Comments on: The Thunder of UFOs http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:41:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Bert http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-136525 Bert Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:37:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-136525 I live in the DC metro area, 3 miles across the river from DC in Va. I've lived here all my life, across the river from Andrews, down the street from Fort Belvior, I regularly go to Reagan Airport to watch the planes come and go right over my head. Fort Belvior is a base of many abilities, from engineering, to communications, to being the outfit that regularly practices runs up the river in simulating clearing capitol hill of all government employees in a mass evacuation. I've gone to many air shows at Andrews AFB, I flown on puddle jumpers to 777 all the time. I've been to proving grounds in Aberdeen, MD and A.P. Hill, Va. I can distinct between many noises from years of hunting, being able to tell if high bore rifles are shot, shotguns, blackpowder,etc. I can tell the difference between air medical copters, the Prez's Marine helo, news copters and appaches. I live in the flight zone where every piece of military flying machinery flies over my house for funerals of fallen heroes at Arlington Cemetery. During the attacks of 9/11, I was only a mile or two from the Pentagon. I was in a glass building watching everything unfold. We were buzzed by a few fighter jets, they were screaming over us, making runs up and down the city. I knew right away what they were since I go to the beach around Va. and the Carolinas. We are constantly buzzed down there, in DC, it never happened prior to 9/11. I know what a sonic boom sounds like, its very local, very fast, very high pressured. It doesn't last long, it is a series of poops, very pronounced, meaning there is no doubt something just shook the house and people are screaming if they never heard one, kids will cry when its over. About a year ago, the day that Iran's President Armadinjad (sp?) was at the UN giving his speech, I was in a very busy, luxury restaurant about 10 miles outside downtown DC. Ironic thing is, the restaurant is at the bottom level of a very large, tall building which serves as world wide headquarters to General Dynamics. I was there, sunset on a nice, clear evening on a Saturday, there must of been 300 people in this place when I first heard this boom. Now, it started as a roar, like the end of a long, rumbling thunder strike. Not a sharp one, like one of those long, grumbling types, except that it was long, like I heard it for a good 5 secs. then I started timing it. I looked around, no one noticed a damn thing. A friend of mine saw me and asked what was wrong, this is a friend that hunts with me and can hear a pin drop a mile away like me. I asked him to step outside, we shut the door and it was more pronounced. His quote was "what in the F is going on here?" We both agreed that the noise was covering the entire region, meaning it wasn't a plane and encompassed horizon to horizon. Everything shook, but at a low rumbling, pace. It lasted a good 30 secs. Now what makes this even better is 5 miles away, my sitter calls me saying that she took my two girls downstairs because the condo was shaking, they ran down 6 floors to the basement, my kids crying. She was freaked out, she didn't know what to tell the girls, they were all crying. I told her that whatever it was, it was over, that I'd check the news. My condo over looks DC, my kids and I get a kick out of seeing B2, B117, A10, F14, etc flyover because of funerals, football games, ceremonies, etc. My 4 and 6 year old later told me that whatever they heard, was 10 worse than any of the fly overs. The sitter even said she looked over the balcony to the city, she saw nothing, but when she looked down, people on the streets were cowering and looking up, car alarms were going off. I just heard one the other night at around 3am I think. Clear night and I can sleep through bombs going off, I was in deep REM sleep. I woke up with my heart pounding, the house shaking and that same rumble that lasted 45 secs. this time. I ran to the window, nothing. I laid down, then I'm not sure how much longer, boom again it goes, just as long in duration. I spoke with my daughter who was at her cousin's house that night, 18 miles away and she told me that thunder woke her up at 3am. I asked her what it sounded like and she said "well I say thunder because that is the loudest thing I know, it was louder, like the time at the condo." OK, very long post people but something is going on. Is it Aurora? Who knows what it is called, but whatever it is, it's fast and its Fing loud. I've called 911, nothing. I emailed and spoke on the phone with local news, nada. I looked online, nothing. I do have 2 other people that heard it and all of agree........we thought it was armagedon. (Sp?) Seriously, I thought it was over, like I was waiting for the four horsemen, etc. I was crapping my pants because I couldn't explain it, it shook the entire sky and ground. WTF is all I am hearing? I am talking about some serious ground pounding noise. I wouldn't call it noise because calling it noise sounds like I am reffering to a firecracker instead of this colousal roar. There is no way that this isn't Aurora or whatever it is called, it HAS to be a Scramjet of somesort. I did see a weather satelite image, black and white of the US, shot in 07 sometime. There is one (1) contrail from the west coast to just south of the DC metro area that goes off to sea. Kinda proves my theory, unless the images were doctored. Hard to explain a contrail from almost coast to coast. So, many smart men of this site, what was it? How can I document this? Do I audio tape 24/7 on my balcony hoping for some evidence? This does not make sense, that no one else or that many people are not commenting on this in my area. Maybe I should start my own website? Enough, your comments please. I live in the DC metro area, 3 miles across the river from DC in Va. I’ve lived here all my life, across the river from Andrews, down the street from Fort Belvior, I regularly go to Reagan Airport to watch the planes come and go right over my head. Fort Belvior is a base of many abilities, from engineering, to communications, to being the outfit that regularly practices runs up the river in simulating clearing capitol hill of all government employees in a mass evacuation.
