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Zig Zagging star experience.


Stubbly_Dooright

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You know, speaking of UFO's, I really would like to know about the one I saw some time ago. Despite being probably twenty to thirty years ago, I still remember seeing it clearly. There are certain things that will stick in my memory, like my kid's birth. This is also one of them. Now, I have had about three experiences with UFo's. This experience was my first one. The second one is where the power went out, and I noticed a hovering orange spear hovering slowly in the treetops. The third one was the one I heard and could tell, it was not usually and that it was large.

The thing is, the two later experiences, I have seen and read similar experiences. The first one, I have yet to read anything similar. And for years and years, I have asked so many people, after describing the events, to tell me, what do they think it could be. I have yet to get a clear answer. I would like to get one, seriously.

This happened in the home I grew up in. It's later in the evening, around the fall, because it's dark out. I remember looking up in the sky and then noticing what would seem like a star zig zagging across the sky. It zig zagged in 90 degree angles. From the north to the south. It was high up where there would be long traveling planes would fly through. And it was fast, probably took maybe twenty seconds to go across the sky in my viewpoint. I have had hang glider suggestions, but I'm thinking in the dark? It was too high up, and there are no areas where when can get to a point to lift off in an hang glider.

A satellite maybe. I don't know, do satellites travel across the sky in 90 degree zig zagged patterns? I have seen satellites with my naked eye from time to time, and well, the light is fainter, and they don't zig zag. Do they?

So my questions to you all, is this:

One, can someone identify this? Has anyone heard of anything that is known that can do what I described?

Two, has anyone else experienced this type of sighting? I feel like I am the only one that seen this particular sighting.

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It sounds like a satellite. Atmosphere makes them seem to wobble, and that's about how long it takes for them to go from horizon to horizon.

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It sounds like a satellite. Atmosphere makes them seem to wobble, and that's about how long it takes for them to go from horizon to horizon.

You know, there is still a part of me that seems like it is a satellite. Although, the light was much brighter. I don't know if you actually meant wobble, because it didn't seem to wobble. After each 90 degree turn, it would shoot in a straight line to the next 90 degree turn.

I was partly wondering, if there are satellites that make type of movement? I am hoping it might be what you are describing Kenemet.

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A few satellite facts:

1. You'll usually only see satellites within about 2 hours after dusk (or before dawn) - it sorta depends on latitude and season. That's because the only reason you see them is that they are way up high above you and are still catching the sun's rays, even though it has set for you... as the night progresses, the sun goes further 'down' and so the sky above you becomes in deep shadow so you won't see them.

2. Satellites look a lot like high flying aircraft passing over head, and yep, they may take twenty or thirty seconds to pass overhead. If you have good eyes you may be able to detect the flashing strobes on aircraft - satellites tend to be steady and they will fade quite rapidly as they hit the earth's shadow. If you spend a lot of time skywatching you will quickly learn to spot which is which.

3. Satellites don't generally zigzag - that would use a lot of propellant and fuel is precious! They need it to boost themselves up every now and then, to make very rare minor changes to orbit (in which case you may just be able to spot a slight bend in their course, and also sometimes to control their de-orbit at the end of their life - the satellite owners are expected to be responsible and try to bring it down over water..

4. Some satellites may 'tumble' and give varying glints off solar panels.. Iridium satellites are famous for this. But no zags..

So my guess would be a military aircraft - in all my satellite watching days I've only ever seen one make a slight orbit change and it was very minor (I happened to catch it in my camera!)..

Or possibly alienz.. but until we verify that they are around, that isn't a scientifically acceptable option.. :D And you still gotta ask, why zig zag and why have your lights on?

