8-18-1783; LONDON, ENGLAND
"NORTHEAST OF THE TERRACE, IN CLEAR SKY AND WARM WEATHER, I SAW APPEAR SUDDENLY AN OBLONG CLOUD NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE HORIZON. BELOW THE CLOUD WAS SEEN A LUMINOUS BODY, BRIGHTLY LIT UP AND ALMOST STATIONARY... THIS STRANGE BALL AT FIRST APPEARED BLUISH AND FAINT, BUT ITS LIGHT INCREASED, AND IT SOON BEGAN TO MOVE. AT FIRST, IT ASCENDED ABOVE THE HORIZON, OBLIQUELY TOWARD THE EAST. THEN IT CHANGED ITS DIRECTION AND MOVED PARALLEL TO THE HORIZON. IT VANISHED IN THE SOUTHEAST. I SAW IT FOR HALF A MINUTE, AND THE LIGHT IT GAVE OUT WAS PRODIGIOUS. IT LIT UP EVERY OBJECT ON THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY. IT CHANGED SHAPE TO OBLONG, ACQUIRED A TAIL, AND SEEMED TO SPLIT UP INTO TWO BODIES OF SMALL SIZE. ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER CAME A RUMBLE LIKE AN EXPLOSION," WROTE TIBERIUS CAVALLO, FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, IN HIS MEMOIRS.
1783-08-30; GREENWICH, UK FARMERS WATCHED IN AMAZEMENT AS A BRIGHTLY LIT, STRANGE OBJECT HOVERED IN THE NIGHT SKY. THEY WERE EVEN MORE AMAZED WHEN THE OBJECT SEEMED TO RELEASE MANY SMALLER LUMINOUS CRAFT WHICH FLOATED AROUND THE LARGER CRAFT. AFTER A TIME, ALL SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR IN AN INSTANT.
8-10-1809; HATTON GARDEN, LONDON, UK
UK, LONDON, HATTON GARDEN, 08/10/1809, "I SAW MANY METEORS MOVING AROUND THE EDGE OF A BLACK CLOUD FROM WHICH LIGHTNING FLASHED. THEY WERE LIKE DAZZLING SPECKS OF LIGHT, DANCING AND TRAIPSING THROUGH' THE CLOUDS. ONE INCREASED SIZE TILL IT BECAME OF THE BRILLIANCY AND MAGNITUDE OF VENUS, ON A CLEAR EVENING. BUT I COULD SEE NO BODY IN THE LIGHT. IT MOVED WITH GREAT RAPIDITY, AND COASTED THE EDGE OF THE CLOUD. THEN IT BECAME STATIONARY, DIMMED ITS SPLENDOR, AND VANISHED. I SAW THESE STRANGE LIGHTS FOR MINUTES, NOT SECONDS. FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR, THESE LIGHTS, SO STRANGE, AND IN INNUMERABLE POINTS, PLAYED IN AND OUT OF THIS BLACK CLOUD. NO LIGHTNING CAME FROM THE CLOUDS WHERE THESE LIGHTS WERE PLAYING," WROTE ASTRONOMER JOHN STAVELEY IN THE "JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY AND CHEMISTRY."
1845-?-?; LONDON, UK SEVERAL LONDONERS, WALKING BACK TO THEIR FLATS AFTER A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE, WATCH THE FLIGHT OF A GLOWING RED CRAFT AS IT CLIMBED INTO A BANK OF CLOUDS.
1864; UK
A LARGE, CIGAR SHAPED OBJECT OVERFLIES THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND, AND IS OBSERVED BY THE FARMING COMMUNITIES LOCATED THERE.
1868-06-08; OXFORD, UK
ASTRONOMERS AT RADCLIFFE OBSERVATORY AT OXFORD NOTICED THAT VENUS HAD A LARGE RED SPOT FLOATING ABOVE THE MISTY ATMOSPHERE OF THE PLANET. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE SPOT WAS IN FACT IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF EARTH. THE UFO CHANGED COURSE SEVERAL TIMES, HEADING WEST, NORTH, THEN SOUTH. AFTER FOUR MINUTES, THE ASTRONOMERS LOST SIGHT OF THE OBJECT.