I’ve gone to many air shows at Andrews AFB, I flown on puddle jumpers to 777 all the time. I’ve been to proving grounds in Aberdeen, MD and A.P. Hill, Va. I can distinct between many noises from years of hunting, being able to tell if high bore rifles are shot, shotguns, blackpowder,etc. I can tell the difference between air medical copters, the Prez’s Marine helo, news copters and appaches. I live in the flight zone where every piece of military flying machinery flies over my house for funerals of fallen heroes at Arlington Cemetery.
During the attacks of 9/11, I was only a mile or two from the Pentagon. I was in a glass building watching everything unfold. We were buzzed by a few fighter jets, they were screaming over us, making runs up and down the city. I knew right away what they were since I go to the beach around Va. and the Carolinas. We are constantly buzzed down there, in DC, it never happened prior to 9/11. I know what a sonic boom sounds like, its very local, very fast, very high pressured. It doesn’t last long, it is a series of poops, very pronounced, meaning there is no doubt something just shook the house and people are screaming if they never heard one, kids will cry when its over.
About a year ago, the day that Iran’s President Armadinjad (sp?) was at the UN giving his speech, I was in a very busy, luxury restaurant about 10 miles outside downtown DC. Ironic thing is, the restaurant is at the bottom level of a very large, tall building which serves as world wide headquarters to General Dynamics. I was there, sunset on a nice, clear evening on a Saturday, there must of been 300 people in this place when I first heard this boom.
Now, it started as a roar, like the end of a long, rumbling thunder strike. Not a sharp one, like one of those long, grumbling types, except that it was long, like I heard it for a good 5 secs. then I started timing it. I looked around, no one noticed a damn thing. A friend of mine saw me and asked what was wrong, this is a friend that hunts with me and can hear a pin drop a mile away like me. I asked him to step outside, we shut the door and it was more pronounced. His quote was “what in the F is going on here?” We both agreed that the noise was covering the entire region, meaning it wasn’t a plane and encompassed horizon to horizon. Everything shook, but at a low rumbling, pace. It lasted a good 30 secs.
Now what makes this even better is 5 miles away, my sitter calls me saying that she took my two girls downstairs because the condo was shaking, they ran down 6 floors to the basement, my kids crying. She was freaked out, she didn’t know what to tell the girls, they were all crying. I told her that whatever it was, it was over, that I’d check the news. My condo over looks DC, my kids and I get a kick out of seeing B2, B117, A10, F14, etc flyover because of funerals, football games, ceremonies, etc. My 4 and 6 year old later told me that whatever they heard, was 10 worse than any of the fly overs. The sitter even said she looked over the balcony to the city, she saw nothing, but when she looked down, people on the streets were cowering and looking up, car alarms were going off.
I just heard one the other night at around 3am I think. Clear night and I can sleep through bombs going off, I was in deep REM sleep. I woke up with my heart pounding, the house shaking and that same rumble that lasted 45 secs. this time. I ran to the window, nothing. I laid down, then I’m not sure how much longer, boom again it goes, just as long in duration. I spoke with my daughter who was at her cousin’s house that night, 18 miles away and she told me that thunder woke her up at 3am. I asked her what it sounded like and she said “well I say thunder because that is the loudest thing I know, it was louder, like the time at the condo.”
OK, very long post people but something is going on. Is it Aurora? Who knows what it is called, but whatever it is, it’s fast and its Fing loud. I’ve called 911, nothing. I emailed and spoke on the phone with local news, nada. I looked online, nothing. I do have 2 other people that heard it and all of agree……..we thought it was armagedon. (Sp?) Seriously, I thought it was over, like I was waiting for the four horsemen, etc. I was crapping my pants because I couldn’t explain it, it shook the entire sky and ground.
WTF is all I am hearing? I am talking about some serious ground pounding noise. I wouldn’t call it noise because calling it noise sounds like I am reffering to a firecracker instead of this colousal roar. There is no way that this isn’t Aurora or whatever it is called, it HAS to be a Scramjet of somesort.
I did see a weather satelite image, black and white of the US, shot in 07 sometime. There is one (1) contrail from the west coast to just south of the DC metro area that goes off to sea. Kinda proves my theory, unless the images were doctored. Hard to explain a contrail from almost coast to coast.
So, many smart men of this site, what was it? How can I document this? Do I audio tape 24/7 on my balcony hoping for some evidence? This does not make sense, that no one else or that many people are not commenting on this in my area. Maybe I should start my own website?

