Comments on: Italian UFO http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/ 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 05:53:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Steve Boltzman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-179511 Steve Boltzman Sun, 03 May 2009 19:17:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-179511 Gentlemen; Old topic, but for your future "UFO" debunking pleasure. ;-) It's a television satellite in a highly elliptical geosynchronous orbit near the ecliptic. Such an orbit describes an analemma in the sky. In this case, one lobe of the stretched figure-eight is seen in front of the Moon. It's round because it's out of focus. And any typical video of a satellite passing in front of the Moon will appear about the size seen in this video. The author of the video was told all this by an astronomer but chose to ignore that rather obvious and conclusive determination--opting for the indeterminant "UFO" instead. A balloon, near or far in random air, would not have remained in front of the Moon's small 30 arc/sec but a moment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_orbit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma Gentlemen; Old topic, but for your future “UFO” debunking pleasure. ;-)

It’s a television satellite in a highly elliptical geosynchronous orbit near the ecliptic. Such an orbit describes an analemma in the sky. In this case, one lobe of the stretched figure-eight is seen in front of the Moon.

It’s round because it’s out of focus. And any typical video of a satellite passing in front of the Moon will appear about the size seen in this video.

The author of the video was told all this by an astronomer but chose to ignore that rather obvious and conclusive determination–opting for the indeterminant “UFO” instead. A balloon, near or far in random air, would not have remained in front of the Moon’s small 30 arc/sec but a moment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_orbit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma

]]> By: Mckenna http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59417 Mckenna Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:13:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59417 I personally think it's a balloon but I still believe in intelligent life forms, because to think that we are the only ones in the universe is as stupid as planting 1,000,000,000 flowers and thinking only one will grow. Right? I personally think it’s a balloon but I still believe in intelligent life forms, because to think that we are the only ones in the universe is as stupid as planting 1,000,000,000 flowers and thinking only one will grow. Right?

]]> By: Mckenna http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59416 Mckenna Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:11:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59416 I mean but not bug in third sentence. I mean but not bug in third sentence.

]]> By: Mckenna http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59415 Mckenna Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:10:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59415 It's most likely a balloon. My next guess is photoshop. Then the bug theory, bug then we all might be wrong. I mean, you could say it's ANYTHING when your only proof is no one ahs proved it doesn't exist! lol I love Harry Potter, for those who don't get it, that's what Hermione says to Luna Lovegoods dad. lol sorry I'm getting off topic. It’s most likely a balloon. My next guess is photoshop. Then the bug theory, bug then we all might be wrong. I mean, you could say it’s ANYTHING when your only proof is no one ahs proved it doesn’t exist!
lol I love Harry Potter, for those who don’t get it, that’s what Hermione says to Luna Lovegoods dad. lol sorry I’m getting off topic.

]]> By: Bart Mitchell http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59414 Bart Mitchell Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:02:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59414 I like the Balloon theory, but in the spirit of debunking the huge kilometers wide craft floating over the moon..... Where is the huge shadow it would cast on the surface of our favorite natural satellite? I like the Balloon theory, but in the spirit of debunking the huge kilometers wide craft floating over the moon….. Where is the huge shadow it would cast on the surface of our favorite natural satellite?

]]> By: Irishscribe http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59413 Irishscribe Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:02:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59413 It's a childs' balloon, guys and girls. Unless I'm mistaken, the object isn't absolutely round, it appears at times to have that "pear-shape" an inflated balloon has. We only see this occaisionally, because of course the baloon is tumbleing as it is blown across the sky. It’s a childs’ balloon, guys and girls. Unless I’m mistaken, the object isn’t absolutely round, it appears at times to have that “pear-shape” an inflated balloon has. We only see this occaisionally, because of course the baloon is tumbleing as it is blown across the sky.

]]> By: jeff http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59404 jeff Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:35:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/14/italian-ufo/#comment-59404 ugghh. I want my four minutes back. ugghh. I want my four minutes back.

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