Another UFO?
- acc
- Administrator
- Posts: 2578
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:15 pm
- Favourite scope: Mag1 Instruments 12.5" Portaball
Another UFO?
Was scanning the rich star field around canis major using a low-power eyepiece on my TV85 when I spotted a rapidly moving object moving near to Sirius. Tracked the object with the scope and noticed that it is disc-shaped and dark-brown in colour; reminds me of a red-blood cell. The object took about 30 seconds to move from Sirius to just south of Canopus before disappearing from view. Time was about 10.45pm. Rather late to be a satellite and a check with www.heavens-above.com confirmed that no satellite pass is visible from my observing location at that time. Any guess as to what the object is? (I am very sure its not a meteor or aircraft).
- Airconvent
- Super Moderator
- Posts: 5804
- Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 11:49 pm
- Location: United Federation of the Planets
Re: Another UFO?
as usual, cc is a magnet for UFOs...I would not be surprised if one day he gets abducted by aliens...then we can all inherit the Portaball....acc wrote:Was scanning the rich star field around canis major using a low-power eyepiece on my TV85 when I spotted a rapidly moving object moving near to Sirius. Tracked the object with the scope and noticed that it is disc-shaped and dark-brown in colour; reminds me of a red-blood cell. The object took about 30 seconds to move from Sirius to just south of Canopus before disappearing from view. Time was about 10.45pm. Rather late to be a satellite and a check with www.heavens-above.com confirmed that no satellite pass is visible from my observing location at that time. Any guess as to what the object is? (I am very sure its not a meteor or aircraft).

what you see could be a weather balloon or worse, a balloon left over from the NY party...
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before
Captain, RSS Enterprise NCC1701R
United Federation of the Planets
Captain, RSS Enterprise NCC1701R
United Federation of the Planets
- acc
- Administrator
- Posts: 2578
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:15 pm
- Favourite scope: Mag1 Instruments 12.5" Portaball
Not entirely ruling out the balloon theory but the object was moving in a straight line at a constant speed.... seems to be more of an object in orbit. I am thinking its some sort of space junk or satellite but I am wondering how could these objects be visible at 10.45pm without the illumination of the sun?as usual, cc is a magnet for UFOs...I would not be surprised if one day he gets abducted by aliens...then we can all inherit the Portaball....
what you see could be a weather balloon or worse, a balloon left over from the NY party...
Hi ACC:
Specular reflection from a flexible body like a weather balloon will result in 'red-blood-cell' discs seen. I hv seen this effect through a C8 when viewing the evening weather balloon. So the brown object you saw could very likely be balloon-class object. But a drifting balloon does not leave a linear trajectory. (Integration video stills can easily reveal the non-linear tracks..)
Since the 25mm video lens used on Jan 01 2004 can even resolve the shape of the object - it must be at a very low altitude range then.
What do you think?
rgds
yKChia
Specular reflection from a flexible body like a weather balloon will result in 'red-blood-cell' discs seen. I hv seen this effect through a C8 when viewing the evening weather balloon. So the brown object you saw could very likely be balloon-class object. But a drifting balloon does not leave a linear trajectory. (Integration video stills can easily reveal the non-linear tracks..)
Since the 25mm video lens used on Jan 01 2004 can even resolve the shape of the object - it must be at a very low altitude range then.
What do you think?
rgds
yKChia
- acc
- Administrator
- Posts: 2578
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:15 pm
- Favourite scope: Mag1 Instruments 12.5" Portaball
Hi YKSince the 25mm video lens used on Jan 01 2004 can even resolve the shape of the object - it must be at a very low altitude range then.
What do you think?
The object gave me the impression that its at high altitude, but that's juz based on my intuition and I could be wrong. But I am sure that the object travelled in a straight/slightly curved line at a constant speed. You saw the object at about 10.45pm on Jan 1 as well?
cc