When looking at a strange object in the sky, it may be important to
take into consideration several factors before it becomes truly
unexplainable. Is the object stationary or moving? Is it a solid
object, or does it seem to change shape? Is light emitting from it,
and if so what is the nature of the light source? Let's explore some
of the more likely Misidentified Flying Objects.
As hard as it
is to believe, the planet Venus is still misidentified as an alien
craft by many people worldwide. Of course this isn't something to be
ashamed of, as Venus is a particularly bright and mysterious light in
the sky. While hanging low on the horizon from the vantage point of a
moving vehicle such as a plane or car, the planet Venus can appear to
follow or "chase" several within the vehicles. Additionally, a low
moving cloud passing in front of the nearby planet with sunlight
reflecting off its metallic looking surface can make it look as though
the object suddenly vanished out of thin air. If you see a light in
the sky, be sure to check to see if it is moving. If it is simply
standing still you may be actually having a distant encounter with our
neighboring planet, rather than a close encounter of the first kind.
The
next one is rare, but it has been used in several official
explanations, and should therefore be included to keep in mind when
observing an object. The phenomenon known as ball lightning stems from
the mysterious appearance of a form of static energy that will behave
in ways that are unpredictable and not entirely known by science.
Those observing ball lightning have often reported that it seems to
"play" around objects, disappear, behave as though solid for moments
and disappear the next. Ball lightning can certainly be a blanket
explanation used to explain away several seemingly unnatural events.
It should not be assumed that every light in the sky is potentially
ball lightning, or can be explained away as such. Ball lightning
appears to be under intelligent control, but it often mimics metallic
objects around it. It can disappear, explode into a puff of light, or
simply be absorbed into an object around it. And contrary to its name,
ball lightning is not always ball shaped. It's often actually rod or
teardrop shaped.
Weather balloons seem an almost laughable
explanation for some UFO sightings. The explanation was made famous by
the Roswell New Mexico crash, and ever since it has been mocked by both
the skeptical and UFO communities. There are, however, weather
balloons that are mistaken every year for something extraordinary.
Weather balloons hang in the sky as a solid spherical or roughly cigar
shaped object, but they do not take off at great rates of speed or
disappear, and they rarely hold occupants that beam people aboard for
experimentation. As a result, weather balloons should be easy to
identify. Is the object moving under intelligent control, or is it
simply hovering? If the object is hovering, look for birds and insects
that could be flying behind it. This could help you judge the size of
the object by comparison.
