Report a UFO/UAP Sighting

When people witness debris from space re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, it typically takes about 1 to 10 minutes.

Here's what they see:

- First, there are super bright points of light in the sky.
- After that, there's a light trail, often with colors, moving across the sky. These lights are usually arranged in a very organized pattern.
- Sometimes, some of the points of light break apart into smaller pieces with little explosions.
- This whole thing happens pretty low in the sky, usually between 200 to 2000 meters above the ground, even though it's happening way up high, between 30 to 80 kilometers above the Earth. It's very bright, which makes it look closer than it actually is.

People sometimes think these organized lights look like one big dark spaceship with colorful lights on it, almost like a huge flying carnival ride. It seems like it's being pushed by a super strong engine that you can see burning. This might trick your eyes because it's a thing called the "illusion of form," kind of like when you see shapes in clouds.

There's a lot of stuff from satellites and rockets floating around the Earth. Some of it eventually falls back to Earth because it slows down in the Earth's upper layers of air. These things can be really small, like paint chips, or super big, like whole satellites. NASA keeps track of things bigger than 10 centimeters. They can guess where these things will fall. About one or two of them fall to Earth every day, but only one out of a thousand of those falls can be seen from India. These things zoom into the atmosphere at about 7 kilometers per second, which is crazy fast!

When they hit the thicker part of the atmosphere, they slow down super fast, and that's when they make that light trail in the sky. This light can stick around for at least ten seconds and sometimes as long as almost 10 minutes for the biggest things. Sometimes, these big things break into smaller groups of light points and then fade away.

Sometimes, bits of these things actually land on the ground. If you find something you think might be from space, don't touch it because it could be dangerous. Instead, call the local authorities or ISRO.

It's tricky to tell the difference between stuff falling from space and meteorites. But, on average, meteorites are faster and don't break apart as much. The big falls are recorded, and sometimes ISRO can confirm if it's from space debris. Space debris almost never falls from east to west. There are a few satellites that go kind of the opposite way, from southeast to northwest, but that's very rare.

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When people observe a satellite, it typically takes between 3 to 10 minutes.

Here's what you might notice:

- Some satellites can be seen with just your eyes, and they are usually easy to recognize. They look like bright stars, and you can spot them only about 2 or 3 hours after sunset or just before sunrise.

- They move very regularly, like a straight line across the sky.

- Sometimes, they suddenly get brighter or dimmer because they pass into the sunlight or the Earth's shadow.

- Their brightness can change during their journey, either in a regular pattern or unpredictably. Some satellites rotate, and how they reflect the sun changes as they turn.

- If you look at them with binoculars, they'll still appear as bright dots.

- Their brightness can range from being as bright as a very bright star or even as bright as Venus (especially in the case of the International Space Station) to being quite faint. You can track the position of the ISS here.

- Many satellites you see in the evening in May, June, or July, moving from South to North, are usually Earth observation satellites or the third stages of rockets. They're orbiting at altitudes between 600 to 800 kilometers.

- Sometimes, you might see multiple satellites passing close together, with one moving faster than the others. It can look like a kind of space race. These are satellites on orbits that are close to each other but at different heights.

To be certain about the satellite you're seeing, try to pinpoint the time it passes close to a well-known star down to the nearest second. Then, you can check websites like Heavens-above or Calsky after entering your location to get more information about the satellite's identity and path.

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When a relatively large meteoroid, typically a pebble weighing more than 100 grams (measuring a few centimeters to a meter), re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, it creates a spectacular event known as a "bolide." This is characterized by a substantial luminous trail that can light up the surroundings for several seconds. Sometimes, it's accompanied by a hissing or even a sonic boom similar to supersonic flight.

Here's how it happens:

- The dazzling light show occurs between altitudes of 100 to 40 kilometers above the Earth's surface. This is caused by the meteoroid heating and ionizing the upper layers of the atmosphere.

