I have never before seen anything like this

Being a pretty level headed scientist/astronomer, I think I have explanations for everything I have ever observed with my own eyes. That was until today (22 March 2009).

The image linked below is a reconstruction of an object I saw whilst driving on the A19 into York, UK. I saw it to my left over open countryside in glorious bright sunshine. This object appeared to be floating at high altitude and I estimate it was at least a mile away. It seemed stationary but impossible to tell. I could see no details at all, just the perfectly rectangular shape and pale color. It was lit by sunlight and looked a bit like a stone tower - except there are no such buildings in that location and it was way too high. I travel the road pretty often and have never seen anything like it before. It was definitely airborn and far away. Unfortunately, I didn't see it for more than 15 seconds, after which time roadside bushes spoiled my view. I couldn't stop the car under the circumstances, so by the time that was possible, I had no idea which way to look. I didn't see it again.



I guess it could have been some sort of hot air balloon or advertising blimp, but it's a very unusual/unstable design I would think. This thing seemed enormous - the image I put together is pretty close. So, I am at a loss to explain what it was. I doubt I was not the only one to see it, there was a lot of traffic.

WG3

no idea is a19 a portal an opening a vortex?
uk seems to be hot spot these days
I read you had a near miss this week man saw two discs near crash on your east coast lost link now

Wow...

Based on the image you created to represent what you saw, Id have to agree that there is little to its design that makes any sense for operations in our atmosphere.

Do you know if anyone else saw this thing?

Thank you for sharing this with us.

Springer...

news.bbc.co.uk...
news.bbc.co.uk...


for you maybe it similar

[edit on 22-3-2009 by awaken the source]

reply to post by waveguide3


There are a few hot air balloon companies nearby:

/dhwkwk

But, I don't know if a hot air balloon is likely because of the geometry of the object. I'd have thought a very tall hot air balloon would be subject to the slightest breeze.

One thing in your account does stand out.

This object appeared to be floating at high altitude and I estimate it was at least a mile away. It seemed stationary but impossible to tell. I could see no details at all, just the perfectly rectangular shape and pale color.

By what means did you estimate the altitude and distance? I have seen first hand how people can mistake a small, low object for a high, large object.

I've seen videos of solar balloon flying at that attitude. Black is the usual color for them but it could be one, or just a helium balloon. Any chance it was a daytime flight of a sky lantern?


[edit on 3/22/2009 by Phage]

The UFO Blogger website has also covered a sighting from 2002 that features a rectangular object next to the glowing light. Go to ufoblogger.blogspot.com... and scroll down to "UFO and Alien Caught on Camera in New Brunswick,Canada", where it says:

Along the right side of the light stood what looked like a rectangle structure of some type that seemed to be hovering next to this huge light.

I can't seem to make out the rectangular object in the picture supplied.. seems to be heavily-compressed, I wish they would provide originals in the proper full resolution when presenting cases.

Anyway, interesting sighting!

Originally posted by Phage
By what means did you estimate the altitude and distance? I have seen first hand how people can mistake a small, low object for a high, large object.

The distance and height are obviously my estimates based on the surroundings observed in that direction. There were distant trees forming my visual horizon and from the extent of distance hazing I reckoned the object was well behind them. I'd say the trees were over half a mile away. If the object was actually further than my 1 mile estimate, it's size must have been truly collassal. The height can't be judged beyond my guess as 'high'. It was well above the treeline and I could see sky above them and below the object. The image I made is as near as I can get it. All this estimation was done in the 15 seconds or so it was in clear view. Had I been able to study it at leisure, I suppose a rational explanation may have been forthcoming. As it was, I'm still at a loss.

I've seen videos of solar balloon flying at that attitude. Black is the usual color for them but it could be one, or just a helium balloon.

I'm familair with solar balloons having constructed and flown them in my youth. The colour would seem inappropriate for such a device and again, it seemed too large to be a balloon of such flimsey construction. A helim ballon is possible, though as noted, it was geometrically perfect as far as I could tell. It didn't appear to be 'inflated' as any such device would look.

