Hello, my name is Ben Lovegrove and in this video I'm going to suggest ways in which you
could identify real UFOs.
This is a controversial subject and the internet is awash with hoaxes and natural phenomena
dressed up to be something out of the ordinary.
The easy availability of sophisticated video software and the numerous types of terrestrial
aircraft (manned and unmanned) has resulted in countless false interpretations and deliberate
hoaxes.
The most common reaction to anyone who says they've seen a UFO is ridicule and there is
no shortage of mischievous people willing to lay a trap to snare the unwary or the uninformed.
Like internet trolls they then delight in watching the reaction to their hoaxes and
trivia, leading the gullible astray.
So the first skill that you need to develop if you want to become a genuine UFO hunter
is the ability to confidently identify and rule out natural and man-made phenomena.
In this video I'm going to suggest several ways you can do this and the tools that make
the task easier.
1.
Aircraft - low level.
Aircraft are easily identified by their navigation lights.
A typical light aircraft will have the following lights fitted:
A red port light on the left hand wingtip.
A green starboard light on the right hand wingtip.
A white light shining rearward on the tail.
And a red rotating beacon on the top of the fin.
At night or in poor visibility during the day the aircraft may also have a white strobe
light on each wingtip.
And when coming in to land or when taking off the aircraft may also have a white light
shining forward.
So it's obviously important to take into account the location and the trajectory of the lights
in the sky that may be light aircraft, helicopters, gyrocopters, or perhaps military aircraft
flying at low level.
And it's not just powered aircraft that may cause UFO sightings.
In 2017 a glider with fireworks attached to each wingtip gave a low level aerobatic display.
Seen from a distance this looked like a swirling, spiralling, sparkling light just above the
horizon.
Eerie, but not anything from another planet or dimension.
2.
UAV - Drones.
In recent years the increased proliferation of UAV, unmanned aerial vehicles (generally
known as drones), has added greatly to UFO sightings.
As time passes drones are becoming more and more sophisticated.
The software has evolved to the point where drones can now be flown in formation or swarms.
A swarm of drones in formation with lights fitted that fade in and out in unison creates
a dramatic effect at night.
If you're not aware that such a display is taking place and you witness it from a distance
you might well be wondering what on earth you're looking at.
However, this would not explain the mass UFO sightings called the Phoenix Lights in 1997
nor the Belgian UFO wave of sightings from 1989 to 1990.
3.
Aircraft - medium and high level.
In addition to the navigation lights previously described, medium and high level aircraft
can be quickly identified using flight tracker websites and apps.
Flightradar24.com or Radarbox24.com are two examples.
Both enable the tracking in realtime of the vast majority of civilian and commercial flights.
If you have one of these apps on your smartphone you can identify most aircraft in the sky,
day or night.
Use the apps or a website to check that the UFO you're witnessing isn't a hovering rescue
or police helicopter or an airliner making it's lonely way across the night sky.
4.
Spacecraft.
Since Sputnik 1 was launched in October 1957 about 8,000 more satellites have been launched
into Earth orbit.
Some have re-entered the atmosphere and burnt up while 3,000 remain circling the Earth in
predictable paths across the skies.
In addition to the satellites there are spent rockets and other space junk, and these too
have known flight paths.
You can track and identify these using apps like Sky Guide.
This is a really clever app that's fun to use.
You simply point your smartphone or tablet at the sky and it displays not only all the
astronomical phenomena but also any satellites and space junk.
It will show what is there whatever the weather and time of day.
It will also send you notifications when a piece of space hardware or the International
Space Station (ISS) is due to appear.
You can then prepare to look out for it and once spotted you can follow it across the
night sky.
It's fascinating to follow this process and to be able to be certain of what you are observing.
You should also be aware of the launches of new spacecraft.
There were multiple calls to the local authorities during the launch of a SpaceX rocket in 2017.
5.
Astronomical Phenomena.
Most people imagine they would never be fooled into thinking that a known astronomical body
is a UFO but people continue to be caught out by Venus when she appears above the horizon.
Meteors, comets, falling-stars - all of these have startled people and they can be very
spectacular but they are natural phenomena.
The Sky Guide app previously mentioned and others like it will help you identify all
the astronomical phenomena including meteor showers.
6.
Meteorological Phenomena.
Have you ever seen lenticular clouds hovering over mountain tops?
Swamp gas?
Ball lighting?
All these have been the cause of UFO sightings so it's important to know what these are so
that they can also be ruled out.
Having said that, I do not believe the Roswell crash was a weather balloon or swamp gas.
7.
Real UFOs.
Having eliminated all possible explanations; aircraft, spacecraft, astronomical, and meteorological
phenomena you can now safely say that you're witnessing a genuine UFO, an unidentified
flying object.
Your next task is to collect data.
This might be difficult due to your level of excitement or fear but try to be scientific
about it.
Record the following information:
1.
Date, time, and geographic location.
2.
Direction of viewing as a compass bearing and approximate elevation (the angle from
the horizon to the object).
3.
The shape and luminosity.
Was it transparent?
Metallic?
Shiny or dull?
What colour?
4.
The direction of travel and any changes in direction.
Did come to a full stop?
Did it shoot off in a different direction?
For a very comprehensive list of possible things to record visit Mufon.com and click
the Report UFO link.
If you want to go public by sharing any photos or video then it's essential that you also
share this important data.
Without these reference points your video footage is likely to become just another unexplained
example that is written off as a hoax.
A serious and sober approach backed up with data is likely to get more shares and discussion
on social media.
It will also help to deflect some of the ridicule and denial that you're likely to encounter
when you admit you've seen a UFO.
To summarise, learn to distinguish and discern the real from the fake, the identifiable from
the unidentifiable.
Also, question everything you see and hear, not only in the skies but also online and
on TV.
Remember, ridicule and denial are the most common reactions.
Hoaxes and hidden agenda are the most common motivations.
Keep watching the skies and let me know in the comments section below if you've seen
a UFO.