1877-10-?; WALES, UK FORMATIONS OF UFOS WERE OBSERVED FLYING OVER THE WELSH COAST FOR AS MUCH AS A WEEK. EIGHT CRAFT WOULD APPEAR AND FLY IN A TRIANGLE CONFIGURATION ALMOST AS IF ON A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION.
1895-?-?; UK COUNTRY FOLK IN THE GREEN HILLS OF ENGLAND FOUND THEMSELVES TRANSFIXED BY A LUMINOUS, STAR-LIKE OBJECT THAT ROSE OVER A FOREST AND MOVED OFF TO THE EAST AT HIGH SPEED.
1895-08-31; OXFORD, UK STUDENTS AT A MEN'S COLLEGE WATCHED AS A METALLIC DISC ROSE ABOVE THE TREES LINING THE CAMPUS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF STABLE HOVERING, THE DISC SHOT OFF AT INCREDIBLE SPEED TOWARDS THE EAST.
1905-03-29; CARDIF, UK A LARGE CYLINDRICAL OBJECT FLOATED OVER CARDIFF, WALES. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE OBJECT "LIKE A HOT, RED-ORANGE IRON ROD."
1907-?-?; UK MR. DAVID PACKER OBSERVED A STRANGE LUMINOUS BODY IN THE DAYLIGHT SKY AND MANAGED TO GET A PHOTOGRAPH OF IT.
1909-?-?; CAERPHILLY, UK LEAVING A DEPRESSION IN THE GROUND WHERE THE CRAFT HAD LAIN, A TORPEDO SHAPED UFO CROSSED OVER THE ROAD AND SHOT UP INTO THE SKY AT THE APPROACH OF A CURIOUS CARDIFF MAN. THE MAN CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN TWO "PECULIAR-LOOKING" MEN ON THE INSIDE WEARING FUR COATS. AS SOON AS THEY NOTICED HIM, THEY ACTIVATED THEIR CRAFT AND WERE GONE.
1909-05-09; SANFORD, UK THE PEOPLE OF SANFORD WATCHED THE CURIOUS LUMINOUS BALL HOVER OVER THEIR TOWN. JUST MINUTES EARLIER, A SIMILAR OBJECT HAD BEEN REPORTED IN SOUTHEND.
1909-05-09; SOUTHEND, UK THE "WEEKLY DISPATCH," OF LONDON, REPORTED THAT THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHEND HAD SEEN A LUMINOUS OBJECT CROSS THE NIGHT SKY. ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER THE OBJECT DISAPPEARED, A SIMILAR LIGHT WAS SEEN FLYING OVER SANFORD.
1909-05-18; CAERPHILLY, UK MR. LETHBRIDGE STUMBLED ACROSS TWO MEN WEARING FUR COATS AND SPEAKING IN A STRANGE ACCENT. PARKED NEAR THE ROAD WHERE HE TOOK HIS CUSTOMARY EVENING WALK WAS A STRANGE METALLIC CYLINDER. ONCE THE TWO MEN NOTICED HIM, THEY CLIMBED INTO THE CYLINDER AND TOOK OFF INTO THE NIGHT SKY,
1913-01-04; DOVER, UK FISHERMEN NOTICED A LARGE LUMINOUS FLYING CRAFT FLY OUT FROM THE MAINLAND TOWARDS THE ATLANTIC.
1913-01-17; CARDIFF, UK CHIEF CONSTABLE FOR THE TOWN OF CARDIFF, CAPTAIN LINDSAY, AND A FRIEND WERE WITNESS TO A LARGE, FAST MOVING AIRSHIP THAT LEFT BLACK CLOUDS OF SMOKE BEHIND AS IT WENT FORWARD.
