Anyone know what this is? Orb?

Noticed this on a picture I took back in Nov 2004.

Any idea what it could be?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8553e31323d6.jpg[/atsimg]

It's a piece of dust either on the lens or very close to the camera. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here's the same effect I took in a house being renovated...there was drywall dust everywhere.

Originally posted by sensfan
It's a piece of dust either on the lens or very close to the camera. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here's the same effect I took in a house being renovated...there was drywall dust everywhere.

The picture was taken at night without a flash. While I can see your logic in day time I'm not sure about night in a dimly lit stable.

Have you zoomed into the Orb or what ever it is? Look at the edge.

[edit on 3/4/09 by The Asgard]

Originally posted by The Asgard
The picture was taken at night without a flash. While I can see your logic in day time I'm not sure about night in a dimly lit stable.

It doesn't matter if you used or flash or not. Cameras can still pick up tiny pieces of dust.

Originally posted by The Asgard
Have you zoomed into the Orb or what ever it is? Look at the edge.

What are we supposed to be looking for?

Personally I like orbs with people or aliens in them.
Not too many showing up lately.
Unless that is the ones Will Smith is familiar with as you remember
a whole galaxy looks like it is in that orb.

Notice how these 'orbs' always have a concentric circle pattern? That's an optical effect of a bright point source photographed outside the true focus for the source. The discs always appear to be focussed, but they are simply a 'slice' through a light cone. Point sources emit rays over a wide field, but the camera captures a cone of rays, the diameter of which is determined by the lens or mirror and the plane in space being 'focussed' on. The source is sometimes a star or distant lamp, often a reflective particle, or even a microscopic bead of dew on the grass, which catches some light and reflects it in the camera's direction.

The rings are akin the a diffraction pattern generated by point sources and often referred to as the Airy Disc. These aren't Airy Discs, but it's simpler to call 'em that. I've never seen a vide or photo of purported 'orbs' which don't exhibit the pattern. It's a sure fire tell tale sign that it's a diffraction phenomenon. And of course, these things cannot be seen by the naked eye. They require a lens or mirror system which can be adjusted for focus.

Another acid test for out of focus discs is whether it's possible to reduce their size by adjusting the focus. If the disc can be made very small, then that is closer to the true image of the object. When in perfect focus it will appear as a point of light, exactly as it does to the human eye.

In similar vein, take another look at David Sereda's 'mile wide space ships' on his STS-75 Tether videos. These have concentric fringes as well. Their apparent swirling 'vortex' behaviour is due to the reflecting particles being in rotation.

WG3

I'm not sure what it is but I do find it strange how a piece of dust can be picked up in an almost dark enviroment. I have taken plenty of night/dusk shots and never seen anything like this.

I would be interested if someone else could post something similiar taken in near dark conditions without a Flash?

To me this looks similiar to a plasma ball if you look at the edge of the ball.

All I can say is it's not fake and a geniune photograph.

Originally posted by The Asgard
I'm not sure what it is but I do find it strange how a piece of dust can be picked up in an almost dark enviroment. I have taken plenty of night/dusk shots and never seen anything like this.

But the photo shows there was a light source. There's plenty of color in the image. If this were an unilluminated night photo, I doubt there'd be any image to see.

WG3

reply to post by The Asgard


Could be water drop

I aint sure where I stand on this debate, mainly because when I look at planets through a telescope and I zoom in to much, the light source becomes out of focus and I get this exact same orb like picture.

But without a light source? I dont know