[Just thinking (OP)]

DSCN3005 (2).JPG (642.63 kB . 3743x1293 - viewed 2856 times)Have you ever seen something strange in the sky you know it's not a bird it's not a plane it's not even superman and it's not a satellite? OK, so what was that strange thing that has court your attention. This is the big question what was that. Tell us your story.

[Bored chemist]

Q "What was the unidentified thing?"
A " I don't know; if I did, it wouldn't be unidentified".

[Just thinking (OP)]

Q "What was the unidentified thing?"
A " I don't know; if I did, it wouldn't be unidentified".

There may be some type of description to some sighting it was fast it had lights it was big it moved like nothing else. So it may be identified to some extent but you are correct it will be of an unidentified origin and technology.

[Bored chemist]

it will be of an unidentified origin and technology.

Or a weather balloon.
That's what "unidentified" means.
It doesn't mean extraterrestrial.

[Just thinking (OP)]

It doesn't mean extraterrestrial.

I agree I do not believe that we can be visited by something that does not exist. People that claim to have seen little green men are somehow deluded but there most certainly is something going on?

[alancalverd]

Two probable weather balloons, each sufficiently remarkable that someone else mentioned it at coffee break the next day.

One possible weather balloon, again mentioned by a colleague some time later, but with apparently very rapid vertical acceleration.

One very fast-moving and rapidly manoeuvering bright object a few hundred feet above a cliff top some 5 miles away. This was in the early days of jet aircraft (1953) and whilst the speed might have been consistent with a 500 mph plane,  its sudden reversals of direction were not. Never found an explanation for that one.

Most days: (a) something clearly visible in the sky, not mentioned by the radar service and/or (b) something mentioned by the radar service "12 o'clock, 1 mile, same level" but completely invisible to me!  On the plus side, the sky is a big place. On the minus, the few things up there are all hurtling about  at enormous speeds. But the good news is that most of them are piloted by intelligent beings very much like us. 

[Just thinking (OP)]

On the plus side, the sky is a big place.

Thanks Alan. Sounds like you have had some rather interesting sightings and accounts. Were you in the services at that time? I to have had sightings that defy explanation.

[alancalverd]

I was 8 years old in 1953, a bit young for national service even then. Probable and possible weather balloon sightings occurred at various times when I've been on the ground, and air-to-air sightings or non-sightings happen when I'm on my way to (civilian) work in some part of the British Isles.

Irrelevant but worth repeating for a laugh, this conversation took place early one morning about 5 years ago:

Radar: Flight of five Apaches, 12 o'clock, 5 miles, opposite direction, similar altitude

Me: Roger, turning right to avoid. What's going on?

Radar: Suspect you haven't paid your council tax.

[Just thinking (OP)]

Radar: Suspect you haven't paid your council tax.

Good storeys and sound like you had better pay those council taxes if that how they do business. Come to think of it I have had people try and shoot me down for much less.

[Kryptid]

I was driving along the interstate back when I was in college (so a long time ago) one late evening and I saw a star in the sky that seemed unusually bright. Think of it like Venus. I don't recall seeing any other stars out yet so it intrigued me and I glanced at it from time to time as I drove. Another light similar to it appeared suddenly to the lower-left of it, moving horizontally as it bobbed up and down and passed underneath the first light. The first light suddenly flickered off and was then followed by its partner pulling the same disappearing act.

I don't know what it was. It could have possibly been some kind of natural phenomenon akin to ball lightning, but I don't recall there being any stormy weather at the time.

[Just thinking (OP)]

I don't know what it was. It could have possibly been some kind of natural phenomenon

Just a possibility could it have been aircraft refuelling the second light may have been the smaller jet getting in position. The planes may have been at a high altitude coming towards you 100 miles out.

[Kryptid]

Just a possibility could it have been aircraft refuelling the second light may have been the smaller jet getting in position. The planes may have been at a high altitude coming towards you 100 miles out.

The bottom light most certainly wasn't any known aircraft. Its maneuvers were too extreme.

[Just thinking (OP)]

The bottom light most certainly wasn't any known aircraft. Its maneuvers were too extreme.

Sounds like this one will stay a mystery don't you just hate that.

[alancalverd]

My favorite moving light was one evening about 30 miles northwest of London. I fairly soon identified it as a police helicopter making a pattern search of the fields. The story appeared in the newspapers a few days later:

An old guy said he was going to walk across the fields to the local shop. On his way back he stopped under a tree to look at the sunset, then fell asleep. His wife panicked when it got dark and called the police. He was woken by the noise of the helicopter, sat under the tree for an hour watching it and wondering what they were looking for, then made his way home.

[Just thinking (OP)]

He was woken by the noise of the helicopter,

I remember about 20 years ago I was at home one night and the back window lit up like daylight and I thought that it was close encounters the light was so intense the room lit up like daytime and to my relief, it was just a police helicopter looking for someone it scared the crap out of me. The light that those helicopters have are a very intense powerful spotlight.

[alancalverd]

The light that those helicopters have are a very intense powerful spotlight.

The aren't used below 50 ft in case they set fire to dry grass!

[Just thinking (OP)]

The aren't used below 50 ft in case they set fire to dry grass!

diesel locomotives in Australia have very powerful full spotlights to see for animals on or near the line. A funny story a train driver crossing the Nullarbor on a very long straight section of rail and there is only one line stopped his train and called ahead to ask why is there a train coming towards him thinking he may have missed a siding. They said your the only one out there it turned out to be Venus setting or may be rising. He must of felt like a goose.

[Just thinking (OP)]

I thought I had seen one last night but it was a false alarm I had been drinking too much.

[alancalverd]

What intrigues me is that so many photographed  UFOs follow variants of the same design pattern - the top cover of  a  globe light fitting. And just like terrestrial light aircraft, the design has evolved slightly over the last 50 years, from pierced metal (which we earthlings used to ventilate incandescent lights) to solid plastic (as shown in the OP, which is OK for domestic LEDs).

So no worries about contact with vastly superior technology. The little green men have bathrooms just like ours.

[Just thinking (OP)]

solid plastic (as shown in the OP, which is OK for domestic LEDs).

The picture attached to the topic is an inverted roulette wheel there is no triking you Alan. you make a good point.