1914-?-?; UK A SMALL LENS SHAPED FLYING OBJECT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED MOVING IN FRONT OF AN OLD STYLE BUILDING AT ABOUT MAILBOX LEVEL. THIS PICTURE CAME FROM AN OLD FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM LISTED NO DETAILS.
STRANGE NIGHTS IN THE NORTH
DATE: 21ST AUGUST 1994 PLACE: BELLINGHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND
PETER NELSON HAD RETIRED TO BED ON SUNDAY, 21ST AUGUST, WHEN HIS ALARM SYSTEM WENT OFF. IT WAS 11.35.PM AND PETER GOT OUT OF BED AND CHECKED THE HOUSE AND GARDEN. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO PROBLEM WITH INTRUDERS, AND WHEN CHECKING THE GARDEN HE LOOKED UP AT THE NIGHT SKY AND NOTICED A BRIGHT OBJECT TRAVELLING IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION AND MOVING QUITE SLOWLY. HE WENT INTO THE REAR GARDEN TO HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AS IT CAME OVER THE TYNE VALLEY, AND COULD SEE A GLOWING OUTLINE OF WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A COPPERY DOME SHAPE. IT MOVED SLOWLY ALONG THE VALLEY TOWARDS THE RIVER TYNE, THEN CHANGED DIRECTION AND HEADED NORTH.
PETER DESCRIBES HIS SIGHTING IN THE FOLLOWING WAY.
'I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT. AS IT CAME CLOSER I COULD FEEL THE AIR PULSATING AND WAS AWARE OF OZONE IN THE AIR. THE HAIRS ON MY ARMS STARTED TO BRISTLE. AS I WATCHED THE OBJECT I REMEMBERED THERE WAS SOME FILM LEFT IN MY CAMERA, SO I WENT INTO THE HOUSE TO GET THE CAMERA AND SHOUTED FOR MY DAUGHTER MARY-ANNE TO COME AND SEE THE OBJECT. I TOOK FIVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF IT. THE BRIGHT LIGHT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DISC SLOWLY GOT BRIGHTER AND IT ACCELERATED AT GREAT SPEED TO THE NORTH.'
PETER'S OBSERVATION TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY TWELVE MINUTES AND HE DESCRIBES THE OBJECT AS BEING LARGER THAN THE FULL MOON. HE HEARD NO SOUND, AND STATES THAT IT WAS A CLEAR, DRY AND MILD NIGHT WITH NO CLOUD COVER. THIS OBJECT WAS ALSO OBSERVED BY FIVE OTHER PEOPLE WEST OF OVINGTON AT ABOUT LL.30 PM ON THE SAME NIGHT.
THE HEXAM COURANT AND EVENING CHRONICLE CARRIED ARTICLES ABOUT THIS SIGHTING AND PHIL MANTLE CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT PHOTOGRAPHS HAD BEEN TAKEN BY PETER NELSON. I CONTACTED PETER AND HE VERY KINDLY CAME TO SEE ME BRINGING THE NEGATIVES WITH HIM AND THE CAMERA HE HAD USED. HE LEFT THE NEGATIVES WITH ME FOR EXAMINATION. THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE UFO SHOWS A COPPERY DOME SHAPED OBJECT WITH A LIGHT EMANATING FROM UNDERNEATH, AND THE MOON CLEARLY VISIBLE. THE OBJECT SEEN BY THE OTHER WITNESSES IS DESCRIBED BY THEM AS AN ORANGEY YELLOW COLOUR IN TWO PARTS HOVERING ABOVE THE TREES, A FEW MILES WEST OF OVINGTON. THIS SIGHTING WAS AT 11.30PM, AND SEVERAL OF THE WITNESSES SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE.
