Stationary Flashes in the Night Sky

[ocpaul20]

Portals to Hell S01E08 - 14th June 2019 Strawberry River B&B, Uinta Basin, Utah - not far from Skinwalker Ranch. At 28 - 29 minutes we see a series of flashes about every 10s appearing to be in the same spot with respect to the 3 stars in the sky. So, it is not a satellite as it is stationary, and it does 5 or 6 flashes in a row with about 10 seconds in between. Not a helicopter, not an Iridium Flare. The flashes stop as soon as Ben points his laser at the star cluster.

What could this be? They do not show these odd flashes of light in the sky at the "reveal" at the end of the show. If this flash was on the Moon, it would be a Transient Lunar Anomaly.

Official Travel Channel page

Edited November 12, 2019 by ocpaul20
typo

[Timothy]

38 minutes ago, ocpaul20 said:

Portals to Hell S01E08 - 14th June 2019 Strawberry River B&B, Uinta Basin, Utah - not far from Skinwalker Ranch. At 28 - 29 minutes we see a series of flashes about every 10s appearing to be in the same spot with respect to the 3 stars in the sky. So, it is not a satellite as it is stationary, and it does 5 or 6 flashes in a row with about 10 seconds in between. Not a helicopter, not an Iridium Flare. The flashes stop as soon as Ben points his laser at the star cluster.

What could this be? They do not show these odd flashes of light in the sky at the "reveal" at the end of the show. If this flash was on the Moon, it would be a Transient Lunar Anomaly.

Official Travel Channel page

Sounds like you want hits.

Can you post screenshots of what you’re claiming please?

[ocpaul20]

The flash is about 0.5 seconds long, so short of putting the episode into an editor and finding the frame, I cannot really show you where it is. However, I can do a screenshot of the sky and tell you that the flash occurs at about 2 o'clock and the same distance away as the stars are from each other. Not really sure why I would want hits, is there a benefit to having them? I assumed this episode was on Youtube or somewhere online.

Edited November 12, 2019 by ocpaul20
hits?

[ThereWeAreThen]

5 hours ago, ocpaul20 said:

The flash is about 0.5 seconds long, so short of putting the episode into an editor and finding the frame, I cannot really show you where it is. However, I can do a screenshot of the sky and tell you that the flash occurs at about 2 o'clock and the same distance away as the stars are from each other. Not really sure why I would want hits, is there a benefit to having them? I assumed this episode was on Youtube or somewhere online.

Sorry for being a pain but may I request a series of screenshots with the timeframe?

Primarily because that's just one roughly just over halfway.

Edited November 12, 2019 by ThereWeAreThen
**** brexit

[ocpaul20]

Ok, well I made the episode into frames and extracted the frames where the light flashes.

According to my reckoning, (maybe bugs in program)

Frames per second: 23.976024
Frames which have flashes: 41012 & 3, 41164 & 5, 41403 & 4 & 5, 41616 & 7, 41871 & 2 & 3, 42127

As you can see the flash only lasts for 2 or 3 frames each time and once in only 1 frame. Since I have a size restriction I have chosen 41403/4/5, but I can supply others if you message me.

 

 

[ocpaul20]

...and the 41871/2/3 sequence - it stopped me posting the last one 41873.

[ChrLzs]

I'm struggling to see the issue..  Can you circle the thing/s that you say are flashing?

FTR, this area of the sky is in Canis Minor (CMi), the bright star nearer the bottom of frame is Procyon, and the little cluster of 3 stars in a rough right angle triangle are ε (Epsilon), γ (Gamma) and β (Beta) CMi (from top to bottom)... 

The only thing I saw in the frames above was that ε CMi and the small star directly beneath it, dim and brighten a little.  My guess would be that there was a passing shred of cloud or a small atmospheric disturbance.  Stars twinkle all the time!

I don't really see anything that would justify me spending significant time poring over the video, but if you can point it out more clearly... ?  Maybe I'm looking at the wrong thing..

[+joc]

On 11/13/2019 at 3:44 AM, ocpaul20 said:

According to my reckoning, (maybe bugs in program)

Maybe a filthy lens.

[Grim Reaper 6]

On 11/13/2019 at 6:47 PM, ocpaul20 said:

...and the 41871/2/3 sequence - it stopped me posting the last one 41873.

