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Originally posted by Teknik
Originally posted by ravenspear
But these objects were also detected on the airplane's radar. They were solid objects, not just lights.
Not necessarily solid.
Quoting from Ionised Plasmas: Production of Luminous Decoys of Military Origin:
Can the shape which is generated be detected by radar?
An ionised plasma reflects long waves (radio) but it can easily be passed through by short waves (TV, radar) if the density of its electrons is insufficient. Plasmas with a higher density produced by a beam of electrons allow a radar wave with a frequency of less than 10 GHz to be reflected and may therefore be used just like a high speed adjustable "mirror" for radar [POP98 p. 2137]. In the atmosphere the "Artificial ionospheric mirrors" could reflect frequencies up to 2 GHz according to a report by the US Air Force.