Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Some interesting recent Canadian UFO cases
During the month of November, I have received and gathered a significant number of Canadian UFO reports, although as I've stated often in this blog, the number of reports this year is down from last year. It remains to be seen how much difference there will be.
However, I have sifted through the batch and will summarize some of the more interesting ones here:
November 3, 2011 7:30 pm Scarborough Bluffs, ON
This one is interesting simply because it's so typical of the reports that come in. Low in content and quality, yet it's possible to suggest an explanation anyway. "It's been coming and going all night. East of the Scarborough Bluffs over the water. Due east. Sometime ones. Sometimes two. Sometimes three. They just sit there, then disappear, then reappear." Due east from Scarborough Bluffs is the entire length of Lake Ontario. The atmospheric refraction is intense, so I'd say boats. Or if we're talking slightly elevated, then perhaps stars. (Vike)
November 5, 2011 12:45 pm Toronto, ON
White, blimp-like object with bands or rings around the centre, which seemed "elevated slightly from the surface." The object was thought to be at about 5,000 ft altitude. Originally, the witness thought it was a Porter Airlines Bombardier aircraft, but decided that the object did not show the correct markings or wings. (MUFON)
November 7, 2011 6:15 pm Kitchener, ON
Starlike object seen and photographed often through the course of a year. "I thought it was a star but noticed it changes colours." NB: that's what stars do when they twinkle. "It would stay out for two and a half hours." NB: that's what stars do. The witness didn't provide any directions or altitude, so we can't determine which star or planet is the culprit. Nice jiggled trail photo of starlike UFO, though. (MUFON)
http://www.mufoncms.com/files/33252_submitter_file1__ufoa2nov7008.jpg
November 8, 2011 7:32 pm Sudbury, ON
V-shaped formation of dim amber lights flew overhead in a straight line west to east. Transited in about seven seconds. Estimated altitude 1000 feet and completely silent. (MUFON)
http://www.mufoncms.com/files/33206_submitter_file1__ufo.bmp
November 9, 2011 9:30 pm Corner Brook, NF
two witnesses watched a red object moving across the sky. No dunning lights or blinking lights were visible, unlike an airplane which was also in the sky at the same time. The UFO was seen for 10 minutes, occasionally "correcting" its flight path before it suddenly vanished. (Vike)
November 11, 2011 7:00 pm Montreal, PQ
Video of distant lights taken through windshield of car moving on Route 40 heading east towards downtown Montreal. Probable explanation: aircraft over Montreal? (Vike)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQqB652Nc-c
November 17, 2011 7:30 pm Ottawa, ON
Another V-shaped set of lights. These ones were blinking and moving below cloud cover, estimated to be about 1500 feet in altitude. They were seen for about 10 minutes. When they disappeared, flashes of coloured lights could be seen intermittently in the area. They were thought not to be fireworks, and not in the direction of any casinos. (UFOINFO)
November 20, 2011 11:20 pm Norman Wells, NT
Red light appeared over treeline, due east. No sound. Vanished below treeline. Thought not to be plane, since no planes usually fly in the area that late at night. (MUFON)
November 20, 2011 8:35 pm Wawota, SK
A reporter and journalist wrote a very detailed personal account of an odd formation of lights he had seen in the sky. In his opinion, it was not an0 aircraft of any kind. Reported to MUFON, but also posted on the witness' own blog: http://kennethjkerr.wordpress.com/
November 23, 2011 8:30 pm London, ON
Lengthy description of personal encounter with "distortions in the outside world." Mental effects, sounds, physical effects, "somatic pressure on my body," all while walking in a forest. Several lights and glowing effect witnessed. (MUFON)
However, I have sifted through the batch and will summarize some of the more interesting ones here:
November 3, 2011 7:30 pm Scarborough Bluffs, ON
This one is interesting simply because it's so typical of the reports that come in. Low in content and quality, yet it's possible to suggest an explanation anyway. "It's been coming and going all night. East of the Scarborough Bluffs over the water. Due east. Sometime ones. Sometimes two. Sometimes three. They just sit there, then disappear, then reappear." Due east from Scarborough Bluffs is the entire length of Lake Ontario. The atmospheric refraction is intense, so I'd say boats. Or if we're talking slightly elevated, then perhaps stars. (Vike)