I can't really see any difference, all I see are Stars nothing else.

[ChrLzs]

BTW, I tried that first link, but the episode you referred to just went to a blank black space where the video might have been meant to appear...  Maybe it's not available in Oz, but frankly, it's a pretty ****ty site if it doesn't politely say that....  I was going to leave feedback but their feedback screen requires a whole pile of required fields so .. they can shove it where the stars don't shine.

[ocpaul20]

I dont know what I can do to show this, but the first highlighted frame shows the area of the flashes which are the frames I have included. The flash itself is the fourth 'star' above and to the right of the top star of the triangle. I think if I put all the frames in that section together, it would be a fairly large file and technically we would run into copyright stuff. I will investigate and see what I can do. I might be able to show the 6 flashes if I string them all together and post the file somewhere.

The sequence appears to show a flash getting brighter over the 2 or 3 frames and then disappearing. It does look as if it is in the same place too. Unlikely to be a fast moving cloud as there are 23 frames per second in this video.

[ocpaul20]

I have managed to put together a movie of the flashes and slowed down the movie a little to 10 frames per second to show the flashes.

Obviously it means you have to trust me that this file is what I say it is, so that part is up to you. I have done what I can by extracting the frames and putting together a movie and I feel it shows the flashes quite well.

The file is an .avi file of 324K length and should ask you to download it when you click on the link below. The site is my site and the link goes directly to the file.

Space flashes composite

Oh, I missed out the last single frame flash and I have inserted about 5 frames before the flash and about 5 frames afterwards.

Edited November 15, 2019 by ocpaul20

[ChrLzs]

Thanks for taking the time to create the AVI.  Don't have time now to look all that closely, but a coupla things:

- because it is a pretty heavily compressed video, the quality isn't good, so the chances of identifying it are even less than they would be if it was higher resolution (and that's about zero anyway!)

- It does appear to be stationary - I'll check that properly later.  There *are* geostationary satellites but they don't usually flash..

- it doesn't appear to be a satellite that is reflecting sunlight - for one of the flashes it vanishes too rapidly, imo.  (Although there is something odd about that sequence - more about that later..)

I agree that it doesn't look like a cloud issue, and it seems too much of a point source to be a head on meteor.

So yes, it's odd.  I don't know anything about the source - are they promoters of this sort of stuff?  It's not a hard thing to fake.

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by ChrLzs

[ChrLzs]

OK, I checked a few things, and...

It moves.  It has slightly shifted between flashes.  Without information about the actual frame rate of the original and seeing the continuity of the footage (both of which can be very hard to verify on this sorta footage) it is not really possible to say anything about that except ...  the bright spot moves against the background stars, a little...

The flashes always seem to involve a slow appearance (it brightens over two frames) and instant disappearance. At around 3.5 seconds in, it vanishes instantly and at the same time, there is a significant change in brightness of the background.  Again, without knowing whether that was just bad editing or something else, I have no ideas to offer.

It looks like a dead end to me - ask the people who made it.  And without better quality footage... it's just a light that goes on and off and I offer no guess.

IF it's real, then I agree it's odd, and not something I've seen before in my star- and satellite- gazing.

[IronGhost]

Wow -- ocPual, I can't tell you how fascinated and gratified I was when I saw your post, video and comments on this phenomenon.

That's because I have been seeing this exact phenomenon here in northern Minnesota over at least a period of a couple of years, now -- and I simply cannot understand what it is.

I am a life-time and very avid amateur astronomer since I was eight years old. I got my first true astronomical telescope (not some dime store piece of junk) when I was 9. My first true telescope was a 6-inch, F8 reflector custom built by the great Thomas Cave. I have observed the skies almost nightly since -- I'm 60 years old today. I also did my graduate work in space studies at Center for Aerospace Science at UND in Grand Forks. in short, i'm extremely well versed with all natural things we see in the night sky.

I recently began seeing this strange flashing light -- slightly amber in color -- often stationary, but then tend to drift slight one way or the other in between subsequent flashes.

I think about it all the time -- what the hell is it? Simply cannot be a routine satellite which must remains in a steady orbital path. (Definitely not drones, jets, anything conventional  like that).