Enough, your comments please.

]]> By: Kord http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14495 Kord Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:44:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14495 I live in Clarkston, WA! On April 4th, around 1-2 I thought a plane was crashing into my house, I live by the airport, ran outside so I WOULD NOT GET KILLED and at that moment a boom echoed throughout the valley, THUNDEROUS, I MEAN THUNDEROUS. After that I went back inside, and back to normalcy. AFTER A MINUTE OF SILENCE I START TO HEAR THE NOISE AGAIN. AN F-16 FIGHTER JET FLYS BY LOW, YOU CAN SEE THE PILOT AND A MISSLE, OH AND THE NOISE CREATED BY THE JET WAS WEAK IN COMPARISON, EVEN WHEN THE F -16 FLEW LOW OVER THE WATER, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO INCREASE THE BOOM. FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER SEEN A FIGHTER JET IN THE AREA, AND IT FLEW OVER EXACTLY A WEEK BEFORE WHERE I CALLED 911 AND REPORTED A UFO SIGHTING. I THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THIS ALL OVER THE NEWS, BECAUSE OF SAN DIEGO, AND ON ESPN WHEN THEY SHOWED THE ANNOUNCER SINGING THE PART OF "AND THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR" THEN THE BOOM IN SOME OTHER CITY, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED EVERYWHERE. CRAZY S@## I live in Clarkston, WA! On April 4th, around 1-2 I thought a plane was crashing into my house, I live by the airport, ran outside so I WOULD NOT GET KILLED and at that moment a boom echoed throughout the valley, THUNDEROUS, I MEAN THUNDEROUS. After that I went back inside, and back to normalcy. AFTER A MINUTE OF SILENCE I START TO HEAR THE NOISE AGAIN. AN F-16 FIGHTER JET FLYS BY LOW, YOU CAN SEE THE PILOT AND A MISSLE, OH AND THE NOISE CREATED BY THE JET WAS WEAK IN COMPARISON, EVEN WHEN THE F -16 FLEW LOW OVER THE WATER, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO INCREASE THE BOOM. FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER SEEN A FIGHTER JET IN THE AREA, AND IT FLEW OVER EXACTLY A WEEK BEFORE WHERE I CALLED 911 AND REPORTED A UFO SIGHTING. I THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THIS ALL OVER THE NEWS, BECAUSE OF SAN DIEGO, AND ON ESPN WHEN THEY SHOWED THE ANNOUNCER SINGING THE PART OF “AND THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR” THEN THE BOOM IN SOME OTHER CITY, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED EVERYWHERE. CRAZY S@##

