UFO's. What's your take on them?

Hi Sue

For us people who live in the town it is hard to imagine the sights that we are missing due to light pollution. Where I now live, near to the Gateshead angel, there are so many street lights that you are lucky to see the moon let alone the stars.

Away from the towns Northumberland has some wonderful night skies. That is why the Kielder Observatory, the latest observatory to be built in this country, is an astronomical facility developed for the astronomers so that they can take advantage of Kielder’s lack of air and particularly light pollution.

Regards Roy J.

Hi folks

First ,can I say that I strongly believe that there must be, somewhere in this vast universe of ours, other intelligent forms of life. But, given the distances involved, and with the limitations provided by the speed of light, I doubt if we will be able, any time soon, to contact those life forms.

Now for the pictures, they were taken in 2007, at Ambleside in the lake District, looking towards the fell known as Todds Crag. The camera used was my Canon A710is. At the time of taking, I did not realise that I had capture the pictures as they appeared here, and as I had to go into hospital for an operation on our return from the lakes, I did not have opportunity to down load and check through the pictures until some considerable time later.

Again, I have to state that there has been no messing about with the pictures. They are exactly as they were taken. What is seen in the picture is exactly what I could see.

When I had the chance to examine the pictures, I realised exactly what they were, but I thought that, in certain quarters, they might cause some interests. Was I right in that?

I don't know if I have mentioned in the past, but I have connection with the Astronomy Department of a well respected British university, and so, some time ago, I submitted the photos to that department for their opinion as to what they thought the objects were.

The people who looked at the pictures are not university students, but are persons involved in post doctorate research. They are used to examining and interpreting objects seen in the heavens. They are all at the cutting edge of astronomical research, being interested in such fields as dark matter, early star formation, black holes etc. They use Hubble, GBT, and other advanced telescopes, in much the same way that I would use a screwdriver or hammer. Simply, they are tools of their trade. While these persons have their eyes on the heavens, when it comes to UFOs their feet are most decidedly on the ground.

Because the time that they spent examining these pictures was unofficial, and not part of their normal research duties, I think it would not be appropriate to name that University.

After a short time I received a reply from the department, this reply detailed views of some of the persons who had examined the pictures. The reply stated..........

Well I will post that next time.

Regards Roy J.

Hi Folks.

To continue from where I left off yesterday. You have to remember that the team had exactly the same pictures that are on this site to examine. They had no extra information.

The initial response that I received from the team to these pictures is quoted as follows.

“Well, your photograph has caused some head scratching in the department, I can tell you. I've shown several of my colleagues and have had a very mixed bag of theories, including parachutes, aircraft headlights and internal lens reflections caused by a bright source out-of-frame.

It was initially wondered whether it could be a couple of helicopters or fighter planes. However, I doubt you'd get such a large flare from that, since the image indicates the lens is focused close to infinity. If there is an out-of-frame source, then it would have to be extremely bright to show up in an image and it would most likely create a much bigger flare (eg, what you see when shooting next to the sun).” End of quote.

So, as you can see from the above, that even the experts, initially, could not identify or solve the puzzle as to what was causing the images in the pictures.

However, I later received a further response from one quite brilliant member of that team who had, after further examination, come up with the correct solution.

That response begins “I think its........

I will submit that further report in full tomorrow, but be warned there are going to be a number of disappointed persons when they read it. On the other hand there are others who will be feeling fully justified in their skepticism.

I promise that all will be revealed tomorrow.

Regards Roy J.

Hi Folks.

As I promised yesterday, I will now provide you with the full explanation as to the origin of the objects seen in the pictures.

First, this is the response that I got from the department member who believed that they had the solution as to what these images were.

I quote.

“I think its most likely that you are looking through a window and the objects are the reflection of a light source. Looking at your image again, I can see what it is. Its a reflection of a lamp (ceiling lamp?). You must have been inside when you took the photo.

There's a dark band running around the inside of the shade which gives the appearance of an external band running around the outside of the UFO. The bright tip of each UFO is the bulb just peeking out from behind the front lip of the shade. Also, I reckon there are two because the window is double glazed (you actually get 4 from double glazing arranged in two pairs. However the images in a single pair are fairly close together because the glass is much thinner than the air gap).”

End of quote.

I have to say that I was very impressed that this person had managed to come up with what is almost exactly the correct answer. Its nice to know that there are some clever people around.

And that is the answer. The two UFOs are actually reflections of a table lamp in a double glazed window. When I took the photographs, I was sitting inside the café looking at the view and decided to try and take a couple of pictures through the glass. The lamp was some distance behind me in the room. I did not realise until some time later just how the pictures had turned out.

After I had taken the second picture, someone switched the lamp off, thus causing the objects to vanish in the 'blink of an eye'.

I am sorry if anyone is disappointed at the truth as to what these images really are. In this case the pictures were obtained as a pure accident, but it just shows how easy it would be for fake pictures to be produced.

Perhaps, one day soon there will be a genuine UFO picture submitted to this site.

Regards Roy J.

Well I never did! A simple lampshade, love it!

I am not disappointed Roy, maybe relieved that this time our friends from 'out there' were not paying us a visit and maybe planning something awful.

I've loved these last few days waiting for your story to unfold.

It's great to have you back!