- The color of the bolide can vary, often appearing as green, white, or yellow. This variation in color depends on the angle at which the meteoroid enters the atmosphere.

- In some cases, fragments of the meteoroid survive the journey and reach the ground. At this point, they are referred to as meteorites.

Interestingly, despite the bolide's appearance of being very close, usually within 200 to 2000 meters, it actually occurs at significant altitudes, starting at around 100 kilometers and ending at approximately 20 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

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When you spot a shooting star, it's a brief event that only lasts for a fraction of a second, up to 2 or 3 seconds.

Here's what's happening:

- A shooting star, also known as a meteor, is the bright streak of light you see in the sky. It's created when a tiny particle, called a meteoroid, about the size of a grain of sand, enters Earth's atmosphere from space at an incredibly high speed, roughly between 11 to 70 kilometers per second (40,000 to 250,000 kilometers per hour).

- As the meteoroid zips through the atmosphere, it creates a trail of light that can last for just one or two seconds.

- Sometimes, larger meteoroids can create a more extended light trail that streaks across the entire sky for a few seconds, tens of seconds, or even, very rarely, 1 or 2 minutes. These extraordinary events are called bolides.

- Shooting stars are more commonly seen during "meteoritic showers," especially around August 11 (known as the Perseides). However, you can observe them throughout the year.

A balloon probe soaring at high altitudes can sometimes resemble a very bright star, even visible during daylight. It might seem stationary or exhibit slight apparent movement, including oscillations.

Here's what you need to know:

Reflective Envelope: These balloons often have large, sometimes metallic envelopes that reflect sunlight, making them appear exceptionally bright.

Daytime Visibility: They can be visible even in broad daylight.

Apparent Displacement: Balloons might appear motionless or show a subtle apparent shift. It's not uncommon for them to oscillate.

Travel Distance: Keep in mind that a balloon can travel considerable distances, sometimes up to a hundred kilometers, carried by the wind. If you're observing one, be sure to note its precise position and movement.

Localized Turbulence: Smaller festive balloons can be influenced by localized turbulence, such as terrain features or buildings, resulting in unexpected movements like sudden stops, accelerations, zigzags, ascents, and descents.

Types of Balloons: Balloons can come in various forms, including white or colored captive advertising balloons or spheres seen at fairs, gatherings, festivals, and sporting events. These balloons may be helium-inflated with diameters ranging from 1.80 to 5 meters or air-inflated with diameters between 60 centimeters to 1.60 meters.

Observation with Binoculars: With a simple pair of binoculars, you can often discern the balloon's shape, which may be spherical or tetrahedral (resembling a berlingot). You might also spot the basket, which hangs much lower. However, it's usually impossible to see the cable at this distance. The basket is significantly smaller than the balloon and may not be reflective, making it hard to spot with binoculars.

Proximity to Festivals: If you're near an area hosting festivities or celebrations, there's a good chance the balloon you're seeing is related to the event.

Recently, there has been concern about Chinese spy balloons making news. Given our proximity to China, it's possible that such balloons have been deployed here as well. If you spot what you suspect to be such a balloon, it's crucial to alert local authorities immediately.

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Many people frequently report observing a phenomenon that they describe as follows:

- "Similar to star brightness, a procession of moving objects, at least 50 of them, flying in a single file. These flying objects are unidentified but clearly visible."
- "These light points were perfectly aligned and evenly spaced, forming a straight line."
- "Around a hundred light points moving from West to East, following one another without any noticeable noise."

These observations are often sightings of Starlink satellites, which are part of a telecommunications satellite project. These satellites are placed in low Earth orbit, just a few hundred kilometers above the Earth's surface. Since 2019, several dozen Starlink satellites have been launched into orbit every month. It's expected that by the end of this decade, over 12,000 satellites will be deployed as part of this project by the American company SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla.

The primary goal of this massive satellite constellation is to provide high-speed Internet coverage to all parts of the world, including remote and underserved areas. SpaceX is not the only company undertaking such a mission; in Europe, the operator OneWeb, with significant involvement from Airbus, is also deploying similar satellite constellations.