]]> By: Seth http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14494 Seth Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:05:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14494 I am from Mississippi Hattiesburg area and I am reporting a sonic boom . No known planes in area or news reports of any explosion. The time is 5:55pm I am from Mississippi Hattiesburg area and I am reporting a sonic boom . No known planes in area or news reports of any explosion. The time is 5:55pm

]]> By: D. Andrew White M.Sc. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14493 D. Andrew White M.Sc. Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:29:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14493 Perhaps the best commentary on UFOs would be a summary of the first official “flying saucers” reports. Kenneth Arnold’s Sighting: On Tuesday June 24, 1947, a private pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying toward Yakima Washington State. He saw his famous nine saucers, low in the sky to the east at about 3:00 pm PST. According to Arnold, it might actually have been 3:00 pm MST! Mount Adams Sighting: On Tuesday June 24, 1947, at about 15:00h a prospector named Fred Johnson was on Mount Adams Washington. The objects were travelling south-east. Mineral: Near Mineral Washington a Sidney B. Gallagher claimed to have seen nine shiny flashy ‘discs’ travelling south - from the ‘northerly’ direction. Again, on June 24, 1947, at about 3:00 pm. Diamond Gap Washington: Just south of Mt. Rainer a forest ranger Robert W. Hubach reportedly saw ‘high up’ flashing objects travelling very fast far to the east, on June 24, 1947. Richland Washington; Portland, Oregon, Journal, 4 July 1947: In Richland Washington a Mr. Leo Bernier reported several silvery discs heading west-southwest. The time was around “2:00 or 2:30” pm on June 24, 1947. Yakima Washington; The Oregonian – June 28, 1947: In Yakima Washington a Mrs. Ethel Wheelhouse reported a string of moving objects on Tuesday afternoon on June 24, 1947. Boise; Oklahoma Norman Transcript – July 4, 1947: Lt. Gov. Donald S. Whitehead near the court house, in Boise Idaho, saw a comet-like object at 3:30 pm MST. This was on June 24, 1947. Possibly the object was a vapour or smoke trail. Get out a good map of the USA, and plot these seven sightings. With some allowance for poor recollections of the time, these sightings line up on a map!This suggests that a daylight meteor was the cause of all seven. Perhaps the best commentary on UFOs would be a summary of the first official “flying saucers” reports.

Kenneth Arnold’s Sighting: On Tuesday June 24, 1947, a private pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying toward Yakima Washington State. He saw his famous nine saucers, low in the sky to the east at about 3:00 pm PST. According to Arnold, it might actually have been 3:00 pm MST!

Mount Adams Sighting: On Tuesday June 24, 1947, at about 15:00h a prospector named Fred Johnson was on Mount Adams Washington. The objects were travelling south-east.

Mineral: Near Mineral Washington a Sidney B. Gallagher claimed to have seen nine shiny flashy ‘discs’ travelling south - from the ‘northerly’ direction. Again, on June 24, 1947, at about 3:00 pm.

Diamond Gap Washington: Just south of Mt. Rainer a forest ranger Robert W. Hubach reportedly saw ‘high up’ flashing objects travelling very fast far to the east, on June 24, 1947.

Richland Washington; Portland, Oregon, Journal, 4 July 1947: In Richland Washington a Mr. Leo Bernier reported several silvery discs heading west-southwest. The time was around “2:00 or 2:30” pm on June 24, 1947.