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Iron_Lotus:

i've seen something kind of similar when i was younger don't really have an answer for what it was
Thank you for your experience, Iron. I wouldn't think I would be the only one seeing something similar. I do remember feeling something akin to not from here. I wouldn't say creepy, just that the vibes felt 'different'.

from ChrLzs:

A few satellite facts:

1. You'll usually only see satellites within about 2 hours after dusk (or before dawn) - it sorta depends on latitude and season. That's because the only reason you see them is that they are way up high above you and are still catching the sun's rays, even though it has set for you... as the night progresses, the sun goes further 'down' and so the sky above you becomes in deep shadow so you won't see them.

Ahhhh, makes sense.
2. Satellites look a lot like high flying aircraft passing over head, and yep, they may take twenty or thirty seconds to pass overhead. If you have good eyes you may be able to detect the flashing strobes on aircraft - satellites tend to be steady and they will fade quite rapidly as they hit the earth's shadow. If you spend a lot of time skywatching you will quickly learn to spot which is which.
Yup, that sounds familiar to the satellites I have been able to see, when looking up there. They are very tiny, compared to the star like light I remember seeing, though.
3. Satellites don't generally zigzag - that would use a lot of propellant and fuel is precious!
I didn't know that. Thank you, that is very interesting. So, this makes me wonder what I saw then. It seemed to glide in the zig zagged pattern easily. It looked like it would have taken up a lot of feul to do this.
They need it to boost themselves up every now and then, to make very rare minor changes to orbit (in which case you may just be able to spot a slight bend in their course,
Aha, this explains what I saw some months ago. While looking up, between two stars, I saw a glimer for just a rare second. I had a strong feeling it was a satellite that changed course.
and also sometimes to control their de-orbit at the end of their life - the satellite owners are expected to be responsible and try to bring it down over water..

4. Some satellites may 'tumble' and give varying glints off solar panels.. Iridium satellites are famous for this. But no zags..

So my guess would be a military aircraft - in all my satellite watching days I've only ever seen one make a slight orbit change and it was very minor (I happened to catch it in my camera!)..

Well, like I said, this was about twenty to thirty years ago, and there really wasn't anything military nearby. Yet, it was extremely high up, so I don't know.
Or possibly alienz.. but until we verify that they are around, that isn't a scientifically acceptable option.. :D And you still gotta ask, why zig zag and why have your lights on?
Exactly! This has baffled me more than the other two experiences, because of the intense mystery behind it. I am thankful for Iron's post, so I know I am not the only one who has seen this. I thank you for your imput, and I learned something too about satellites. I just wish there was more talk about this particular sighting. This is baffling! Edited by Stubbly_Dooright
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I think the explanation for this one is physical rather than mystical and not at all unusual. People don't realize it but human eyes are moving all the time in little micro-tremors and our brains cancel these tremors out by using a solid background. Kind of a critical damping which steadies teh picture even though teh eye is moving. All is fine when you have a clean horizon or at least something the eye can steady itself on.

When you look up into a black sky, however, at a moving light source with no clean horizon or solid structure to level on, your brain has no fixed point with which to cancel out these tremors, no critical damping and the light source may appear to be zig zagging. It isn't, it is your eye moving but your brain can't dampen it out. Google Ocular micro-tremors and let us know if that is what caused the satellite (that is what it most likely was) to appear to zig zag as it traversed the night sky.

I don't know why the eye does this but it is a proven fact that it does. Personally I think it is a way to catch motion in our peripheral vision but that is pure upposition on my part. Interesting stuff and isn't remarkable how incredibly complex our vision is.

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I've seen the same thing. I even watched a satellite pass under under it while it was zig-zagging. I don't know what it was but it was something we couldn't accomplish with any of our known craft, not that I could tell it was a 'craft' of any kind. I hate night sightings because it's just a light. This was a few years before my sphere sighting.