VISIT FROM THE MILITARY
PETER WAS VISITED IN SEPTEMBER BY TWO MILITARY OFFICIALS, WHO CLAIMED TO BE FROM RAF PRESTWICK. THEY BRIEFLY SHOWED PETER SOME IDENTIFICATION AND ASKED MANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE OBJECT HE OBSERVED. THEY ALSO ASKED FOR THE NEGATIVES. HOWEVER, I HAD THE NEGATIVES AT THAT TIME AND SO PETER GAVE THEM A COPY OF THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE UFO. THEY WERE INTERESTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOUND, MOVEMENT AND HEIGHT OF THE OBJECT AND THE APPROXIMATE DISTANCE FROM WHICH PETER HAD OBSERVED IT. THE MEN SPENT OVER AN HOUR WITH HIM AND THEN WENT DOWN TO THE GOLF COURSE NEARBY, WHERE THEY USED BINOCULARS AND APPEARED TO BE LOOKING AROUND. PETER HAS SINCE TOLD ME THAT BOTH HE AND HIS DAUGHTER FELT THAT THEIR CONVERSATION WAS BEING TAPED.
OTTERBURN ARMY RANGE IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PETER'S HOME AND HE AND HIS DAUGHTER ARE USED TO SEEING MILITARY ACTIVITY AROUND THE AREA ON A REGULAR BASIS. APPARENTLY THERE IS GOING TO BE A LARGE MILITARY BASE THERE IN THE FUTURE AND THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF OBJECTION TO THIS FROM RESIDENTS IN THE AREA.
THIS PHOTOGRAPH WILL BE FORWARDED TO A PHOTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS CONSULTANT AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THIS WHEN I RECEIVE HIS EVALUATION.
BY GLORIA DIXON.
SHEFFIELD UFO CASE CAUSES A FUROR IN BRITAIN
THE MARCH 24, 1997 UFO INCIDENT IN THE PEAK DISTRICT WEST OF SHEFFIELD IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF AN INVESTIGATION BY THE NEWSPAPER SHEFFIELD STAR, THE BRITISH UFO RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (BUFORA) AND THE HON. HELEN JACKSON, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SHEFFIELD/HILLSBOROUGH. IN EARLY APRIL, THE SHEFFIELD STAR REVEALED THAT THE RAF HAD CONDUCTED A LOW-ALTITUDE TRAINING EXERCISE THAT NIGHT AND HAD PARTICIPATED IN A MASSIVE AIR-AND-GROUND SEARCH FOR A PURPORTED MISSING AIRCRAFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, MRS. JACKSON SUBMITTED A LIST OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD CASE TO THE UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (MOD).
ON APRIL 7, 1998, JOHN SPELLAR, UNDER-SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SENT MRS. JACKSON THIS RESPONSE: "IT IS NOT POSSIBLE 12 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE IN QUESTION TO STATE PRECISELY WHERE MILITARY ACTIVITIES WERE BEING CARRIED OUT. RECORDS KEPT SHOW ONLY THAT AIRCRAFT WERE TASKED TO CARRY OUT LOW FLYING OVER THE PEAK DISTRICT BETWEEN 2030 AND 2107 (8:30 TO 9:07 P.M.) LOCAL TIME ON THE EVENING OF 24 MARCH 1997. NO LOW-LEVEL FLYING IS PERMITTED OVER THE SHEFFIELD URBAN AREA OR ANY OTHER MAJOR CONURBATION."
THE NIGHT OF MARCH 24, 1997, INSTRUMENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH RECORDED TWO MYSTERIOUS SONIC BOOMS IN THE SHEFFIELD AREA. EYEWITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING A TRIANGULAR UFO AND UP TO SIX RAF TORNADO FIGHTERS FLYING OVERHEAD. ACCORDING TO THE MAY/JUNE 1997 ISSUE OF UFO MAGAZINE (PAGE 9), THE WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE OBJECT AS "A HUGE TRIANGULAR-SHAPED UFO (THAT) PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT 300 FEET AT 9:30 P.M. THE CRAFT HAD PINKISH-COLORED LIGHTS AROUND ITS CURVED EDGES AND A BLINKING BLUE LIGHT ON ITS UNDERSIDE AND 'LIT UP THE STREET AS BRIGHT AS DAY.'"
