Tim Printy
Member
Marc Dantonio, who is an expert on UFOs (I believe he is a photography expert for MUFON or was at one point), posted this all sky camera shot on his facebook page:
Source: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1445425854175238
I have not entered a discussion on this because I really don't spend a lot of time on this stuff anymore. However, I thought it was worth presenting here since this group seems to be very good at looking at this events. To me it looks like an aircraft flying at high altitude that had its landing lights and made a change in course. Once the aircraft passed overhead the landing light was no longer visible. I am not sure why people think this is a rapid change in direction since the duration of the object going across the sky is measured in minutes. Anyway, I know that there is a good group here that probably could solve this mystery. Here is what he posted about the event:
Strange Object Caught on Video!!!
So I have been siting on this since 2024. It is a sighting of an anomalous pair of craft that I captured in our allsky camera that I built at one of our desert observatories. This location was in the Sonoran Desert west of Phoenix by 80 miles.
The Sun had set about 20 minutes or so before this. You can see a brigthly Sun-illuminated craft coming in from the W/NW Horizon. As it moves more overhead, it begins to fade just as satellites will do. Up to that point it looked EXACTLY like a satellite.
Each frame is a 15 second exposure once the sky gets dark enough as I set the camera to do autoexposure. You can see all thedata and times in the upper left hand corner.
What you will see is an object come in from the W/NW as mentioned, dim like a satellite as mentioned and then.... do something NO satellite does.
IT CHANGES DIRECTION by 30 or so degrees within one 15 second exposure and then changes AGAIN in the next 15 second exposure to move more N/NE. . It is clear and actual movement likely in low earth orbit.
There are:
NO FAA lights, just a singular light that fades slowly with each exposure
NO insect, as it is a continuous fading light over several minutes.
NO infrared illuminator on the camera to cause any such 'bug' to light up brightly.
Additionally, there is not just ONE object but TWO paralleling each other and turning in the same manner.
And finally,
There is NO explanation that satisfies me as MUFON's Chief Photo and Video Analyst.
Here is ONE known possibility: The Boeing X37B orbital space plane. I talked to someone on the program and it was suggested that perhaps this could have been it but. The problem with that however is that the Delta V or change in velocity/energy to accomplish such a task would take almost 50% of the fuel required to get it into orbit to begin with. I can show the calculations if you want to see the orbital mechanics.
Put what you think it could be in the comments. NO satellites operate like this."
He seems to think that is was in orbit. I don't think so. He states it was about 80 miles west of Phoenix. I am sure this falls within an air traffic corridor. I have seen such changes in direction of aircraft in my astrophotos over the years. I have also seen aircraft with a bright landing light heading towards my observing site over the years low on the horizon. By the time the aircraft passes overhead, the light is no longer bright and the FAA lighting becomes a bit clearer. That makes me think it was an aircraft and the FAA lights he says that are not visible are due to the resolution of the camera and the landing light overpowering any auxiliary/navigation lighting. The object took about 4.5 minutes to cross the sky, which is also consistent with the angular speed of aircraft.
Anyway, I am curious what everyone else thinks.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1445425854175238
I have not entered a discussion on this because I really don't spend a lot of time on this stuff anymore. However, I thought it was worth presenting here since this group seems to be very good at looking at this events. To me it looks like an aircraft flying at high altitude that had its landing lights and made a change in course. Once the aircraft passed overhead the landing light was no longer visible. I am not sure why people think this is a rapid change in direction since the duration of the object going across the sky is measured in minutes. Anyway, I know that there is a good group here that probably could solve this mystery. Here is what he posted about the event:
Strange Object Caught on Video!!!
So I have been siting on this since 2024. It is a sighting of an anomalous pair of craft that I captured in our allsky camera that I built at one of our desert observatories. This location was in the Sonoran Desert west of Phoenix by 80 miles.
The Sun had set about 20 minutes or so before this. You can see a brigthly Sun-illuminated craft coming in from the W/NW Horizon. As it moves more overhead, it begins to fade just as satellites will do. Up to that point it looked EXACTLY like a satellite.
Each frame is a 15 second exposure once the sky gets dark enough as I set the camera to do autoexposure. You can see all thedata and times in the upper left hand corner.
What you will see is an object come in from the W/NW as mentioned, dim like a satellite as mentioned and then.... do something NO satellite does.
IT CHANGES DIRECTION by 30 or so degrees within one 15 second exposure and then changes AGAIN in the next 15 second exposure to move more N/NE. . It is clear and actual movement likely in low earth orbit.
There are:
NO FAA lights, just a singular light that fades slowly with each exposure
NO insect, as it is a continuous fading light over several minutes.
NO infrared illuminator on the camera to cause any such 'bug' to light up brightly.
Additionally, there is not just ONE object but TWO paralleling each other and turning in the same manner.
And finally,
There is NO explanation that satisfies me as MUFON's Chief Photo and Video Analyst.
Here is ONE known possibility: The Boeing X37B orbital space plane. I talked to someone on the program and it was suggested that perhaps this could have been it but. The problem with that however is that the Delta V or change in velocity/energy to accomplish such a task would take almost 50% of the fuel required to get it into orbit to begin with. I can show the calculations if you want to see the orbital mechanics.
Put what you think it could be in the comments. NO satellites operate like this."
He seems to think that is was in orbit. I don't think so. He states it was about 80 miles west of Phoenix. I am sure this falls within an air traffic corridor. I have seen such changes in direction of aircraft in my astrophotos over the years. I have also seen aircraft with a bright landing light heading towards my observing site over the years low on the horizon. By the time the aircraft passes overhead, the light is no longer bright and the FAA lighting becomes a bit clearer. That makes me think it was an aircraft and the FAA lights he says that are not visible are due to the resolution of the camera and the landing light overpowering any auxiliary/navigation lighting. The object took about 4.5 minutes to cross the sky, which is also consistent with the angular speed of aircraft.
Anyway, I am curious what everyone else thinks.
