[sac-forum] Re: Possible nutcase email....

>  > I generally give them the "seeing stars through lots of atmosphere" or "an
>>  airplane with interesting landing lights".  I also say " if you honestly
>>  think that this is an instance of creatures from another planet then
>report
>>  it to the FBI, I am not the person to gather this report".
>
>Thanks for the tip Steve.  Here's the full Email and how I replied.....
>
>I was referred to your web site by Kathie Coil, Public Affairs Program
>Coordinator at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.  The following is a
>letter I recently sent to her.  I hope you may have an answer.  Lee
>Anderson, Quartzsite, AZ
>
>Subj: Can You Help?
>Date: 11/22/2003
>To: kpno@xxxxxxxx
>
>My name is Lee Anderson, and I live in Quartzsite, AZ.  Over the past few
>months my neighbors and myself have been observing a light in the night sky
>that we cannot identify.  During the summer months it was seen in the West
>about 30 degrees above the horizon just after sunset.  It would then go
>below the horizon around one hour later.  Now the same light can be seen in
>the North eastern sky after sunset, moving in a southerly direction during
>the night.  At around 10 PM it appears due east, towards Phoenix, about 50
>degrees above the eastern horizon.
>        This light shines very bright, mainly a white light, with red and
>green colors also visible with the naked eye.  Using binoculars it appears
>to rotate at a high speed.  It is not an aircraft. Could this be a satellite
>in low orbit, and if so would you know which one?  I have tried various NASA
>websites without success.  Hope you can give me and my neighbors some
>insight as to what we are seeing.
>
>The reply was.....
>
>   Hello Lee,
>
>   Having observed for many years in Western Az alongside many experienced
>observers, I can assure you that most likely you are seeing some of the
>brighter stars or planets through turbulent atmosphere.  The colors you
>describe, and even the "rotating" aspect, all jives with the effects of the
>atmosphere when unsteady.  The same effects can affect the appearance of
>airplane lights at a distance, and given you live practically under the
>flight path between LA and Phx, I would fully expect this to be the case.
>Bright objects like flares, airplanes, planets, bright stars, and even a
>car's highbeams can have some very confusing appearances at distances. I
>wish I could help definitively identify your objects, but my and the club's
>collective experience is that you are seeing something of what is described
>above.
>   Thad

For what it's worth I consider my self a seasoned observer and have 
been fooled a couple times by similar sights.

My sister in NY e-mailed me several times about such sightings. I 
kept telling her if it was flashing blue and red it was probably an 
airplane.

A few months later I was at my cabin (7500') and was looking south 
when I saw just above the horizon something similar to what my sister 
described. It was indeed very startling.

I looked at it with binoculars and it certainly was not a plane. It 
put on a dazzling show. I looked at it with my 60 mm refractor and 
saw it was indeed a star. The scintillations due to the atmosphere 
were most startling. Part was due to an exceptionally clear night and 
high altitude. I have seen such scintillations before, but never to 
the degree and brilliance I saw that evening.

I can see how such things can easily be thought of as something out 
of the ordinary and I am no longer so quick to judge others. I recall 
one of our presidents thinking Venus was a UFO.

I have seen many strange things and without being able to investigate 
with a telescope, they would have indeed been UFO. :-)

Jeff
-- 
                                      Jeff Hopkins
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