November 5, 2011 12:45 pm Toronto, ON
White, blimp-like object with bands or rings around the centre, which seemed "elevated slightly from the surface." The object was thought to be at about 5,000 ft altitude. Originally, the witness thought it was a Porter Airlines Bombardier aircraft, but decided that the object did not show the correct markings or wings. (MUFON)
November 7, 2011 6:15 pm Kitchener, ON
Starlike object seen and photographed often through the course of a year. "I thought it was a star but noticed it changes colours." NB: that's what stars do when they twinkle. "It would stay out for two and a half hours." NB: that's what stars do. The witness didn't provide any directions or altitude, so we can't determine which star or planet is the culprit. Nice jiggled trail photo of starlike UFO, though. (MUFON)
http://www.mufoncms.com/files/33252_submitter_file1__ufoa2nov7008.jpg
November 8, 2011 7:32 pm Sudbury, ON
V-shaped formation of dim amber lights flew overhead in a straight line west to east. Transited in about seven seconds. Estimated altitude 1000 feet and completely silent. (MUFON)
http://www.mufoncms.com/files/33206_submitter_file1__ufo.bmp
November 9, 2011 9:30 pm Corner Brook, NF
two witnesses watched a red object moving across the sky. No dunning lights or blinking lights were visible, unlike an airplane which was also in the sky at the same time. The UFO was seen for 10 minutes, occasionally "correcting" its flight path before it suddenly vanished. (Vike)
November 11, 2011 7:00 pm Montreal, PQ
Video of distant lights taken through windshield of car moving on Route 40 heading east towards downtown Montreal. Probable explanation: aircraft over Montreal? (Vike)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQqB652Nc-c
November 17, 2011 7:30 pm Ottawa, ON
Another V-shaped set of lights. These ones were blinking and moving below cloud cover, estimated to be about 1500 feet in altitude. They were seen for about 10 minutes. When they disappeared, flashes of coloured lights could be seen intermittently in the area. They were thought not to be fireworks, and not in the direction of any casinos. (UFOINFO)
November 20, 2011 11:20 pm Norman Wells, NT
Red light appeared over treeline, due east. No sound. Vanished below treeline. Thought not to be plane, since no planes usually fly in the area that late at night. (MUFON)
November 20, 2011 8:35 pm Wawota, SK
A reporter and journalist wrote a very detailed personal account of an odd formation of lights he had seen in the sky. In his opinion, it was not an0 aircraft of any kind. Reported to MUFON, but also posted on the witness' own blog: http://kennethjkerr.wordpress.com/
November 23, 2011 8:30 pm London, ON
Lengthy description of personal encounter with "distortions in the outside world." Mental effects, sounds, physical effects, "somatic pressure on my body," all while walking in a forest. Several lights and glowing effect witnessed. (MUFON)
Labels: Canada UFO, reports, sightings
Sunday, September 26, 2010
UFO Reports by the Numbers: 2009 vs.2010
Now that my next book is finally published:
http://dundurn.com/books/big_book_ufos,
I had some time to go through the foot-high stack of UFO reports that has been towering over me as it typed at the desk in my study.
While I won't have a chance to do a rigorous analysis such as previously done in the annual Canadian UFO Surveys (http://survey.canadianuforeport.com),
I have been able to do a quick numerical count just to see how things have been doing so far in comparison with last year.
During the first eight months of 2009, there were 449 UFO reports filed across Canada (i.e. January to June 2009). In comparison, there have been 576 UFO reports filed during the same period in 2010. That's about a 28 per cent increase from last year.
Before we get too excited, I should note that most of this increase came during the second trimester of the year (May to August). In fact, numbers of UFO reports in 2010 were actually lower than 2009 until an unprecedented surge in UFO reports in July, when 183 cases were reported in just that one month compared with only 80 in 2009. Why that was so is not known at this time.