I keep coming back to one thought: It must be some technology that is "OURS" if you know what I mean -- it must be some highly classified piece of space technology deployed by either our military/government, or someone else's, such as the Chinese or Russians.

I know the skeptic here will go nuts if I even hint at the possibility of ET -- but the bottom line is, I have seen this and your vids look to be very much like what I have observed at least two dozens times -- every time I see it, I ask myself: "Just what the hell is that? What could it possible be?" 

 

 

[L.A.T.1961]

19 minutes ago, IronGhost said:

Wow -- ocPual, I can't tell you how fascinated and gratified I was when I saw your post, video and comments on this phenomenon.

That's because I have been seeing this exact phenomenon here in northern Minnesota over at least a period of a couple of years, now -- and I simply cannot understand what it is.

I am a life-time and very avid amateur astronomer since I was eight years old. I got my first true astronomical telescope (not some dime store piece of junk) when I was 9. My first true telescope was a 6-inch, F8 reflector custom built by the great Thomas Cave. I have observed the skies almost nightly since -- I'm 60 years old today. I also did my graduate work in space studies at Center for Aerospace Science at UND in Grand Forks. in short, i'm extremely well versed with all natural things we see in the night sky.

I recently began seeing this strange flashing light -- slightly amber in color -- often stationary, but then tend to drift slight one way or the other in between subsequent flashes.

I think about it all the time -- what the hell is it? Simply cannot be a routine satellite which must remains in a steady orbital path. (Definitely not drones, jets, anything conventional  like that).

I keep coming back to one thought: It must be some technology that is "OURS" if you know what I mean -- it must be some highly classified piece of space technology deployed by either our military/government, or someone else's, such as the Chinese or Russians.

I know the skeptic here will go nuts if I even hint at the possibility of ET -- but the bottom line is, I have seen this and your vids look to be very much like what I have observed at least two dozens times -- every time I see it, I ask myself: "Just what the hell is that? What could it possible be?" 

 

 

Interesting, did you manage to view it through a scope or only mk1 eyeball. 

[IronGhost]

This phenomenon would be extremely difficult to capture with a telescope -- it's highly elusive -- it comes and goes unpredictably -- by the time I might swing my scope around, it would be gone. I doubt this would reveal much, at any rate, since viewing routine satellites with an amateur telescope resolves little. It's even difficult to capture with giant binoculars -- very difficult -- even so, this would reveal little, as well.

[IronGhost]

Here's a video that is very similar to the phenomenon we're talking about here, at least I think it is. At any rate, I have observed this very things many times .... 

 

[ChrLzs]

Just a couple comments..

First up, there are geostationary satellites, in other words sat's that sit over the same place on earth - some maintain position very accurately, while others drift around a bit. While they don't normally have lights, for quite a while after dusk and before dawn there are overhead sunrays that can catch a flat panel (eg a solar panel) and reflect that to earth.  I don't know how many of those satellites spin (this is used by some satellites to improve their location stability), but if they do, then that would explain the multiple repeating flashes - I note that only one of the examples shown so far actually flashes...  Technically, all that could explain what has been shown so far - if you don't think that's right, tell me why.

Second, the topic very rarely comes up at astronomy forums - in other words the people who DO actually look and record the skies with high quality equipment are very rarely (if at all) seeing or recording these.  Why that would be?  Why isn't the footage coming from more professional sources?  Why isn't there more footage - after all, the stuff shown to date would be quite easily recorded on even a low-end 'real' camera, let alone the sort of equipment amateur astronomers have.  Look at the last footage, that seems to be Orion passing by, and that means this is a very wide view...  Given that the effect is easy to fake, the fact that the last video is presented by and for the .. er.. shall we say 'hippie' brigade is not all that helpful...  They could feel the energy from these flashing pinpricks of light, could they?  Sheeeeesh.

Third, Using night vision / light amplification is an issue.  These cameras use amplification techniques and often 'touchy' sensors that may have failing pixels - on this type of system a failure can result in a bright spot or flashing pixels.  All that would need to be ruled out

Fourth, drones and helicopters and other military aircraft can hover...

I have more but that will do before everyone falls asleep.

I see nothing that is not explainable, nothing that suggests off-the-world technology.  But if you find anything better, let us know.