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From Merc14:

I think the explanation for this one is physical rather than mystical and not at all unusual. People don't realize it but human eyes are moving all the time in little micro-tremors and our brains cancel these tremors out by using a solid background. Kind of a critical damping which steadies teh picture even though teh eye is moving. All is fine when you have a clean horizon or at least something the eye can steady itself on.
Do you mean more scientic or medical, than mystical? Anyways, I believe I know of what you are saying. I know for one thing through out my life, that I noticed things slightly shaking or blinking is probably more of a way of describing it. Although, I find it happens more now than years ago. I'm 48, (Yeah, you heard me, I said my AGE!!! :devil:) This experience I saw as a teenager. I know, I might have been having this then, I don't know.

When you look up into a black sky, however, at a moving light source with no clean horizon or solid structure to level on, your brain has no fixed point with which to cancel out these tremors, no critical damping and the light source may appear to be zig zagging.

Well, I was hoping to hear more of this experience, before I added some things. I did have a fixed point. The tree lines, and other stars.
It isn't, it is your eye moving but your brain can't dampen it out.
Yeah, I get you. But based on what I do experience with that, it's just faint blinking. This star like, this pin point of light was a strong sharp 90 degree turning thing. It didn't tremor or shake, so to speak. I can look at a normal light and see the light pulsate. Well for one thing, you clued me on something I always wondered about in my day to day life. Although, it doesn't explain the behavior of this experience.
Google Ocular micro-tremors and let us know if that is what caused the satellite (that is what it most likely was) to appear to zig zag as it traversed the night sky.
Well, I did, and as I stated above, it doesn't seem to be the case here. Frankly, when one is presenting something as a fact, they shouldn't be telling someone to do the research, the one presenting the facts should present it. Someone here, a long time ago was yelling, (I know you are not yelling)about her presenting wild opinions as facts and screamed for us to research it. It backfired on her. For I found things that backed my thoughts and showed hers to be wrong. Just a friendly thought. :su But in your case, though, it seems to back up something that could be the case.

But your post is a good example of what it could be. I am also not ruling it out, and I think I would do some more research on this and see if it could be, so good thoughts on this. Thank you for your answer. It good be a good possible explanation. I just think what I saw was too massive to be it. Again thank you. :tsu:

From Sweetpumper:

I've seen the same thing. I even watched a satellite pass under under it while it was zig-zagging. I don't know what it was but it was something we couldn't accomplish with any of our known craft, not that I could tell it was a 'craft' of any kind. I hate night sightings because it's just a light. This was a few years before my sphere sighting.
Ahhh, thank you too for your experience. Were the satellites smaller and dimmer than the object? And I wonder in what decade was this. Just curious.

Let it be known, I am not trying to validate that it's alien. And though I am thinking that this is a UFO, I want it to be identified. I really want to validate what it could be and if others have seen this. Heck, if someone told me that Elon Musk was test driving something and that is what I saw, I would be, GREAT! Now I know.

But come to think of it, Elon Musk would have been a baby then, but you get the idea, right? :alien::st

Edited by Stubbly_Dooright
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Ahhh, thank you too for your experience. Were the satellites smaller and dimmer than the object? And I wonder in what decade was this. Just curious.

The satellite was bigger and brighter (as it passed). Early 2000's.

Edited by Sweetpumper
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From Merc14:

Well, I did, and as I stated above, it doesn't seem to be the case here. Frankly, when one is presenting something as a fact, they shouldn't be telling someone to do the research, the one presenting the facts should present it.good possible explanation. I just think what I saw was too massive to be it. Again thank you. :tsu:

It is a big subject full of conjecture and difffering theories so one site really isn't adequate and I'll be damned if I am cutting a pasting a dozen links hence the two word search phrase for a specific search engine.

As far as massive, I thought you were likening it to a satellite? Now we are onto massive? Satellites generally appear as dim stars, the iridiums will flash and the ISS will appear massive if the sun is hitting it riight so maybe you should clarify what you saw.

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It is a big subject full of conjecture and difffering theories so one site really isn't adequate and I'll be damned if I am cutting a pasting a dozen links hence the two word search phrase for a specific search engine.