There were slightly more than 800 cases filed in 2009, a significant drop from the all-time record in 2008 when more than 1000 reports were filed. However, if 2010 remains on track, we will be somewhere around 900 cases by the end of the year, enough for the second-highest number of UFO reports in a single year.
Will we make it? Stay tuned.
http://dundurn.com/books/big_book_ufos,
I had some time to go through the foot-high stack of UFO reports that has been towering over me as it typed at the desk in my study.
While I won't have a chance to do a rigorous analysis such as previously done in the annual Canadian UFO Surveys (http://survey.canadianuforeport.com),
I have been able to do a quick numerical count just to see how things have been doing so far in comparison with last year.
During the first eight months of 2009, there were 449 UFO reports filed across Canada (i.e. January to June 2009). In comparison, there have been 576 UFO reports filed during the same period in 2010. That's about a 28 per cent increase from last year.
Before we get too excited, I should note that most of this increase came during the second trimester of the year (May to August). In fact, numbers of UFO reports in 2010 were actually lower than 2009 until an unprecedented surge in UFO reports in July, when 183 cases were reported in just that one month compared with only 80 in 2009. Why that was so is not known at this time.
There were slightly more than 800 cases filed in 2009, a significant drop from the all-time record in 2008 when more than 1000 reports were filed. However, if 2010 remains on track, we will be somewhere around 900 cases by the end of the year, enough for the second-highest number of UFO reports in a single year.
Will we make it? Stay tuned.
Labels: Canada, reports, sightings, statistics, UFO
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Recent Canadian UFO Reports (August 2010)
This is just a sampling (not the complete list) of UFO reports acquired recently by Ufology Research.
July 2010, 7:00 am, Porter Creek, Whitehorse, Yukon
A football-shaped object, greenish-silver in colour, was moving across the sky, reflecting the rising Sun as it flew. It had no wings or other protuberances and soared for about 90 seconds before it was lost to sight in the distance.
August 1, 2010, midnight, Regina, Saskatchewan
Triangular-shaped group of lights seen between trees. Moved slowly, with no sound, and disappeared suddenly. (UFOINFO)
August 2, 2010, 2:27 pm, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photo taken of interesting clouds. When examined 2 weeks later, a “rod” was visible. (MUFON)
August 5, 2010, midnight, Sauble Beach, Ontario
Three orange lights in a line appeared and flew in an irregular pattern over the lake, then shifted to form a triangle. (Pararesearchers)
August 6, 2010, 10:00 pm, Delta Beach, Manitoba
Starlike light in west began moving up, down, zig-zagging, etc. (Pararesearchers)
August 8, 2010, 11:50 pm, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Faint, flickering light in WSW, stationary. Apparently not a star or planet. (UFOROM)
August 8, 2010, 9:15 pm, Edson, Alberta
Stationary light in western sky, long before sundown. (UFOROM)
August 9, 2010, afternoon, Mississauga, Ontario
Witnesses noticed four grayish-black disc-shaped objects overhead, moving together in apparently random pattern; were rotating and moving away. Photo taken. (MUFON)
August 9, 2010, 3:00 am, Gypsumville, Manitoba
Witness was “having trouble sleeping and felt like I was being watched” so he looked out of window, saw a ball of light over trees. The top-shaped object was flashing colours and moved irregularly in sky for three hours. Video taken. (UFOROM)
August 10, 2010, Quebec?
“Rod” UFO in video of aircraft.
(http://pindz.blogspot.com/2010/08/large-ufo-rod-and-airplane-quebec.html)
August 10, 2010, morning, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Several people watched an intense red light low to the horizon. Through binoculars it appeared to be a triangle with blue lights on its corners. Then changed shape to a circle with white dots around it. It was visible for several hours. (UFOROM)
August 11, 2010, 9:00 pm, Gimli, Manitoba
Dozens of people reported seeing a series of bright lights moving over the lake. At one point, a large object like a bright “turnip” was seen flying over the lake. Investigation confirmed that Canadian Forces were doing training over the lake that night, dropping flares and flying patterns.
