MIT students photograph Earth from Space - object seen in one photo

The project photos were recently posted on the Web, but I read about it today, never the less...

From Project Icarus website:

We are a group of MIT students seeking to share the artistic aspects of science with others. On Sept. 2, 2009, we launched a digital camera into near-space to take photographs of the earth from high up above. (see “Flight”)

One of the photos on their website caught my eye as there is an "interesting" metallic reflection visible in it.

What's curious about the photo is that it's taken at 93,000 feet and this shiny blip does not look like an airplane either.

See for yourself, look at the center bottom portion, you can't miss it:




[edit on 14-9-2009 by amigo]

I see it. Donno what to make of it though. Interesting.

That's a beautiful image, thanks for sharing it

It does appear to be above the clouds in the image, however I've been fooled by illusions resembling this before...

It could well be a very reflective surface object...

Was there a sunlight angle posted with the MIT results?

-WFA

reply to post by amigo


Looks a lot like sunlight reflecting on the water in a lake or pond.

They snapped at just the right moment to catch the image. A few seconds later, or earlier -- or different angle, and it wouldn't show...or might show on ANOTHER body of water somewhere.

I see reflections like that often while flying.

Using the date, and Long. Lat. coordinates from the Icarus website, you can use this tool here to find a sky chart, which should tell you where the sun was, and the angle the sunlight was coming from... Here's the link:
www.fourmilab.ch...

Hope that helps in your investigation

-WFA

reply to post by amigo


Next time fly closer to the UFO to get a better look.
It's too far away.
93,000 feet?

Regardless of the object in question, the concept of launching your own camera into space is incredible. This practice can take UFO research to a whole new level (no pun intended).

Here is the relevant sky chart for Sept. 2nd, 2009, at 11:45 AM:



And here is the relevant data on planets/sun:
Right Ascension Declination Distance
(AU) From 42°21'24"N 71°3'24"W:
Altitude Azimuth
Sun 10h 46m 39s +7° 46.0' 1.009 16.656 −85.302 Up
Mercury 12h 13m 26s −5° 17.2' 0.792 −8.139 −90.253 Set
Venus 8h 42m 20s +18° 20.3' 1.338 46.168 −70.431 Up
Moon 21h 11m 27s −14° 42.7' 63.4 ER −38.591 106.732 Set
Mars 6h 21m 20s +23° 34.0' 1.595 70.021 −22.434 Up
Jupiter 21h 29m 57s −15° 56.9' 4.078 −36.105 101.816 Set
Saturn 11h 37m 46s +4° 32.7' 10.419 5.066 −91.538 Up
Uranus 23h 43m 44s −2° 37.8' 19.122 −2.674 88.879 Set
Neptune 21h 48m 22s −13° 42.0' 29.054 −31.282 100.309 Set
Pluto 18h 2m 16s −17° 54.9' 31.337 −65.387 172.190 Set


-WFA

How did they launch a digital camera into near-space?

By a baloon?? And how was the picture taken? Remote-controlled??

They explain everything on their official website: space.1337arts.com...

The impressive part was their $150 budget.

I have problems with anomaly hunting photos. Typically, the observer is "looking" for something, so is predisposed to find something unusual. Second, I can take pretty much any photograph of space, earth, mars, the moon....anything and find something that, if I had a certain mindset, would give me pause.

Here the only thing we have is something unidentified. At the time of the op's post, he didn't know if it was flying or even an object. I guess 1 out of 3 is enough to get some people creative juices flowing.

But, that picture is ABSOLUTELY beautiful!!

A flat UFO.
That was easy.
ED: The are two UFOs, lower and upper screen.




[edit on 9/14/2009 by TeslaandLyne]

The white oval? It's a cosmic ray hitting the CCD.

That is too high to be a reflection, at least, like that.

The sun doesn't shine on one particular location. To shine there, it would also shine in the water around.

And besides, at that altitude the atmosphere of Earth prevents any reflections (so I believe), like you can see around the object.

93,000ft is way up there.

To give you a little perspective:

The trails on the commercial planes usually appear at heights above 20,000ft. So all those planes that you see pretty high but aren't leaving trails, are around 15,000ft (remember this number).

The RS-71 Blackbird, which keeps the altitude record , flew around 80,000ft(could go even up to 85). That's near the very edge of space.

THAT photo was taken 15,000ft (13,000) ABOVE the flight level of one of the most advanced aircrafts ever.

That is how high this photo was taken.

That's not a reflection on Earth, IMO.

[edit on 14/9/09 by Tifozi]

[edit on 14/9/09 by Tifozi]

reply to post by ZombieOctopus


Now that's possible too...

Here is an interesting paper on Cosmic Ray hits on CCD Cameras, for those who are unfamiliar with them...

www.springerlink.com...

-WFA

Originally posted by Tifozi
That is too high to be a reflection, at least, like that.

The sun doesn't shine on one particular location. To shine there, it would also shine in the water around.

I agree, unless the object has a really high albedo, but from the sun's position that day (posted data earlier in this thread) I agree that it's highly unlikely a reflection of a ground object.

-WFA

Ever think these craft might be attracting Cosmic Rays and charges
from the Ionosphere.
There is the apparent focusing of lightning surrounding these craft
since the Foo.
Nothing new.

I may be completely wrong, but I think I know the place the camera is looking at:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/835bc81bae79.jpg[/atsimg]

Big circle may be New Haven Harbor
Small circle may be lake gaillard

Area in question seems to be Cockaponset state park, no bodies of water resemble that shape. But if you ask me, its just a processing error.

On google Earth:
41 18 0N 72 48 41W

[edit on 14-9-2009 by daniel_g]

reply to post by Tifozi

That is too high to be a reflection, at least, like that.

No, not really.

The sun doesn't shine on one particular location. To shine there, it would also shine in the water around.

You have to consider the curvature of the Earth, here. The sea off in the distance isn't reflecting, because of the angles.

Here, watch this video, especially at 6:00 and again at 6:30.

This is from 70,000 feet.

(Plus, you can just enjoy the video for its beauty...)

reply to post by weedwhacker

No, not really.

Yes, really. The angle of view of the sea behind the object makes the atmosphere almost twice its "height", it means it's "thickness" (density).

You can see glow from water from the ISS, but that's because there is a absolute clear sky and the thickness of the view-distortion made by the atmosphere is reduced because of the direct angle of view.

You have to consider the curvature of the Earth, here. The sea off in the distance isn't reflecting, because of the angles.

No you don't. It isn't significant in this case because of the angle of view. If that portion of water is reflecting, so must be the ocean behind it. Sun isn't that small nor precise.

Here, watch this video, especially at 6:00 and again at 6:30.

This is from 70,000 feet.

Î have posted that video before, and it actually proves I'm right, not wrong.

If you notice, the sun reflects on a huge area without too much shining, not a small one area with colossal shine.


[edit on 14/9/09 by Tifozi]