One link would have been fine. I would have gone on from there.
As far as massive, I thought you were likening it to a satellite? Now we are onto massive? Satellites generally appear as dim stars, the iridiums will flash and the ISS will appear massive if the sun is hitting it riight so maybe you should clarify what you saw.

What I meant, the object I saw would be more massive in relative size to the medical situation you were bringing forth. If what I saw was the case of what you said, and again, I'm not totally discounting it, than I would be having a full on head explosion. (try to picture that) The symptoms would be small and slightly noticable tremers. In a sense, I thought I was trying to convey that even though this light reminded me of a star, it was more than likely lower down in the atmosphere, more likely in the flight paths of planes. But the object looked like a star. I'm thinking it could be easily mistaken for a satellite by the relationship of it's size to my eyes in the distance and where I thought I saw it in the sky. I'm just saying, the flight path of this thing cannot be mistaken for my eyes doing wacky things. Again, it's a thought, but a big part doesn't think so.
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Huh! While I started to do more google searching, I came across this.

Since you couldn't identify it, it was a "UFO" (Unidentified Flying Object) in the strict sense of the word. But it was not an alien spacecraft, because no one has ever seen one of these for sure. Almost certainly from your description it was an artificial satellite. The zig-zag motion is an optical illusion, caused when a steadily moving point is observed against a random background of stars. Because your eye is locking on to one star and then another, it _looks_ like the moving object is following an irregular path, but it really is moving in a straight line. I've followed these objects in my telescope and they definitely are moving with constant speed, even if they appear to be zigzagging to the naked eye.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140101045516AAJ9uy

So, in essence, someone else also provided the same thought as you Merch, but the person seeing that sighting felt it could not be that as well. And going back to my thoughts on what I saw. This video might show something similar, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0kDV-XOFr

What I saw the zig zagging motion was more spaced out. It took most of the sky to go from one 90 degree angle to the next.

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https://www.youtube....ch?v=M0kDV-XOFr

What I saw the zig zagging motion was more spaced out. It took most of the sky to go from one 90 degree angle to the next.

And the one I saw move a hell of a lot quicker than what's in that video. It didn't fade at all and would take what seemed like random angles.

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I think the explanation for this one is physical rather than mystical and not at all unusual. People don't realize it but human eyes are moving all the time in little micro-tremors and our brains cancel these tremors out by using a solid background. Kind of a critical damping which steadies teh picture even though teh eye is moving. All is fine when you have a clean horizon or at least something the eye can steady itself on.

When you look up into a black sky, however, at a moving light source with no clean horizon or solid structure to level on, your brain has no fixed point with which to cancel out these tremors, no critical damping and the light source may appear to be zig zagging. It isn't, it is your eye moving but your brain can't dampen it out. Google Ocular micro-tremors and let us know if that is what caused the satellite (that is what it most likely was) to appear to zig zag as it traversed the night sky.

I don't know why the eye does this but it is a proven fact that it does. Personally I think it is a way to catch motion in our peripheral vision but that is pure upposition on my part. Interesting stuff and isn't remarkable how incredibly complex our vision is.

Exactly what happened to me when I was out camping a few years ago. I was out with the kids looking for Koalas with torches in the trees. They found one and were passing the torch around when I decided to look up for a while and saw a star moving slowly, it seemed to move at a 90 degree angle rather quickly and jump across a expanse of space when I realised it was me that moved. I only realised that because I had been tracking the moving light against two stationary stars, and realised the position of those stars I was using for reference. I did know it but had turned 90 degrees while watching it and become disorientated for a moment. When everything clarified it was all different, leading me to think the sky had changed when it was just me.

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I have been asking myself the same question ever since I saw a similar 'thing' back in februari 1994 - what did I see?

It was a very cold winters night, and the night sky was just covered with stars, it felt as one could see every star out there.

My friend and I were outside talking about something when he pointed up in the sky and asked me 'Hey, do you see that star zig-zaging? What is that?'