Yakima Washington; The Oregonian – June 28, 1947: In Yakima Washington a Mrs. Ethel Wheelhouse reported a string of moving objects on Tuesday afternoon on June 24, 1947.

Boise; Oklahoma Norman Transcript – July 4, 1947: Lt. Gov. Donald S. Whitehead near the court house, in Boise Idaho, saw a comet-like object at 3:30 pm MST. This was on June 24, 1947. Possibly the object was a vapour or smoke trail.

Get out a good map of the USA, and plot these seven sightings. With some allowance for poor recollections of the time, these sightings line up on a map!This suggests that a daylight meteor was the cause of all seven.

]]> By: D. Andrew White M.Sc. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14492 D. Andrew White M.Sc. Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:23:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14492 Newspaper accounts of bolides cannot be trusted. So not much useful information can come out of them. In fact, this problem predates the 'Press' per se. May be someone did see the fireball In August of 1783 bolide was seen sailing over Windsor Castle. It was described as having stopped, then started again. Two centuries later it was even listed as a UFO. Paul Devereux quoted this event as an example of an 'earthlight' in 1989. The real event did not happen as the UFOlogist claimed - based on readinga single report. Other reports were made, and written down, in France and England. These other reports show that the fireball had an ordinary linear trajectory. The 'stopping and starting' must have been illusions, or at best little fragments that 'stopped' as they exploded. UFOlogists, as per usual did not do their homework and cross-reference the Windsor report with other reports. Newspaper accounts of bolides cannot be trusted. So not much useful information can come out of them. In fact, this problem predates the ‘Press’ per se. May be someone did see the fireball

In August of 1783 bolide was seen sailing over Windsor Castle. It was described as having stopped, then started again. Two centuries later it was even listed as a UFO. Paul Devereux quoted this event as an example of an ‘earthlight’ in 1989. The real event did not happen as the UFOlogist claimed - based on readinga single report. Other reports were made, and written down, in France and England. These other reports show that the fireball had an ordinary linear trajectory. The ’stopping and starting’ must have been illusions, or at best little fragments that ’stopped’ as they exploded. UFOlogists, as per usual did not do their homework and cross-reference the Windsor report with other reports.

]]> By: chrisb http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14489 chrisb Sun, 29 Oct 2006 22:18:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14489 I heard a sonic boom just today (10/29/06) in Orange County...It was really close...I just got on google to see if anyone else reported it and found nothing exept this website...Some people say it was an earthquake but I doubt that...Earthquakes have a low rumble sound...this had a doppler effect to it..I looked up in the sky and saw absolutley nothing in a clear blue sky...weird.. anyways..thought you should know I heard a sonic boom just today (10/29/06) in Orange County…It was really close…I just got on google to see if anyone else reported it and found nothing exept this website…Some people say it was an earthquake but I doubt that…Earthquakes have a low rumble sound…this had a doppler effect to it..I looked up in the sky and saw absolutley nothing in a clear blue sky…weird..

anyways..thought you should know

]]> By: Phil Denton http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14491 Phil Denton Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:37:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/04/24/the-thunder-of-ufos/#comment-14491 Hmmm. If a large noise was created diametrically opposite this location on the earth then physics suggests that the sound will radiate out in all directions and meet exactly where this noise was created. Problem is the sound waves would A) be attenuated to a level which probably would not travel that far and B) due to variations in pressure, temperature, and other environmetal charateristics they would probably not all meet at the same time anyway. Oh sorry wrong forum... Hmmm.

If a large noise was created diametrically opposite this location on the earth then physics suggests that the sound will radiate out in all directions and meet exactly where this noise was created. Problem is the sound waves would A) be attenuated to a level which probably would not travel that far and B) due to variations in pressure, temperature, and other environmetal charateristics they would probably not all meet at the same time anyway. Oh sorry wrong forum…

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