(UFOROM)
August 12, 2010, 10:45 pm, Bowmanville, Ontario
While watching the stars, witnesses saw them appear to be blocked out by a large dark shape like a boomerang, slowly progressing across the sky. (Sightings.com)
August 14, 2010, 3:00 am, Miramichi, New Brunswick
A bright light like a spotlight slowly and silently progressed across the water, made a right angled turn and flew eastward out of sight. (Media)
August 16, 2010, late evening, Hamilton, Ontario
A witness using binoculars to observe the stars saw a “silver disc-shaped object move away from the star cluster” and head east. It then stopped, then flew off at a 45-degree change in direction. (MUFON)
August 16, 2010, 1:00 am, Whitehorse, Yukon
Dozens of people witnessed a bright fireball streaking overhead, heading north, although some said it was going east. (Media)
August 17, 2010, 9:00 pm, Leamington, Ontario
A bright red light flew towards some witnesses, and when it was close enough, they could discern a dark disc-shaped object that had a red light rotating around its edge. It went NW to SE. (Sightings.com)
August 18, 2010, 2:00 am, Chilliwack, British Columbia
Several callers to a late-night radio show reported seeing “some crazy-ass lights hovering over the lake” low in the east. (Media)
August 20, 2010, dusk, Lillooet, British Columbia
Two lights were seen moving in the sky, moving west to east. In mid-flight, one of the lights dimmed and made an abrupt change in direction to the south. (Media)
August 23, 2010, 10:00 pm, Mississauga, Ontario
An object that looked like “the shield of a space shuttle” was seen flying from east to the northwest. “It had a look like a skirt at the bottom with an extremely bright white light beneath.” The witness noted: “It definitely was not an aircraft… as it had no sound and it was too far up and going too fast until it disappeared high in the west. (UFOROM)
July 2010, 7:00 am, Porter Creek, Whitehorse, Yukon
A football-shaped object, greenish-silver in colour, was moving across the sky, reflecting the rising Sun as it flew. It had no wings or other protuberances and soared for about 90 seconds before it was lost to sight in the distance.
August 1, 2010, midnight, Regina, Saskatchewan
Triangular-shaped group of lights seen between trees. Moved slowly, with no sound, and disappeared suddenly. (UFOINFO)
August 2, 2010, 2:27 pm, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photo taken of interesting clouds. When examined 2 weeks later, a “rod” was visible. (MUFON)
August 5, 2010, midnight, Sauble Beach, Ontario
Three orange lights in a line appeared and flew in an irregular pattern over the lake, then shifted to form a triangle. (Pararesearchers)
August 6, 2010, 10:00 pm, Delta Beach, Manitoba
Starlike light in west began moving up, down, zig-zagging, etc. (Pararesearchers)
August 8, 2010, 11:50 pm, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Faint, flickering light in WSW, stationary. Apparently not a star or planet. (UFOROM)
August 8, 2010, 9:15 pm, Edson, Alberta
Stationary light in western sky, long before sundown. (UFOROM)
August 9, 2010, afternoon, Mississauga, Ontario
Witnesses noticed four grayish-black disc-shaped objects overhead, moving together in apparently random pattern; were rotating and moving away. Photo taken. (MUFON)
August 9, 2010, 3:00 am, Gypsumville, Manitoba
Witness was “having trouble sleeping and felt like I was being watched” so he looked out of window, saw a ball of light over trees. The top-shaped object was flashing colours and moved irregularly in sky for three hours. Video taken. (UFOROM)
August 10, 2010, Quebec?
“Rod” UFO in video of aircraft.
(http://pindz.blogspot.com/2010/08/large-ufo-rod-and-airplane-quebec.html)
August 10, 2010, morning, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Several people watched an intense red light low to the horizon. Through binoculars it appeared to be a triangle with blue lights on its corners. Then changed shape to a circle with white dots around it. It was visible for several hours. (UFOROM)
August 11, 2010, 9:00 pm, Gimli, Manitoba
Dozens of people reported seeing a series of bright lights moving over the lake. At one point, a large object like a bright “turnip” was seen flying over the lake. Investigation confirmed that Canadian Forces were doing training over the lake that night, dropping flares and flying patterns.