We both were looking at this bright star shooting in the exact same way as described in the first post. Sharp 90 degree angles, no blinking lights, zig-zaging extremely fast, probably at the same height as air traffic or even higher (felt like 'in space'), and the distance it covered at every turn was...well..must have been miles, we both agreed upon.

I have seen satellites in the sky, blinking aeroplanes, chinese lanterns, etc, but never before or since then anything like this Unidentified Flying Object.

The description of your zig-zaging star/UFO definitely matches what we saw that night, and it seems as there are quite a few people out there (just google it) that have seen the same thing.

Have to say it did not look like anything man made I have heard of.

Felt like I just had to contribute to the topic since my sighting actually made a huge impression on me, and I have been questioning what exactly flies in our skies since then.

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Exactly what happened to me when I was out camping a few years ago. I was out with the kids looking for Koalas with torches in the trees. They found one and were passing the torch around when I decided to look up for a while and saw a star moving slowly, it seemed to move at a 90 degree angle rather quickly and jump across a expanse of space when I realised it was me that moved. I only realised that because I had been tracking the moving light against two stationary stars, and realised the position of those stars I was using for reference. I did know it but had turned 90 degrees while watching it and become disorientated for a moment. When everything clarified it was all different, leading me to think the sky had changed when it was just me.

Ahhhh, I see. So it makes me wonder if I did that too. Well, I was inside, so I wasn't exactly looking up, but out and then up at an angle through a window. It was a big bay window, so I may have swerved so to speak while looking at it. The thing is, the object made such big zig zags, that I don't think I swerved that much. Plus, I remember so well standing very still while watching this. Yeah, it would be a good argument that how can I remember that so much, but for some reason I remember that. Naw, this object's flight path was big zig zags.

You know, I really thankful for everyone's input on this. For one, I never would have guessed about this in a sense of what my body is doing. That's new, and I'm reflecting on that.

Then again, how can I trust myself in what I see. What did I see and what did my body make me see? I feel like quoting Talking Heads....... :sk

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Ahhhh, I see. So it makes me wonder if I did that too. Well, I was inside, so I wasn't exactly looking up, but out and then up at an angle through a window. It was a big bay window, so I may have swerved so to speak while looking at it. The thing is, the object made such big zig zags, that I don't think I swerved that much. Plus, I remember so well standing very still while watching this. Yeah, it would be a good argument that how can I remember that so much, but for some reason I remember that. Naw, this object's flight path was big zig zags.

You know, I really thankful for everyone's input on this. For one, I never would have guessed about this in a sense of what my body is doing. That's new, and I'm reflecting on that.

Then again, how can I trust myself in what I see. What did I see and what did my body make me see? I feel like quoting Talking Heads....... :sk

You are most welcome, I am not sure if my experience would apply to you as the object I saw only "Zigged" no "zag" it more looked like it moved very quickly at an odd angle.

I hope you find the answer you seek. These conundrums can stay in one's mind for years, which can be maddening.

ETA Talking Heads are awesome, you obviously have good taste!!

Edited by psyche101
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I have been asking myself the same question ever since I saw a similar 'thing' back in februari 1994 - what did I see?

It was a very cold winters night, and the night sky was just covered with stars, it felt as one could see every star out there.

My friend and I were outside talking about something when he pointed up in the sky and asked me 'Hey, do you see that star zig-zaging? What is that?'

We both were looking at this bright star shooting in the exact same way as described in the first post. Sharp 90 degree angles, no blinking lights, zig-zaging extremely fast, probably at the same height as air traffic or even higher (felt like 'in space'), and the distance it covered at every turn was...well..must have been miles, we both agreed upon.

I have seen satellites in the sky, blinking aeroplanes, chinese lanterns, etc, but never before or since then anything like this Unidentified Flying Object.

The description of your zig-zaging star/UFO definitely matches what we saw that night, and it seems as there are quite a few people out there (just google it) that have seen the same thing.

