weather balloon's, right!
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Actually, untethered light weather balloons are allowed to fly over other countries, and the other country only needs to be warned if there was a reasonable expectation that the balloon would enter that airspace. By international agreement, an unprovoked attack on a civilian aircraft (including balloons) is essentially an act of war against that aircraft's country,

Of course, that was clearly not a light weather balloon.


As for the Alaska object, it does sound like some sort of large metallic balloon, but might be something else. At this point, I don't think it properly belongs in this thread; it is an unidentified flying object. I hope it turns out to be something more interesting than a big harmless balloon.
 
A typical 'weather balloon' is only about 5 or 6 feet in diameter.
Not the many hundreds of feet of the 'chinese spy balloon'.
And a typical weather balloon is simply 'wind blown' with no control over it's height, and therefore it's direction.

1676126326093.png


https://www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...uestions-answered-about-them/?sh=639346c35985
 
Zeke Newbold said:
f you live in a city or fairly large town and it is reasonably flat, and there is construction work going on then there may well be cranes around some distance from you.
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Well I live in a little town in and it happened to me the other night on my walk to the supermarket. I spotted it as soon as I'd got out of my gate. It puzzled me at first and of course I allowed my imagination to include UFO's. I knew there was a building site roughly in the general area so assumed it had to be something to do with that but I didn't think it was going to be high enough to need a crane that tall! It's block of luxury flats for over 55's and yes indeed that was what the crane was for.

Anyway when I mentioned it to other people none of them had even noticed it which I find strange. Makes me wonder how may people would notice a real (for want of a better word) UFO.
 
Sollywos said:
Makes me wonder how may people would notice
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Mostly people walk around oblivious to their surroundings, and rather worryingly, sometimes drive around oblivious to their surroundings.
I was walking back from the supermarket the other afternoon and a rather portly looking, middle-aged woman was marching in my direction with her attention firmly focused on the phone in her hand. I had nowhere to go as it was only a narrow path with a 'shopper-stopper'* to my right side. She looked up at the last moment and swiftly side-stepped to avoid just barrelling straight into me, and I exclaimed "Watch where you're going luv!".

* NB: For those unfamiliar with UK street-side hardware....this is a 'shopper stopper'.
1676140143969.png
 
Sollywos said:
Well I live in a little town in and it happened to me the other night on my walk to the supermarket. I spotted it as soon as I'd got out of my gate. It puzzled me at first and of course I allowed my imagination to include UFO's. I knew there was a building site roughly in the general area so assumed it had to be something to do with that but I didn't think it was going to be high enough to need a crane that tall! It's block of luxury flats for over 55's and yes indeed that was what the crane was for.

Anyway when I mentioned it to other people none of them had even noticed it which I find strange. Makes me wonder how may people would notice a real (for want of a better word) UFO.
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Interesting, because most of us aren't concerned with our skies, too busy on our phones or driving or running errands. And because these things usually make no sound and no smoke is emitted from them, I bet most of them are only noticed by accident.
 
Trevp666 said:
A typical 'weather balloon' is only about 5 or 6 feet in diameter.
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Well, at height, a typical weather balloon expands to 6 metres in diameter. That is because they are elastic, like a rubber balloon.
The high altitude 'hibal' balloons are much larger, but they aren't elastic; instead they 'fill up' and become rounder.
 
Paul_Exeter said:
Whatever this is:
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It's the streetlight just to the right - somehow it is being replicated in the photo but at a lower intensity, maybe some sort of internal refraction, an artefact of the lens system being used.
 
Yes, these internal reflections are quite common when people use smartphones. The light is mirrored around the central point of the photo. Note that the image is upside-down compared to the tower light on the right.
 
A quick look at Google Street View shows the lamps in Morrisons car park are of an unusual design and have some sort of fibres on top. Presumably the lamp illuminates them and they appear green in the reflection. There's an oval space in the centre of the green lines which matches the shape of the lamp housing, seen at an angle.


lamp.jpg
 
Here's a YouTube video by Mick West demonstrating an internal reflection with an iPhone. Obviously, the person taking the photo wouldn't notice this when taking the photo. Internal reflections of this sort are responsible for quite a few images of unknown objects taken by smartphone of this kind.

 
Here's a fix that claims to get rid of these internal reflections.
https://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/12/26/how-to-remove-green-dot-iphone-photos/
What is the green dot on my iPhone photos?
In most cases, the green spot, haze, or flare will happen when taking a photo with a strong source of light in the background. For example, if you’re taking a photo of the sunrise, sunset, or just about anything with the sun or a bright light somewhere in your field of view, or even outside the field of view, you will likely end up with that dreaded green spot, some lens flare, or haze.
The problem is due to the light coming in at a specific angle and reflecting off the surface inside the camera or the lens cover. Regardless of the iPhone model you may be using, this is a problem every iPhone user is subject to.
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New balloon-type mystery object spotted in the sky over Wigan.....

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Sharon Hill said:

Pilot on holiday in Cornwall baffled by flying object​

People in Newquay were baffled this morning after a large circular object was seen being towed by a helicopter overhead. A pilot from Essex who was driving home from a holiday in Cornwall said he's "never seen anything like it".

It was a mapping device.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/pilot-holiday-cornwall-baffled-flying-8166429
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We saw this yesterday just after midday whilst travelling down the A30 towards the turning for Truro. It was a baffling sight to begin with and really did wonder if it was some sort of stealth project but then it came closer and was revealed as a helicopter towing 'something'.
 
Paul_Exeter said:
a helicopter towing 'something'.
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I saw a large trapezoid shape in the sky, off in the distance, one time and as I was driving towards it I was wondering what the hell it was?
UFO? Secret stealth craft? New type of airplane?
No.
It was a large flag at the bottom of line dangling from a helicopter. I think it was some kind of advertising thing. But until I could see the helicopter I had no idea.
Like this.
1677342793521.png
 
The M6 (UK) UFO crash that never happened - contains lots of swearing:


Awful music and silly sound effects

But wait, there's more :bs::


(not the FT though)
 
I was drinking my early coffee outside this morning and saw three high white dots following each other. They were passing behind a tree with bare twigs and I couldn't focus my camera on them. When they emerged the other side they were further away and disappeared. Even when you've got a camera with a big lens ready something frustrates you!
I expect they were birds but it's annoying not to have been able take a picture.
 
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Erinaceus said:
I was drinking my early coffee outside this morning and saw three high white dots following each. They were passing behind a tree with bare twigs and I couldn't focus my camera on them. When they emerged the other side they were further away and disappeared. Even when you've got a camera with a big lens ready something frustrates you!
I expect they were birds but it's annoying not to have been able take a picture.
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I would have clicked the shutter on it anyway, because you never know what the camera catches but the eye doesn't!
 
Erinaceus said:
The camera kept focusing on the twigs or I would have taken a picture.
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Then what I would have tried would be to focus on something else - about the same distance away as the objects you spotted (or infinity), hold the shutter button then return to the shot and click the shutter. Usually works but may not be as in focus as usual.
 
Erinaceus said:
I was drinking my early coffee outside this morning and saw three high white dots following each. They were passing behind a tree with bare twigs and I couldn't focus my camera on them. When they emerged the other side they were further away and disappeared. Even when you've got a camera with a big lens ready something frustrates you!
I expect they were birds but it's annoying not to have been able take a picture.
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I suppose, by definition, those were UFOs.... but probably not aliens.
 
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