(UFOROM)
August 12, 2010, 10:45 pm, Bowmanville, Ontario
While watching the stars, witnesses saw them appear to be blocked out by a large dark shape like a boomerang, slowly progressing across the sky. (Sightings.com)
August 14, 2010, 3:00 am, Miramichi, New Brunswick
A bright light like a spotlight slowly and silently progressed across the water, made a right angled turn and flew eastward out of sight. (Media)
August 16, 2010, late evening, Hamilton, Ontario
A witness using binoculars to observe the stars saw a “silver disc-shaped object move away from the star cluster” and head east. It then stopped, then flew off at a 45-degree change in direction. (MUFON)
August 16, 2010, 1:00 am, Whitehorse, Yukon
Dozens of people witnessed a bright fireball streaking overhead, heading north, although some said it was going east. (Media)
August 17, 2010, 9:00 pm, Leamington, Ontario
A bright red light flew towards some witnesses, and when it was close enough, they could discern a dark disc-shaped object that had a red light rotating around its edge. It went NW to SE. (Sightings.com)
August 18, 2010, 2:00 am, Chilliwack, British Columbia
Several callers to a late-night radio show reported seeing “some crazy-ass lights hovering over the lake” low in the east. (Media)
August 20, 2010, dusk, Lillooet, British Columbia
Two lights were seen moving in the sky, moving west to east. In mid-flight, one of the lights dimmed and made an abrupt change in direction to the south. (Media)
August 23, 2010, 10:00 pm, Mississauga, Ontario
An object that looked like “the shield of a space shuttle” was seen flying from east to the northwest. “It had a look like a skirt at the bottom with an extremely bright white light beneath.” The witness noted: “It definitely was not an aircraft… as it had no sound and it was too far up and going too fast until it disappeared high in the west. (UFOROM)
Labels: 2010, Canada, reports, sightings, UFO
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Great Balls of Fire (or not)
Late Friday night, July 9, 2010, I received a call from a man who excitedly told me about the white fireballs he and three others had just seen over Winnipeg.
At about 11:55 pm, he and some friends were outside enjoying the warm summer night when they all saw a bright object in the southern sky, in the direction of the airport. He said they saw it zip westward quickly, leaving a bright trail and perhaps even some sparks. This sounded like quite a nice bolide. But then, he said a second identical object appeared a few minutes later, following the same path. This would be very unusual for bolides, but not unheard of.
I made an appeal on radio for additional witnesses and I contacted some news reporters to see if anyone else had reported something similar, to no avail.
Peter Davenport of the National UFO Reporting Center was interviewed in the media as saying:
Read more: http://technorati.com/technology/article/independence-day-ufo-sightings-flood-nuforc/#ixzz0tPjbt4E6
In addition, Davenport explained that the reports:
I've been puzzling over these BOLs (balls of light) for years. In most instances, they are obviously bolides, satellites or high-flying aircraft. However, I'm getting more and more reports of BOLs which seem to make right-angle turns, travel one way and then make U-turns, and are motionless than accererate out of sight.
Those are UFOs.
Most of the UFO reports received are simply too incomplete to assess.
A typical case from sightings.com is:
And similarly:
I don't find the latter one particularly amazing, but that's just me. Notice how the UFO is called an "orb," which automatically means it is mysterious and otherworldly. It was a distant light, "just above the trees," which to experienced investigators simply means that it was low to the horizon and likely was dozens of miles away.
A quick check of several flight trackers showed that the light could have been any one of at least half a dozen commercial aircraft flying in or out of Halifax, or several airliners overflying the area on the way to Europe. Or not.
As for the Chicago area case, how many more aircraft are in that area at that time of night?
And the formation? How close of a formation was it? A few degrees of sky or 20 or 30 degrees? I sure hope that the investigator remembered to get such details, otherwise the report is of little use to ufologists.
As for those BOLs which seem to make right angle turns or reverse direction, one possibility is that the witness is watching a satellite that enters the Earth's shadow and thus disappears, coincidentally at the same time another emerges, or a high-flying aircraft becomes illuminated.
