Explained: "Floating Ball of Fire Over Argentina" [Short Sunlit Contrail]

Mick West

Administrator
Staff member
Another contrail at sunset is mistaken for a "UFO":
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/01/28/unexplained-floating-ball-of-fire-ufo_n_6561314.html

Very blurry and shaky video, and rather over-exposed.


Sunset contrails are explained here:
http://contrailscience.com/short-sunlit-contrails-look-like-ufos/

[Update] Some views of the "UFO" match this video of an A340 Contrail very well in shape if we simply assume the trail does not last as long, and it's viewed from the ground instead of a nearby plane:
a340-contrail-compare-ufo-perspectve.gif



Tracking the origin of the story is interesting:
HuffPo Wierd News got it from:
http://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/2015/01/ufo-shocked-residents-of-city-of-frias.html
With what looks like it was translated
External Quote:

Nuveo News States (Argentina):
A strange phenomenon was spotted yesterday afternoon which was recorded by several residents of the city of Frías, Choya department.
In the sky a strange light performing movements could be observed. This happened until the "point" disappeared.
Neighbors reported this phenomenon with their cell phone cameras and sent the information to the news Whatsapp Nuevo Diario.
"What we saw was like a meteor," he said some readers through the social network.
Others said: "In my house were all surprised. In the sky look like a point radiating light and moving from one side to the other. "
This traces back to
http://www.nuevodiarioweb.com.ar/no...rana-luz-conmociono-vecinos-ciudad-frias.html
External Quote:

Un extraño fenómeno se divisó ayer a la tarde que fue registrado por varios vecinos de la ciudad de Frías, departamento Choya.

En el cielo pudo observarse una extraña luz que realizaba movimientos. Esto sucedió hasta que el "punto" desapareció.
[translated]
A strange phenomenon was spotted yesterday afternoon which was recorded by several residents of the city of Frías , Choya department .

In the sky a strange light performing movements could be observed. This happened until the "point" disappeared.
Which would put the date at Jan 23rd. (see below)
 
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here another video that has my above footage after 1:40.. and allegedly shot from another location in Brasil in beginning in video.

How weird is this.. it does look like 2 contrails! i can even see the planes somewhat but strange they overlap like this.



bra.JPG
 
here another video that has my above footage after 1:40.. and allegedly shot from another location in Brasil in beginning in video.

How weird is this.. it does look like 2 contrails! i can even see the planes somewhat but strange they overlap like this.


View attachment 11335

I would say that is just the trails from one four-engined jet.

Compare this pic I took the other day:

dde05b2aa0f20ce2c6fc7e348c9bcea0.jpg


That is a Lufthansa A340.
 
Yeah it's basically this (also an A340)
a340-contrail.gif


But looking up more, so the shape of the trails is stretched, and with atmospheric conditions such that the trail does not last very long:
a340-contrail-compare-ufo.gif


Since the animated trail was videoed from a relatively nearby plane, some the visual spreading is from perspective. Correcting for that, we get:
a340-contrail-compare-ufo-perspectve.gif


Video source:


[Added this animation to the OP]
 
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i think i found one of the original uploaders. translated some comments they give locations and times so maybe @Trailspotter or someone can do your 'magic' and find the specific flight.

I do not have Premium FR24 to play back the flights in that area on January 4, 2014. However, checking it up for the just past sunset hour showed that an A340 does fly there at the time in a right direction (chasing the Sun):
Screen shot 2015-01-31 at 00.27.07.png

This looks like a daily flight (apart Saturdays?) that occasionally flies over Porto Alegre (it happened other days of the past week). And it is the only four-engine plane flying there at around sunset.
 
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