Fed up with Chinese Lantern video's

I'm probably just being an old moaning UK bloke but at least 70% of video's posted (maybe more) are very clearly lanterns. I'm not accusing the posters of hoaxing but if you see 2 - 5 reasonably small orange flickering slow moving balls that slowly fade out (breath), then it's almost 100% lanterns.

The number of times lately I've looked at footage and just instantly knew it was lanterns is maddening. I'm also wary of anyone who says that they have seen these things, filmed them and then say that they zoomed off at enormous speed and yet that bit is never filmed.

Please, before screaming BEST VIDEO EVER, do some homework, see if there were large parties in your area, look at your footage and think to yourself 'did this intergalactic super UFO fly here with candles in the windows?

/moan off...

I have read about more of these laterns in the papers. It is a shame these are causing problems.

Good post.

I'm wondering why some of the camera operators can't lean up against a wall or doorway so as to steady the camera.

Seems too that using the fold out viewer that shows the video proper is adding to the shaky camera bit.

Use the viewfinder, lean against something solid and brace your hands and elbows against your chest.

Holding the camera out front and watching the screen doesn't cut it in my book....

"Balloons tied together" videos are also very annoying.

Linda Moulton Howe was the lead instigator in the now famous British Pub Chinese Lantern/UFO, sighting, she contended that they were not lanterns because;

1. They changed directions.
2. Flew in formation.
3. They suddenly blinked out.

None of these points are valid, because;

1. The wind direction changes with altitude, this fact is exploited by hot air balloon pilots, and they know that to change direction, you change your altitude. This is a well understood atmospheric phenomenon, to ignore it when explaining why the lights could not be lanterns, is a mistake.

2. Balloons when released together, will encounter the same wind currents, their trajectories will tend to follow one another as they travel in a similar path. This can be observed during any balloon release, including hot air balloons. This can carry the objects along a path that switches directions multiple times as they ascend.

3. Most Hot Air Lanterns are powered by a paraffin soaked square of cardboard, they are specifically designed to burn hot and then go out quickly. (So they will not cause a fire when they land.) The human eye has diminished sensitivity to lights at low intensities. If a lantern is seen at a distance, it will appear to blink out suddenly because we cannot see the slight dimming due to our eyes inherent lack of night vision. Unless the lantern were to run out of fuel while close by, it will seem to extinguish quickly. The effect is a combination of the design of the burner materials and the limitations of our eyes in the darkness.

Because the lanterns exhibit unique and predictable traits, they can be identified most of the time. For instance, the point of origin can usually be determined by tracing their flight path, as was done in the "Pub event", a wedding gathering was found to have released a number of Lanterns on the night in question, and it is now certain that this was the source of the Lanterns seen that night.
Linda Moulton Howe's reaction was to say that the Reporter who found out about the wedding parties Chinese lantern release that night, was most certainly a "Disinformation Agent!" For her to make such an undocumented accusation is ludicrous.
The primary characteristics that differentiates real UFO's from lanterns is their wind borne flight pattern, low and slow, gentle direction changes with a lifespan never exceeding twenty minutes. Actual UFO's are seen to hover, accelerate at extreme speeds, and to make impossibly sharp turns at varying speeds.

The increase in hot air Chinese lantern sightings being attributed to UFO's is a problem, knowing some of the characteristics of the Lanterns make it easier to discern the real UFO sightings from the easily explainable lanterns.

Well it makes no sense that they would be lanterns. They are obviously a swarm of some kind



Swamp gas, Party Balloon, Chinese Lanterns, Weather Balloons...

Can't you debunkers come up with something news?

You are partly right (i.m.o.) and I can understand why chinese lanterns are frustrating to you or anyone else for that matter. Still, it doesn't rule out every UFO sighting as being a party balloon of some sort. I saw one of these orange balls of light going right over my head and it was nothing like a balloon. Simply put, there's more to it.
If you look up balls of light in UFO history you'll find that they have been recorded decades maybe even centuries ago. The Foo Fighters during the Second World War would be one reference and I seem to recall reading about green fireballs being recorded regularly in the U.S. in the 1950s and 60s even over military installations.
I think we still have to look at every sighting individually.

Originally posted by TerraX
If you look up balls of light in UFO history you'll find that they have been recorded decades maybe even centuries ago.

Exactly! These mini-hot air ballons (correct term is 'Sky Lantern') have been around for over 2,000 years. Probably as long as UFO sightings really.

Sky Lanterns

TC

[edit on 2-12-2008 by waveguide3]

There are a few here which don't realy look like Chinese Lanterns:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
(Although I do empathise with your comments :up

[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

Originally posted by waveguide3
Exactly! These mini-hot air ballons (correct term is 'Sky Lantern') have been around for over 2,000 years. Probably as long as UFO sightings really.

Like this one?
Motion Stabalized



ATS Motion Study
Tallahassee UFO - [Motion Tracking]



Full Version
Possible UFO Footage Captured in Tallahassee



Critter giving Birth not Chinese Lantern

I'm absolutely NOT saying that most video's are lanterns, I'm purely out of frustration saying that many including that recent post in France have every feature of a lantern.

Why would a light flicker randomly (ignoring high aerial cloud wisps etc) on these things, dodgy alien soldering?

