Rare things that have been documented much better than UFOs

[JMartJr]

Using tech the general public isn't familiar with helps them add a layer of "we're experts" to what they're doing, and a veneer of mystery to what is seen as it's often less interpretable (yay - more noise!). On top of that, because it's not cheap and common tech, it actively discourages attempts at replication. So you have to trust them and their interpretation of what they're seeing. Which is OK, as they've already persuaded you they're experts. It's theatre, that's all.

For many of the amateur "research groups" (so NOT the Skinwalker Ranch folks) the tech helps THEM feel like they are doing something serious as well. Anything from just a simple tape recorder to the flat Earther's beloved Nikon p900 -- it may be theatre even in those cases, but the audience is also the performer (as well demonstrated in "Scientifical Americans" by Sharon Hill.)

 

[FatPhil]

For many of the amateur "research groups" (so NOT the Skinwalker Ranch folks) the tech helps THEM feel like they are doing something serious as well. Anything from just a simple tape recorder to the flat Earther's beloved Nikon p900 -- it may be theatre even in those cases, but the audience is also the performer (as well demonstrated in "Scientifical Americans" by Sharon Hill.)

Like the crowd at a Hypnotist's show, eh? (I've been to one, and all it did was convince me that we're doomed as a species.)

 

[Edward Current]

Here's a good one: Dashcam captures a train derailment.

(from https://www.facebook.com/reel/701190032126126)

While train derailments occur far too often, this appears to be a full-frame, up-close shot of the accident's exact initiating moment, which is extraordinary.

 

[yoshy]

Here's one from the other day — 3 whales doing a seemingly coordinated jump:


Source: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2023/07/28/triple-whale-breach-synchronized-jump-cprog-orig.cnn


This wasn't captured from multiple angles, and the people filming were expecting to see whales...but still it's pretty rare if not unique footage.

That whale on the left looks like it has arms and is awkwardly posed enough that it could easily have been identified as a sea monk or some other sea cryptid if it was seen a few hundred years ago. Great pic!

 

[John J.]

That whale on the left looks like it has arms and is awkwardly posed enough that it could easily have been identified as a sea monk or some other sea cryptid

Dammit, he's back again.
Or the whales are doing Saddam Hussein impressions, which would be a rare thing to document.

 

[RTM]

It looks more like he’s at a New Kids on the Block concert.

 

[Calter]

I feel SpaceX launches are a good addition to this, they are planned and if you live in the area they might be somewhat regular (idk, I don't live in the area), but for people that don't know about the launch these are effectively rare events and essentially "UFOs"

For example Falcon 9 launched and several posts on r/UFOs came up of people that saw it (the posts have since then been deleted by moderators, but they showed videos of some stage of the launch)


Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1b6sym0/saw_this_outside_no_idea_what_is_was/


Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1b6tm0k/bad_language_weird_thing_saw_in_oklahoma/


Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1b6t668/unidentified_object_shoots_out_ring_of_light/


This kind of thing happens often when there's a rocket launch, and it shows how a big "ufo" that is actually visible gets recorded by many people and many different angles. And these are all recordings of people that saw it and decided to film it and then ask what it is because they don't know about the launch, I imagine there's a lot more recordings of cameras that just happen to capture the launch or from people that record it and just send it around to share it as a cool thing they saw (knowing it is a rocket launch but not knowing there was a scheduled launch).

This doesn't really happen when there's a single video of a saucer with lights all around just casually flying just above some trees or stuff like that.

 

[FatPhil]

I feel SpaceX launches are a good addition to this ...

But are orbital launches "rare things", someones doing one every couple of days:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_spaceflight#Orbital_launches_by_year

 

[Mendel]

But are orbital launches "rare things", someones doing one every couple of days:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_spaceflight#Orbital_launches_by_year

From 2001 to 2016, the US has launched less than 2 per month (source https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Data:Orbital_launches_by_country.tab ). 2022 had 78 US launches, distributed over several States, from Florida to California.

They're really only big attention-getters when the launch is in the dark when nonetheless many people are about. I think they're also fairly novel for places like Vandenberg and Mojave, I doubt people near Cape Canaveral would be fazed by them.

 

[Edward Current]

But are orbital launches "rare things", someones doing one every couple of days:

They don't fit the description in my original question, but it's a great example just because, to the photographer, they are unexpected. They also refute the claim that things in the sky at night subtler than a large meteor can't be photographed well by amateurs.

I'd expect UFO enthusiasts to counter that rocket launches last too long or their effects are too persistent to be comparable to those tricky UFOs that always manage to skedaddle before we can get our phones out.