So, when people see these bright, evenly spaced lights moving across the sky, it's often the result of these satellite deployments, and there's usually no need for concern.

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When you see lights in the sky, whether they're red, white, or multicolored, and they appear to move irregularly, there are a few possibilities:

Drones or Flying Wings: These lights may be coming from drones or flying wings, which are small aircraft weighing around 500 grams and controlled remotely by operators. These objects, often built by enthusiasts, can vary in size and sometimes fly in groups.

Military Drones: Some drones used by the military have impressive capabilities. They can hover silently for extended periods and even achieve supersonic speeds.

If you do spot a military drone or have concerns about what you're seeing, it's essential to contact your local authorities immediately to ensure proper assessment and handling of the situation.

Photographers often encounter perplexing spots and objects in their images, particularly when capturing scenes without direct observation. Modern digital cameras (APNs) differ significantly from traditional film cameras in terms of technical parameters. This difference has led to a surge in photographs featuring seemingly unexplained elements that were rarely seen before.

One key factor to consider is the "depth of field" in these cameras. This parameter causes objects in photos to appear sharply defined, even when they are relatively close to the camera lens, even if the focus is set to infinity (as is often the case, automatically). Additionally, modern cameras boast high sensitivity and take photos with extremely short exposure times. Consequently, they can capture the swift passage of small objects or animals near the lens.

For instance, in landscape photos, dark elongated spots might emerge, indicating the moment a bird flew across the camera's field of view, often unbeknownst to the photographer. Similarly, some insects, with trajectories close to the lens, can create elongated and blurry traces, especially when illuminated by a flash. In other instances, these anomalies could result from a wind-blown dead leaf or another small, lightweight object. In English, these effects are referred to as "BLURFO," a blend of "BLUR" (indicating blur) and "FO" for "UFO" (Unidentified Flying Object).

Understanding these phenomena helps photographers and enthusiasts distinguish between genuine anomalies and optical effects resulting from the camera's technical characteristics.

Lantern sightings can be captivating and last anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes. These lanterns, typically hot air balloon lanterns, are often launched singly or in groups, and they frequently take witnesses by surprise due to their characteristics:

Lanterns shine brilliantly, resembling a very bright star. They often exhibit colors like yellow-orange, white, red, or purple. Their movement is influenced by the wind, making them easily distinguishable.

When lanterns are released one after the other, they create an organized line of flying lights. As the burners within each lantern are consumed sequentially, you may witness the lanterns extinguishing one by one.

The lanterns' steady movement in the sky is akin to objects gently carried by a light breeze. However, if they pass over areas with strong ventilation or significant heat sources, their trajectory may become irregular.

Grouped lanterns sometimes create an illusion resembling a massive, singular, dark object adorned with light points, almost resembling a large, dark spaceship illuminated by orange lights. This optical illusion, known as "illusion of form" or "of contour," is similar to pareidolia and has been recognized for centuries. It's akin to how we interpret shapes in stellar constellations.

The date or day of observation can provide clues. For instance, if sightings occur on Saturday nights or during major national or local holidays, it could point to lantern releases. However, lanterns are released on various occasions, including weddings, births, birthdays, and even funerals. This means lantern sightings can happen on any day.

As lanterns disappear, some witnesses might perceive them as rapidly moving into the distance. In reality, this effect is often caused by the gradual extinguishing of the burner. Once the lantern is turned off, it typically becomes invisible in the night sky.

Lantern releases have become quite common, with thousands released annually. To confirm whether you're observing lanterns:

- Use binoculars for a closer look.
- Inquire locally to check if a nearby event, like a wedding or local celebration, included a lantern release. Town halls are often informed of such releases.
- Check local wind conditions on weather websites, as wind at higher altitudes can differ from ground-level conditions.

By considering these factors, you can distinguish lanterns from other aerial phenomena and enjoy their enchanting display.