SINCE MARCH 24, 1997, RUMORS OF A UFO AIR BATTLE AND A TORNADO CRASH HAVE CIRCULATED IN DERBYSHIRE AND SOUTH YORKSHIRE. ACCORDING TO THE STORY, THE TRIANGULAR UFO APPEARED OVER DRONFIELD, DERBYSHIRE. SIX RAF TORNADO INTERCEPTORS ENGAGED IN AN AIR ATTACK ON THE CRAFT. THE UFO SUPPOSEDLY SHOT DOWN A TORNADO, WHICH CRASHED IN A RESERVOIR NEAR THE HOWDEN MOORS IN DERBYSHIRE. THE UFO THEN FLED INTO SPACE. FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE OF LETTERS BETWEEN UNDER-SECRETARY SPELLAR AND MRS. JACKSON, BUFORA PRESS OFFICER DAVE CLARKE INTEVIEWED ALAN PATTISON OF MOD'S "UFO DESK" AND HIS DEPUTY, SQUADRON LEADER TOM MANNING OF THE RAF. ACCORDING TO CLARKE, THE MEN "CONFIRMED THE PLANES INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WERE TWO TORNADO GR1 STRIKE AIRCRAFT WHICH WERE OPERATING FROM THE BASE AT RAF MARHAM ON A PRE-BOOKED AND PRE-PLANNED LOW-LEVEL TRAINING EXERCISE OVER THE PEAK DISTRICT. THESE TORNADOS WERE THE TYPE USED ON BOMBING MISSIONS IN THE (PERSIAN) GULF WAR AND ARE NOT FIGHTERS THAT WOULD BE SCRAMBLED FOR AN INTERCEPT."
"THEY ALSO ADMITTED THAT OTHER TORNADOS AND INDEED JAGUAR FIGHTERS FROM OTHER NATO BASES TOOK PART IN THE NIGHT-TIME SORTIE, WHICH INCLUDED NIGHT-TIME FLYING AT A MINIMUM 250 FEET ALTITUDE OVER THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF SHEFFIELD." UFO RESEARCHER MAX BURNS HAS CLAIMED THAT THE TRIANGULAR MYSTERY OBJECT WAS TRACKED ON RADAR AT 9:55 P.M. THAT NIGHT BY THE ROYAL SIGNALS UNIT AT THE RAF LINTON-UPON-OUSE BASE, NEAR THE CITY OF YORK. CLARKE STATED, "THE MOD/RAF CURRENT POSITION IS THAT THE TWO SONIC BOOMS RECORDED AT 2132 AND 2206 (9:32 AND 10:06 P.M. BY EDINBURGH) THAT NIGHT REMAIN 'UNEXPLAINED.' THEY CLAIM THE LOW-FLYING EXERCISE WAS OVER FIFTY MINUTES BEFORE THESE SONIC EVENTS WERE RECORDED AND SAY THAT THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF THEM AT THE TIME OF THE EXERCISE."
PATTISON AND MANNING STATED, "WE DID NOT CHASE A UFO, AND THERE HAS BEEN NO COVER-UP. WE RESPONDED TO A REQUEST BY THE POLICE TO HELP TO SEARCH FOR A CRASHED AIRCRAFT AND SENT A HELICOPTER FROM RAF LECONFIELD. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE SONIC EVENTS, AND THE WHOLE THING IS A MYSTERY TO US, TOO." CLARKE REVEALED THAT THE AIR-AND-GROUND SEARCH INVOLVED 200 POLICE, FIRE AND MILITARY RESERVE PERSONNEL, WHO COVERED AN AREA OF 40 SQUARE MILES AROUND BOLSTERSTONE, SOUTH YORKSHIRE. THE HELICOPTER FROM RAF LECONFIELD WAS A WESTLAND SEA KING HAS MK 6, WHICH ASSISTED THE WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE HELICOPTER IN THE SEARCH. (SEE THE SHEFFIELD STAR FOR APRIL 4, 1998. ALSO UFO ROUNDUP, VOLUME 2, NUMBER 12 FOR MARCH 30, 1997. MANY THANKS TO DAVE CLARKE OF BUFORA AND JOHN HAYES FOR THIS STORY.)