Have to say it did not look like anything man made I have heard of.

Felt like I just had to contribute to the topic since my sighting actually made a huge impression on me, and I have been questioning what exactly flies in our skies since then.

Keep questioning it.

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I have been asking myself the same question ever since I saw a similar 'thing' back in februari 1994 - what did I see?

It was a very cold winters night, and the night sky was just covered with stars, it felt as one could see every star out there.

My friend and I were outside talking about something when he pointed up in the sky and asked me 'Hey, do you see that star zig-zaging? What is that?'

We both were looking at this bright star shooting in the exact same way as described in the first post. Sharp 90 degree angles, no blinking lights, zig-zaging extremely fast, probably at the same height as air traffic or even higher (felt like 'in space'), and the distance it covered at every turn was...well..must have been miles, we both agreed upon.

I have seen satellites in the sky, blinking aeroplanes, chinese lanterns, etc, but never before or since then anything like this Unidentified Flying Object.

The description of your zig-zaging star/UFO definitely matches what we saw that night, and it seems as there are quite a few people out there (just google it) that have seen the same thing.

Have to say it did not look like anything man made I have heard of.

Felt like I just had to contribute to the topic since my sighting actually made a huge impression on me, and I have been questioning what exactly flies in our skies since then.

Bingo! I was hoping, of the two things to see when I posted this thread, was that I wasn't the only one. Now, there have been many, as seen in this thread, and Thomas S, what you saw, is exactly what I saw. Yours in the early 90's, mine in the mid to late 80's. So I'm thinking, what is it? What could it be?

Oh by the way, sorry about the absence. I was away on vacation visiting family.

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  • 1 year later...

In the early 90's I was visiting Passaic Park N.J.

It was around Springtime, and around 9pm. I was looking at NYC , and the sky was complete overcast. I noticed a huge hole in the clouds over the city and that's when I thought what was a satellite came into view. It was moving from top right of the opening to bottom left of the opening. Then as it was passed the middle of the opening it started slowing down while getting brighter. Then as it came to a near stop it went off in a 90* angle to the left middle of the opening quickly. It's luminosity faded away before it reached beyond the opening. I was very lucky to see this because I was at the right place at the right time.

Recently I was walking and from someone's backyard I saw Chinese Lanterns being released. I watched them follow each other in the night sky. They caught a faster wind higher up. Each one did a circular loop before shooting off in the jetstream they caught. They looked like little spaceships warping out of the solar system one by one as the candle blew out.

What I saw out in space over NYC from my perspective was not a Chinese Lantern.

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Holy crap, Davros! thanks for this experience. To me, I thought it was a satellite, but I have seen satellites with the naked eye before, ( use to walk around a hilly field of my relatives during a cloudless night and saw them. They are not as bright, and this experience was before the zig zagging experience. ( I have seen more satellites since then. Still not as bright ) No, this object was bright as a star. And the zig zagging you saw for a bit, kind of reminds me of what I saw.

I think it's interesting, that what you saw was in the New York City skyline. What I saw was in central Connecticut, about hundred miles or so away. Close enough?

Thing is, when I saw my thing was in the eighties.

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Holy crap, Davros! thanks for this experience. To me, I thought it was a satellite, but I have seen satellites with the naked eye before, ( use to walk around a hilly field of my relatives during a cloudless night and saw them. They are not as bright, and this experience was before the zig zagging experience. ( I have seen more satellites since then. Still not as bright ) No, this object was bright as a star. And the zig zagging you saw for a bit, kind of reminds me of what I saw.

I think it's interesting, that what you saw was in the New York City skyline. What I saw was in central Connecticut, about hundred miles or so away. Close enough?

Thing is, when I saw my thing was in the eighties.

If I was to draw the flight path it would look like a check mark within the circular opening in the clouds. From upper right to fading away after the course change.

Edit: I said to myself right there "No satellite, or our Space Shuttle can do that".

Edited by davros of skaro
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