Expert: Philip Stahl - 1/25/2009

Question
Hello again Dr Stahl

Thank you for answering my questions regarding a green, plasma sphere that i saw (http://en.allexperts.com/q/Astronomy-1360/2009/1/Earth-Flares-1.htm).
I don't agree that earth flares is casual speculation. Reasoned speculation maybe. I've asked a wide variety of knowledgeable people to evaluate it (including yourself). So i can't agree that I've been casual. However, I will not use the words theory, or hypothesis, due to the terms you have noted, but i will still ask for opinions on the credibility of earth flares.

That your answers were considered i would like to put aside my embarrassment and tell you of another object I've seen. This object was a red, plasma sphere. It would be interesting to here what could cause this red colour plasma? This sphere was about 3 feet in diameter and i first saw it dropping from over a flat, factory roof.
That the object dropped, does this mean it must have been colder than the air?
On dropping from the factory roof it cleared a metal perimeter fence before following the contours of fields at about 3-5 feet off the ground. At it's closest to me (about 150 feet away) i could clearly see it had jets. I remember four of them. One from it's top, one from it's bottom, and one from each side (a cross shape). These  jets (red also) looked as straight as laser beams but they stopped in mid air (each a couple of feet in length). On reaching the perimeter of woodland it "pre-lifted", rising up to follow the contours of the tree tops. It moved at all times like it was repelled from anything on the ground.

I would be grateful if you could gain any further information from this.

Lastly. Whatever this phenomena is, do you think large objects like i have described could produce gamma-rays?

Thank you for your patients
David

Answer
Hello,

First some preliminaries: when I referred to "casual speculation" I meant basically you are speculating on the nature of some transient optical phenomenon - minus any proof, hard observational evidence or measurements. (If I am wrong in this, please do correct me). In that sense, and in that light - what your observations amount to are merely "UFOs" pure and simple.

Note here, the umbrella term of UFOs is not intended as a putdown or insult. It literally means what the acronym implies 'unidentified flying object' (they were flying - or at least 'loose in the atmosphere' were they not?)

My point is that minus actual measurements you are guessing it was even a "plasma" - red, green or other. (Agreed it *looked* like one, but it is still conjecture without hard observational evidence and measurements to support it!)

If you prefer the term "reasoned speculation", fine, but let's face it - without actual evidence (even a photo would do) you are still doing more guessing than reasoning. As I said, it is great that you are expressing your curiosity like this, but we can't get far without data to work on.

In twenty five years I have had more than 500 UFO reports submitted to me. Some of them (I estimate perhaps 10%) display the sort of features you have indicated in your observations, e.g. a kind of electrical discharge or "plasma" phenomenon. In many of those reports, I was ultimately able to trace the source to some manifestation of ball lightning - after securing the assistance from people at the local meterological office.

Again, it is not possible to say exactly what you saw minus at least completing a report. I have one below if you would like to complete it. Without at least that, or some hard data to go by - we really have very little other than guesses. Ok, educated guesses.

I would not even suppose that any such objects could "produce gamma rays" - at least until you can prepare a full report. I do not say it is impossible, but again - guesses are a dime a dozen. What we need are measurements. Or at least a working model based on a Gaussian surface as I suggested earlier.

Btw, you may also be interested in another answer to a question I received on earth flares in the astrophysics forum. (Answer should be ready by tomorrow)

Anyway, the form is shown below:

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Revised Form: Unknown Optical-Atmospheric Phenomena


1.   Provide the date and time (if possible GMT, but otherwise local time) of your observation:




2.   Give the latitude and longitude of your location:


Lat. =                         Long.  =      


3.Give the estimated duration of the observation in minutes:


4.Give the duration of any pauses in the motion and, if possible, when these occurred in relation to the initial time of sighting:


5.Give the initial brightness of object (use magnitude scale by estimating in comparison to known magnitudes of nearby stars if possible, e.g. 1st magnitude, as bright as Antares)

6.  Give the initial size of object when first sighted (use angular measure, arc seconds or degrees, e.g. the full Moon is one-half degree across. The width of your pinky finger at arm’s length ~  1 degree.)



7.Describe all color or size changes and the times they occurred in relation to the initial time (t0)  of sighting :


Color changes:


Time correlation:


Size changes:


Time correlation:

-----

Example:

Color changes:  Orange to blue


Time correlation: t0 + 2 mins.


Size changes: ½ degree to 1 degree


Time correlation  t0 +  3 ½ mins


8. Draw-sketch the shape, appearance of the object(s) over the time(s) you indicated (if using a computer – scan the drawing then attach with report, or give as accurate a verbal description as you can)



9. Estimate the velocity of the object-phenomenon in angular measure per second. (e.g. 1 degree per second, ½ degree per second etc.)



10. Identify if possible all known astronomical objects  (stars, planets etc.) in the vicinity of your observational interlude:



11.How many other observers saw the phenomenon and to what extent did their observations conform to your own?



12.Describe as carefully as you can any ancillary physical effects that accompanied the visual sighting (e.g. sounds made, electrostatic disturbances, etc.)