SW OBJECT EXPLOSION WITNESSES OWN PERSONAL STATEMENT MR ANDI LLOYD (COASTGUARD OFFICER)
AT 1845 UTC SUNDAY15TH MARCH 1998 AT BRIXHAM IN COUNTY OF DEVON. (LAT/LONG 5033.8N 00330.6W) I WITNESSED THE FOLLOWING.
UPON LEAVING BRIXHAM COASTGUARD STATION WITH MY COLLEAGUE, MR REG HILL I OBSERVED A BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT TRAVELLING ACROSS THE SKY ABOVE MY PLACE OF DUTY. THE LIGHT WAS HEADING IN A SOUTH EAST TO NORTHWEST DIRECTION AT ABOUT 1000-1200 FEET. IT WAS LARGE AND VERY BRIGHT AND LASTED FOR 1-2 SECONDS. THERE WAS A FLASH OF EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CRACKLING / EXPLODING SOUND WAS HEARD. THE LIGHT THEN DISAPPEARED.
LOOKING AT THE SKY AFTERWARDS I SAW A MASS OF WHITE VERY DENSE VAPOUR IN THE AREA THE OBJECT WAS LAST SEEN. THE VAPOUR LOOKED LIKE A COMMA IN THE SKY 1000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE SEMI-CIRCULAR VAPOUR PATTERN WAS ABOUT 30FT HIGH AND 10FT ACROSS. THERE WAS NO VAPOUR TRAIL IN THE DIRECTION FROM WHICH THE OBJECT CAME.
THE WEATHER CONDITIONS OBSERVED BY THE COASTGUARD MET-REPORTING OFFICERS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE.. THE WIND WAS FROM 350 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS CLOUD COVER WAS NEGLIGIBLE WITH 1/8 COVER OF CIRRUS TYPE CLOUDS AT 20000FT THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, IN EXCESS OF 10 MILES AND THE WEATHER WAS FAIR. I CAN OFFER NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT I SAW LAST NIGHT.
YOURS SINCERELY
MR ANDI LLOYD UK SW COASTGUARD OFFICER
UFO TRAILS JETLINER OVER PENZANCE, CORNWALL
ON TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1998, DAVID A. DUNWORTH, HIS WIFE AND A FRIEND WERE NEAR MOUNTS BAY, IN PENZANCE, CORNWALL, UK WHEN THEY SIGHTED AN UNUSUAL OBJECT IN "THE CLEAR BLUE SKY" AT 9:10 A.M.
"MYSELF, MY WIFE AND A FRIEND OF OURS WITNESSED A SMALL CIRCULAR WHITE OBJECT TRAILING A JET. THE OBJECT WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF AN O ON OUR KEYBOARD AND APPEARED TO BE CIRCLING AN AIRCRAFT ON ROUTE TO LONDON OR EUROPE," I.E. HEADING EAST.
"THE O-SHAPED OBJECT WAS BRIGHT WHITE IN COLOUR AND MOVED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE JET (EASTERLY) ABOUT ONE INCH IN AN ARC ABOVE THE TAIL OF THE JET. WE ALL WATCHED AS THE OBJECT SLOWLY CIRCLED THE JET ABOVE THE FUSELAGE. THE JET CONTINUED, PROBABLY UNAWARE OF THEIR COMPANION CIRCLING ABOVE THEM. AS WE WATCHED, THE OBJECT BEGAN TO FADE IN COLOUR AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPEARED ALL TOGETHER, AS IF IT HAD SOMEHOW DISINTEGRATED."