Any chance it was a daytime flight of a sky lantern?

I've also launched conventional Sky Lanterns and cannot imagine one of such a size being in the least practical or indeed safe to handle/launch. The long vertical shape seems very unlikely to be a good design for a hot air balloon/lantern but who knows. My conclusion was it was nothing I was familiar with. Losing sight of it without a logical explanation made me a bit angry for the rest of the day. I accept nothing at face value, especially something like this.

WG3

Very interesting observation. I suspect you must have already given much thought to the possibility of it having been a balloon.

I would go so far as to guess it didn't present that appearance, because if it had, you would not have been inclined to share it.

Thank you.

This Craft looks Nothin like the Alien Ships I have Seen in My Life .

Originally posted by jackphotohobby
There are a few hot air balloon companies nearby:

Yes, I've seen many conventional hot air ballons in the area over the years. I never saw anything like this though.

But, I don't know if a hot air balloon is likely because of the geometry of the object. I'd have thought a very tall hot air balloon would be subject to the slightest breeze.

By their construction, hot air balloons look 'inflated'. This thing didn't, it appeared 'solid' and perfectly rectangular.

WG3

Originally posted by fishspeaker
This Craft looks Nothin like the Alien Ships I have Seen in My Life .

Your description, not mine.

WG3

Perhaps it is a Robot Type Craft , Built by Machine Forces as Yet Unknown by Our Planet

Thanx for taking the time and effort to make such a concise and interesting report. Balloons can be written out of the equation if you can find the weather data for the day and the wind was above their safe operating envelop..

As for your sighting... well, it seems to fit into a whole category of sky borne objects that just seem too crazy to be real. There is a bit of a myth that all UFOs are saucer shapes. Often reported sightings are far from it with some , aerodynamically, ludicrous shapes being spotted...

It's almost as if someone, or something, is mocking us. "Look you spend billions on refining your technology and we can do this with something that has all the aerodynamic qualities of a brick"... "Work that one out monkey people"

reply to post by waveguide3


I think it's likely to be something prosaic, so what follows is maybe unhelpful conjecture, but many reports I've read about cigar shaped objects have often being very large, and cylindrical. A cylinder could be viewed as rectangular when rotated and viewed from a distance. I don't rule out airships, because the volume of gas or air needed to lift any substantial payload would mean they'd have to be huge.

Don't know what it is, but hot air balloons come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.







And the coolest of them all!!!!!!......

Originally posted by waveguide3
Being a pretty level headed scientist/astronomer, I think I have explanations for everything I have ever observed with my own eyes. That was until today (22 March 2009).

The image linked below is a reconstruction of an object I saw whilst driving on the A19 into York, UK. I saw it to my left over open countryside in glorious bright sunshine. This object appeared to be floating at high altitude and I estimate it was at least a mile away. It seemed stationary but impossible to tell. I could see no details at all, just the perfectly rectangular shape and pale color. It was lit by sunlight and looked a bit like a stone tower - except there are no such buildings in that location and it was way too high.

I've heard of some atmospheric effects/illusions from backscatter. They are rare (like the "green flash" at sundown, which I've never seen, but is real) Was the sun directly behind you at the time?

I unfortunately don't know the right words to search on.

Another possibility

en.wikipedia.org...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

[edit on 23-3-2009 by mbkennel]

[edit on 23-3-2009 by mbkennel]

reply to post by waveguide3


That looks similar to the "Light Columns" that were seen all over Europe a couple months ago.

There is a thread about them, but you will have to find it.

They certainly did not look like anything that has ever been documented, but scientists quickly came up with rational explanations.

[edit on 23-3-2009 by SumnerKagan]

Originally posted by jackphotohobby
I think it's likely to be something prosaic,

So do I but I've no idea what at this time.

WG3

Originally posted by sensfan
Don't know what it is, but hot air balloons come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

It may indeed have been a thin, vertical, rectangular balloon, who knows? It didn't 'feel' a balloon. As we all have, I've seen lots of balloons and this wasn't 'balloon like' as I perceived it.

WG3