Of course, not all BOL reports are as easy to come up with possible explanations for. I'm simply urging caution when labeling all BOLs and lights and orbs as "mysterious."
UFOs, yes, certainly. Alien spacecraft, probably not.
At about 11:55 pm, he and some friends were outside enjoying the warm summer night when they all saw a bright object in the southern sky, in the direction of the airport. He said they saw it zip westward quickly, leaving a bright trail and perhaps even some sparks. This sounded like quite a nice bolide. But then, he said a second identical object appeared a few minutes later, following the same path. This would be very unusual for bolides, but not unheard of.
I made an appeal on radio for additional witnesses and I contacted some news reporters to see if anyone else had reported something similar, to no avail.
Peter Davenport of the National UFO Reporting Center was interviewed in the media as saying:
Over the last 48 hours, NUFORC has received almost 100 similar reports of very peculiar events, which have been witnessed across the U. S. and Canada on July 4th, and perhaps on July 3rd, as well. The sightings are a phenomenon for which we have no ready explanation. Many of the reports from both days have been submitted by seemingly serious-minded individuals, many of whom apparently witnessed the events with multiple other witnesses present.
Read more: http://technorati.com/technology/article/independence-day-ufo-sightings-flood-nuforc/#ixzz0tPjbt4E6
In addition, Davenport explained that the reports:
are similar, in that the witnesses have described seeing strange red, orange, or yellow ‘fireballs,’ which have been seen either to hover in the night sky or to streak overhead, sometimes individually, and on some occasions in clusters. In some instances, the objects were observed against a clear, cloudless sky, and in other cases they were observed below solid cloud cover or in broken overcast conditions.
I've been puzzling over these BOLs (balls of light) for years. In most instances, they are obviously bolides, satellites or high-flying aircraft. However, I'm getting more and more reports of BOLs which seem to make right-angle turns, travel one way and then make U-turns, and are motionless than accererate out of sight.
Those are UFOs.
Most of the UFO reports received are simply too incomplete to assess.
A typical case from sightings.com is:
Joliet, Illinois, July 9, 2010, Approx. 11:00 p.m.
My wife, her daughter and her friend were at Chicagoland speedway last night about 11:00 o'clock pm, we started seeing orange lights in the sky coming from the south. First there was 1 then 2 then 3. They would disappear and reappear in a different location. Sometimes closer or higher. The 4 of us watched this for about an hour. When we were leaving, I saw a formation of 5 white lights in an arrow formation with something behind them. It wasn't a plane that I know of or a helicopter or stars or planets.
And similarly:
Harrietsfield, Nova Scotia, July 9, 2010, 10:40 - 10:45 p.m.
I was looking out my window and looked up and saw an orb of light floating just above the trees. It was coming from the west, headed east and I kept my eyes on it until it appeared to just fade away into the horizon over the Atlantic Ocean. It was truly amazing.
I don't find the latter one particularly amazing, but that's just me. Notice how the UFO is called an "orb," which automatically means it is mysterious and otherworldly. It was a distant light, "just above the trees," which to experienced investigators simply means that it was low to the horizon and likely was dozens of miles away.
A quick check of several flight trackers showed that the light could have been any one of at least half a dozen commercial aircraft flying in or out of Halifax, or several airliners overflying the area on the way to Europe. Or not.
As for the Chicago area case, how many more aircraft are in that area at that time of night?
And the formation? How close of a formation was it? A few degrees of sky or 20 or 30 degrees? I sure hope that the investigator remembered to get such details, otherwise the report is of little use to ufologists.
As for those BOLs which seem to make right angle turns or reverse direction, one possibility is that the witness is watching a satellite that enters the Earth's shadow and thus disappears, coincidentally at the same time another emerges, or a high-flying aircraft becomes illuminated.
Of course, not all BOL reports are as easy to come up with possible explanations for. I'm simply urging caution when labeling all BOLs and lights and orbs as "mysterious."
UFOs, yes, certainly. Alien spacecraft, probably not.
Labels: aircraft, Canada, Chicago, lights, orb, reports, sightings, UFO
