Aliens

[Michael L]

Aliens passed near our launch site on Saturday Or not. I figure if the alleged news people can make a distraction, I mean big deal, out of them I can too. The first rocket was about to launch when his visiting son said a "balloon" is inbound. Sure enough, it looked like a Mylar balloon was headed our way. But it didn't look like a balloon. It's hard to say how far away it was. I had my 70-200 on my camera and I took a few shots with that. I could have used a 600mm f4 lens but decided that it was just a balloon (because that's what the aliens wanted me to think ) and swapping lenses was too much trouble. When I cropped in I wished that I had hauled out the 600 f4

Heavily cropped. What do you think it is?

No crop. "thing" is in the middle of the frame. 200mm lens so 4x-ish normal vision

 

[AfterBurners]

Was Bigfoot flying it? I remember reading someplace that bigfoot is connected with UFO's? You never know??

 

[Funkworks]

Ah yes, those are from a species living on exoplanet Kepler-124b. Nice people. I have lunch with them once in while, but their hot sauce can give me indgestion so not too often. Not dangerous though.

 

[aerostadt]

This thread should be under the "Restricted" category.

 

[Michael L]

At least I was able to supply the traditional crappy photo AND I even have an excuse for not having a better photo. Snewz people? You reading this? I will work freelance for a lot of money. At least the price of two Composite Warehouse, Mad Cow, or Public Missiles kits (big ones) and enough motors to get my L2 cert.

I'm not making this up. Wind direction wise, even winds aloft, it should have floated our way. My rocket weathervaned in the general direction of that thing and floated over the top of us at 4,000'-ish. Pretty sure it's not an alien craft though That's what the voices told me to say

 

[Funkworks]

I think you're expecting too much from "alleged news people". Feel free to learn more and maybe even find people with similar interests. I'd start here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JournalismRemember wikis are open to anyone including professionals, amateurs, you, and me.

 

[Michael L]

I don't need a wiki. I have real life. I'm surrounded by real life.

 

[Funkworks]

So are those who write wikis.

 

[teepot]

I'll go with ET's. With all the military sightings I believe that they don't care anymore if we see them. It could be a prelude to first contact.

 

[DeltaVee]

Where's the kaboom?!?! There was supposed to have been an earth-shattering kaboom!!!

 

[MClark]

I have no idea. However for a UFO picture it’s pretty clear.
Was it tumbling or stable? relative to picture what way was it moving?

M

 

[KennB]

We had a similar situation at a recent CMASS event. As it got closer it seemed to be a rather large inflatable "S" that must have escaped from some type of celebration. It stayed clear of us so we didn't bother it.

 

[tsmith1315]

It's not very stylish. Maybe it's just a proof of concept exercise they sent over. If not, those aliens need some design instruction.

 

[Cape Byron]

The booster stage of another Chinese space mission.

 

[tab28682]

Interesting. I was at a model airplane event this weekend in Little Rock. I happen to look over to the west side of the runway and something caught my eye slowly falling from the sky, about 50 yards away.

Hard to make out the shape against the blue sky, but once it was below the treeline, it was clearly a popped open Mylar party balloon with a long colored ribbon hanging below it.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

If that’s not aliens, I don’t know what it is.

 

[MClark]

 

[Hobie1dog]

definitely a Certified UFO

 

[Greg Furtman]

It's a UAP! I love how the military changed the name.

 

[Michael L]

I have no idea. However for a UFO picture it’s pretty clear.
Was it tumbling or stable? relative to picture what way was it moving?

M

Moving right to left. Stable as far as I know. The photo is a very, very, very tight crop of the original. At 200mm it's just a dot. The some of the guy that launched first saw it when sunlight reflected from it. The wind was in my face as I took the shot. It's hard to gauge how far away it was and therefore to know the size of it. It was moving crosswind.

One of the guys at work thought it was a drone. Maybe something for air sampling? I've viewed it full screen on my computer and there's just not enough information to say. Mylar balloon is a possibility but I don't know how it could travel N -> S when the wind was blowing NW -> SE.

Perspective

Here's my LOC IV on a 36" chute about 1,500' to the east. Uncropped

Here's the uncropped photo of the "object" an unknown distance to the west. Black dot in the middle @200mm. 50mm is about the same as the perspective of the human eye.

 

[Dotini]

At least I was able to supply the traditional crappy photo AND I even have an excuse for not having a better photo. Snewz people? You reading this? I will work freelance for a lot of money. At least the price of two Composite Warehouse, Mad Cow, or Public Missiles kits (big ones) and enough motors to get my L2 cert.

I'm not making this up. Wind direction wise, even winds aloft, it should have floated our way. My rocket weathervaned in the general direction of that thing and floated over the top of us at 4,000'-ish. Pretty sure it's not an alien craft though That's what the voices told me to say

That's not a crappy photo. It's a beauty!

Are there military bases or meteorological research facilities near your launch site?

The general tenor of all the news is that this sort of sighting is no longer stigmatized, and that pilots should not fear reprisal for reporting sightings. You indeed possess an exceptional photograph that shows something not fuzzy. You should consider reporting your sighting. There are maybe 3 acceptable national agencies with which to file a report.

 

[Michael L]

We launch a little south of Bloomfield, NM (near Farmington, NM. Four Corners area). We don't even have good weather or ATC radar here. The weather agencies will show rain but this area is a well known radar black hole. Especially west and south of Farmington.

 

[RobertH3]

Here's mine from Kamakura, Japan in 2008. I didn't see it, found it when I was showing my photos of "hike to the giant Buddha" to friends. Zoom in over the buildings and look for the dot. May also be a mylar saucer balloon. Meet's Hynek's requirement for a "daylight disc" though : )

Since there was a sky and since there were people they have been seeing weird stuff

Cheers / Robert

 

[prfesser]

We had a similar situation at a recent CMASS event. As it got closer it seemed to be a rather large inflatable "S" that must have escaped from some type of celebration. It stayed clear of us so we didn't bother it.

Sounds right. This looks like a capital letter I with two balloons attached.

Best -- Terry

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

I've had a UAP visit. Oh, wait, it was my Mega Vortico...

 

[Dotini]

Sounds right. This looks like a capital letter I with two balloons attached.

Best -- Terry

Yes; although I would say barbell shaped. I have a pretty extensive knowledge of UFO lore, and I know of zero reports of UFOs shaped like a barbell. Despite the reported wind direction, I'd say very likely it's a balloon. Do winds vary in direction at different altitudes? I think so. It's always difficult to judge the distance (and altitude) of the object when you don't know the size.

@rklapp The Mega Vortico is my favorite kit rocket to launch with friends and relatives. But the Blender comes down much closer to the pad. I think I want a Blender with a 24mm motor.

 

[SwingWing]

Swamp gas reflecting off Venus...

 

[Cape Byron]

Swamp gas reflecting off Venus...

Or Uranus...

 

[Michael L]

Sounds right. This looks like a capital letter I with two balloons attached.

Best -- Terry

Coincidentally, the guy that saw the thing first said something to the effect that it looks like a mylar balloon shaped like a letter. His eyes were a lot better than the rest of us. I think this is the more likely answer

 

[Michael L]

Or Uranus...

I was at the Lowell telescope in Flagstaff a few years ago. I took a look through the telescope and asked the operator what I was looking at. He said "Uranus". I said, " awe man... I can't post that on Facebook"