 

[ThereWeAreThen]

On 11/21/2019 at 4:42 PM, L.A.T.1961 said:

Interesting, did you manage to view it through a scope or only mk1 eyeball. 

Mk1 eyeball that tickled me.

[IronGhost]

It's overwhelming that these object cannot be geostationary satellites. They orbit 22,300 miles up -- that's almost the width of three earth sizes -- since these are naked-eye objects, they absolutely cannot be geostationary satellites. Those can only be seen with telescopes, and even then it's damned difficult to find them. I say this an a life-time amateur astronomer.

Wait a minute .. what about polar orbiting satellites? They're only 500 miles up. It's a real stretch to say these might be seen with the naked eye, but it's not 100% impossible -- just nearly so. But it can't be them either because the objects I see with he naked eye do not retain any orbit. Their movement is random -- on and off blinking -- and they disappear and reappear from point to point -- up, down, side-to-side -- very often when a "circle" that might define about 10 degree of space. Satellites are enslaved to their orbits so that can't ,move around in seeming random motion, and back and forth, east to west, north to south.

To suggest helicopters is absurd, so I'll say no more about that.

But what about drones? -- I would say these could be drones if they were some very cutting-edge type of drones than can now reach and operate in the upper stratosphere. Balloon-launched drones have reached 82,000 ft. See:

https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/features/stratospheric-drone-reaches-new-heights-with-operation-beyond-visual-line-of-sight.html

I agree that the "hippies" were really jumping to unfounded conclusions by considering their video object to be ET, their "itchy palms" and "warm feelings" not withstanding. 

However, simply writing these object off as something conventional -- even cutting edge drones -- is extremely difficult. Whenever I see these objects, I think: "They must be some sort of advanced drone ..."

But as I continue to observe them, I inevitable also think, "I just can't believe these are drones!"

I also have often mused that these object must be some sort of very, very advanced military technology that is top secret --either ours, Russia or China. 

But it could also be ET. An opened-minded person would allow for that.

 

[L.A.T.1961]

3 hours ago, IronGhost said:

It's overwhelming that these object cannot be geostationary satellites. They orbit 22,300 miles up -- that's almost the width of three earth sizes -- since these are naked-eye objects, they absolutely cannot be geostationary satellites.

 

If an object is fixed in geostationary orbit it will be seen along the celestial equator when viewed from earth, comparing an objects position relative to this would show if it could be geostationary or not. 

[toast]

On 11/12/2019 at 8:50 AM, ocpaul20 said:

 The flashes stop as soon as Ben points his laser at the star cluster.

You should tell Ben that he is not authorized to operate the Death Star without the allowance of his parents.

[ChrLzs]

While I agree with most of your comments....

6 hours ago, IronGhost said:

It's overwhelming that these object cannot be geostationary satellites. They orbit 22,300 miles up -- that's almost the width of three earth sizes -- since these are naked-eye objects, they absolutely cannot be geostationary satellites. Those can only be seen with telescopes, and even then it's damned difficult to find them. I say this an a life-time amateur astronomer.

Anything reflecting enough sunlight will be visible due to the intensity of the light - if the sat has a large flat panel (eg solar) it will flare and may become visible.  You said yourself that they were very dim and difficult to capture - it seems you want to have this both ways....

From Sky and Telescope:

Quote

If you make a point to look for geosats shortly before they enter or shortly after they leave the shadow, you might catch a flare, some of which are bright enough to see in binoculars and rarely, with the naked eye.

 

Quote

To suggest helicopters is absurd, so I'll say no more about that.

High end choppers (which you would use, surely, if you were doing high altitude surveillance) have a ceiling of 10,000 feet or more.  They would not be heard at that altitude and could be stationary.  It seems you are happy to dismiss, but not happy to explain why...

Quote

...

But it could also be ET. An opened-minded person would allow for that.

We sciency folk do NOT give weight to any options which have absolutely no evidence.  Apart from being up... these flashes have absolutely no characteristics whatsoever that suggest alien visitation, plus we have no evidence of that happening at any time in the past.

Minds can be so open that your brains fall out...  I'll go with the astronomers who do this at a pro level.  When one of them says they have found something definitely alien, I'll listen.  As a member of a few astronomy forums (eg Ice in Space), I've not seen that happening.  Here's an example of one of the very few reports...