Jump to content

Narrowband

A curious light phenomenon.


ollypenrice

Recommended Posts

I'm not, of course, into aliens, UFOs or Woo Woo of any kind but this was interesting all the same.

A guest spotted a pulse of very soft, diffuse light light about 15 degrees above the horizon. Although the sky was clear overhead there were thin wispy clouds at this low altitude. This pulse went from the east to the south over maybe 30 degrees horizontally, taking a second or so to do this. It then reappeared in the east and shot south again, repeating this pattern for a minute or two. Then the pulse started covering the same 30 degree arc but back and forth at a higher speed. Then it disappeared.

It might have been from a police car beacon or something like that, though it was well above the horizon. What piqued my curiosity was how such a source would, via diffraction, be visible to us only  as a soft glow from cloud level with no sign of the source below the cloud. The regularity of the rhythm surely indicated a mechanical source. So I suspect a perfectly humdrum light source on the ground with an interesting diffraction effect bending it in our direction at low altitude.

Olly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like it or maybe a helicopter.   I've seen examples of mirages on TV programmes that certainly can explain some strange sights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say Olly, this is just the sort of atmospheric disturbance I would expect from a Woo woo 're-entry' over mountainous terrain. The lack of actual 'woo' sightings and pulsating lights clearly speak for themselves. Currently, there are pulsating lights over my neighbour's garden and if he doesn't turn them off soon he will be experiencing an encounter of the third kind.

George not asleep yet in Lowestoft. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Olly, I wonder if this was robotic lights from a nighclub or suchlike in a distant town? They have a habit of installing automated searchlights on the roof pointing at the clouds as a beacon to the lost and lonely. Seen afew round here over the years. Mind you, would have expected them to last for several hours.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RobertI said:

Hi Olly, I wonder if this was robotic lights from a nighclub or suchlike in a distant town? They have a habit of installing automated searchlights on the roof pointing at the clouds as a beacon to the lost and lonely. Seen afew round here over the years. Mind you, would have expected them to last for several hours.....

My first thought too. Would explain the sudden change in pattern as they usually have a programmed sequence of different sweeps.

Wouldn't have to be the fleshpots of a metropolis either. Surely it is peak Son Et Lumiere season in that part of the world? For those not in the know, these are multimedia outdoor productions which small French towns and villages put on. They involve projections, lighting, music, dance, etc. Often Avant Garde and frequently incomprehensible if not downright bizzaire. Literally translated "Sound and Light".

Once had the pleasure of getting involved in one where a troupe of French performers were shipped over by Birmingham City Council to open (the then new) Centenary Square. We had to lower dancers and guys in inflatable alien spacesuits trailing green smoke and playing saxaphones off tall buildings on ropes. After a fair bit of carry on, the whole thing concluded with the fire brigade pumping thousands of gallons of foam through the seating that the symphony orchestra were on and out in to the audience. Still don't have a clue what it was all about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have Blackpool's infamous Illuminations a few miles to our south each summer and apart from the general increase in light pollution there have been times when lasers have been set to point skyward and follow predetermined patterns of movement.

Sometimes they'd create a beam that went overhead from horizon to horizon other times they'd create diffuse points that moved around in the southern sky.

I think they got banned eventually as a hazard to aviation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, SkyJamie said:

Hey Olly,

You said you watched this for a minute or 2, i'm sure you would have already posted pictures or video if you took any, but did you try to record this?

 

No, too busy doing astronomy! I'm not sure how I'd have gone about recording it really. I don't use a smartphone and I never know where my daytime camera is!!

?lly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.