PENZANCE IS LOCATED ABOUT 180 MILES (288 KILOMETERS) SOUTHWEST OF LONDON. (MANY THANKS TO STEVE WILSON SR. FOR THIS NEWS STORY.)
LIGHT PHENOMENON SEEN BY HUNDREDS IN UK
AN UNUSUAL LIGHT PHENOMENON, WHICH RESEMBLED A GIANT LETTER Z, WAS SEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE IRISH SEA AFTER 10:30 P.M. ON FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1998.
ACCORDING TO THE BBC REPORT, "A LARGE METEORITE IS BEING BLAMED FOR HUNDREDS OF SIGHTINGS ALONG THE WEST COAST OF BRITAIN FRIDAY EVENING. INITIALLY AUTHORITIES WERE BAFFLED ABOUT THE SOURCE OF THE LIGHTS, WHICH LOOKED LIKE THE LETTER Z OR THE NUMBER 2."
"THROUGHOUT FRIDAY EVENING, POLICE AND COASTGUARDS FROM CORNWALL TO SCOTLAND WERE INUNDATED WITH CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO SPOTTED THE LIGHT, THOUGH MOST CAME FROM PEOPLE LIVING AROUND THE IRISH SEA."
"COASTGUARDS IN BELFAST SAID THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED DOZENS OF 999 CALLS AND ADMITTED THEY HAD SEEN THE LIGHT IN THE SKY...OVER THE NORTH COAST OF IRELAND. A SPOKESMAN SAID THE LIGHT HAD A LARGE Z SHAPE."
"'IT WAS VERY PROMINENT AND WAS DUE NORTH OF THE (BELFAST) COASTGUARD STATION. WE WERE ABLE TO WATCH IT FROM THE WINDOW. I CAN SAY THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.'"
"'IT WAS A LARGER SHAPE THAN THE MOON BUT, AS WE WERE UNABLE TO MEASURE THE DISTANCE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO JUDGE ITS ACTUAL SIZE.'" (EDITOR'S NOTE: IT WAS A FULL MOON FRIDAY NIGHT.)
THE Z-SHAPED LIGHT "APPEARED TO BE MOVING VERY SLOWLY WESTWARDS. 'WHEN WE FIRST SAW THIS OBJECT, IT WAS NOT COMPLETELY DARK (YET). IT WAS HIGHER THAN THE CLOUDS AND OCCASIONALLY IT WAS OBSCURED BY PASSING CLOUDS.'"
"ANOTHER REPORT WAS RECEIVED BY TEESSIDE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL NEAR MIDDLESBROUGH, WHO REPORTED SEEING AN OBJECT RESEMBLING THE LETTER Q IN THE SKY WEST OF THEIR POSITION."
"IN A STATEMENT, THE (UK) DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT SAID, 'THE SIGHTINGS WERE AS FAR APART AS CORNWALL AND THE CLYDE (IN SCOTLAND), WEST OF BELFAST (NORTHERN IRELAND) AND EAST TO LEEDS. RAF FYLINGDALES EARLY WARNING STATION REPORTED NO UNDUE ACTIVITY, AS DID JODRELL BANK. WE CAN ONLY SUMMARISE IT IS SPACE DEBRIS OR A COMET.'"
ON SATURDAY, JULY 11, "AN AIRLINE PILOT WHO LANDED AT EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT" PROVIDED "AN EXPLANATION."
"THE PILOT REPORTED SEEING A LARGE METEORITE ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE AS HE WAS FLYING FROM THE UK TO FRANCE. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE NOTICED IT BREAKING UP AND LEAVING A LONG TRAIL IN ITS WAKE, WHICH WAS FORCED BY WINDS INTO SHAPES RESEMBLING THE LETTERS." (MANY THANKS TO JOHN HAYES FOR THE BBC REPORT.)
(Editor's Comment: Excuse me, but luminous meteor trails last between five and ten seconds--twenty seconds tops. They do not persist in the sky for over an hour. Whatever this phenomenon was, it was no meteor.)