As I said before, if you see a group of orangey coloured lights that seem to all drift in a similar direction that glow and flicker then slowly one by one go out then it's 99.9% lanterns.

Personally I'm a believer and have seen 'something' that was a triangle he in London but there are people too willing to scrutinise what they have filmed before claiming it's the greatest UFO video ever. That's what get my goat, trawling thru 10's, 100's or more video's of a flickering light against a pure black background where they also over zoom making the camera produce an artificial image.

It's just annoying when someone has stuck up a video that's shaking like he's in a tornado, he never tries to give any comparison objects and the audio commentary consists of "wow dude", "What the frickin hell is that" rather than try and give size, location, a direction being pointed or at the very least a description of the object which may appear different in the flesh than on film.

Only then to say it's definitely aliens because his friends saw it to...

Gah......drives me nuts!!

Ban chinese lanterns worldwide. Thats the answer. Would certainly debunk alot of debunkers who claim every UFO is a chinese F'ing Lantern lol!

There are PLENTY of videos and witnessed sightings that can not possibly be lanterns or balloons, and I personally dont think there are mass releasings of these things either its just very convenient for the skeptics to latch onto.
People who see giant triangles fly over there head that have structure, silent and make unearthly maneuvers are NOT crazy or seeing lanterns..

Finally!!!!

I already told ppl that the movie of Amsterdams 'light balls' were just lanterns. Even when I told ppl I saw the exact same thing in my own Dutch homecity they still where sceptical. I mean, come on. A zoomend in image from a phone camera, no wonder the ball is 'moving wear' (no steadycam) and that the color is 'fluctuating' (1.3 Mp mobile camera with no good lightsensors)

Is it just me, or doesn't anyone find it really unusual that balloons and chinese lanterns are magically appearing and filling our skies, especially our nightime skies, when many of the sightings take place. I haven't seen stray balloons wondering around in my entire life. I saw a few blimps and could tell what they were. When people photograph what they believe are ufos, they don't turn out as well as the experience, and what is witnessed, as in the unusual behavior, and the intelligent moments some of the witnesses experience. The case is not just the photos, but the whole experience and context given by the witness. Furthermore, just because a photo could be something else, you could write down a list of probabilities and possiblities to explain it. The one all the skeptics conclude is the answer, is not necessarily the answer. Its just a guess.

There was only one film I recall that seemed more likely a balloon scenario, note the I recall, because there may have been more. In that case, it was in Mexico where balloons are more common, and unusual designs in balloons are more common. The sightings actually took place after some kind of festival where there were balloons. Well that made sense to debunk that film.

Neither the OP nor anyone else has said that all UFO sightings can be attributed to sky lanterns. However, it's pretty certain that a large percentage are merely lanterns let off at celebrations all around the world and these events continue to muddy the water unnecessarily. I suspect these apparitions have been mystifying people for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, since they were invented by the ancient Chinese. These days, however, we should be sophisticated enough not to be fooled, but seemingly not. The visual and aerodynamic characteristics of sky lanterns makes them pretty well unmistakeable, yet they continue being discussed ad nauseum. There may of course be mass hysteria and self-promotion factors involved , but take sky lantern sightings out of the equation and what's left may well be worth serious investigation.

WG3

I'm not really all that bothered by them. Any kind of small, candle-illuminated hot air balloon is usually pretty easy to spot in a video.

And if it's not obviously a balloon, and it's not obviously an alien spacecraft/time probe, and it's not obviously anything, then what good is it, anyway? Just another lousy video of flickery lights in the sky. There's no shortage of those around.

Originally posted by waveguide3

Originally posted by TerraX
If you look up balls of light in UFO history you'll find that they have been recorded decades maybe even centuries ago.

Exactly! These mini-hot air ballons (correct term is 'Sky Lantern') have been around for over 2,000 years. Probably as long as UFO sightings really.

Sky Lanterns

TC

[edit on 2-12-2008 by waveguide3]

So thousands of years ago in places of the world not associated with these sky lanterns there were paintings of ufos and aliens..
Before these lanterns were around and in areas people hadn't even heard of them.

They explain probably a decent amount but not all.
Lets face it...some are obviously real, we just don't have the means to prove it or evaluate the evidence in a manner in which we are familiar ( because not many people deal with ufo's .....actually nobody does )

I agree with you that lately there is many waste of time hoax videos.
That many stupid people use to try and get video views for some referral programs thinking they will get rich.
However lanterns don't stop, hover, change direction and speed off at 50,000 mph.
Then stop again, go the other way, then speed off again.
They don't disable nuclear missiles in front of 50 trained respected trusted military personnel.
Watch this video.
/6hxoj5
It has enough hardcore evidence in it.
By enough respected people.
If it was involved in a capital murder trial the person would most certainly get convicted and sentenced to death.

Originally posted by AgentOrangeJuice
lanterns don't stop, hover, change direction and speed off at 50,000 mph.
Then stop again, go the other way, then speed off again.
They don't disable nuclear missiles in front of 50 trained respected trusted military personnel.

All true. If anyone witnessed such an event, they'd be stupid to say it was due to sky lanterns!

Originally posted by waveguide3
The visual and aerodynamic characteristics of sky lanterns makes them pretty well unmistakeable, - - -

WG3

[edit on 3-12-2008 by waveguide3]

[edit on 3-12-2008 by waveguide3]