Ufo over Ibiza: meteor, missile, rocket or simply contrails? [Contrail. Maybe Flight VY2425]

[ufoofinterest]

Ibiza - April 16, 2014

http://www.ibizaholidays.com/ufo-ibiza/

In my opinion is a contrails. Can we confirm it?

 

[jonnyH]

Comment from the video on youtube:

Agrupación Astronómica Ibiza AAE via Google+
4 days ago (edited)

MYSTERIOUS OBJECT ON THE SKIES OF IBIZA.

An unknown object crossed the sky in Ibiza on Wednesday, the 16th, about 19.20 hours. It was filmed by a TV camera, which has posted this video on youtube. Currently, its origin and nature is unknown, although it appears to be a meteorite discarded, since the apex seems to be straight. It could be a piece of space junk re-entering the atmosphere, although it is to be a self-powered device, such as a rocket or a missile. The Astronomical Association of Eivissa (EPA) is trying to gather information about it with the help of other Spanish observatories that may have detected this phenomenon.

The translation is a bit rough but it seems to dismiss the possibility that it is a meteorite. Not sure whether they are saying it is, or isn't likely to be a rocket or a missile. From the time of day and the shadows I'm guessing its travelling roughly from west to east which is consistent with flight paths over the island.

Looks like a contrail to me, but I'm no expert.

 

[Mick West]

I'm an expert It looks and moves exactly like a short contrail. There's nothing to suggest it's not a contrail. It's simply people unfamiliar with seeing short contrails in that position in the sky.

Compare it against another contrail, not quite the same, but the same kind of thing:

Looks somewhat like a 747 contrail, but hard to tell at that size. Something like this, but from really far away:



Some similar short plane contrails:

If it were at sunset, then they would think it was a fireball.
http://contrailscience.com/short-sunlit-contrails-look-like-ufos/

 

[ufoofinterest]

Thank you Mick

 

[jonnyH]

probably this Ryanair 737?

 

[jonnyH]

Now I'm confused.

I perhaps should have read the article linked in the OP earlier rather than just viewing the video. It states that the "UFO" was travelling west.

In the clip, the sun is clearly on their backs, its the early evening so that puts the sun in the west which means they must be looking east, right?

I think I got the time wrong too.

 

[Mick West]

This appears to be in Ibiza, pointing west: I think that it might be a recreation, done the next morning.

 

[jonnyH]

The Cala d' Hort Telescope (TCH ) also captured the phenomenon who is a member of the AAE Ignacio de la Cueva. Apparently, the object came from the south and made a change of direction and that could only be explained if it was self-propelled. In fact, the video shows Eduardo de Miguel shooting westward, which shows changes from the initial trajectory

what to make of this?

 

[Mick West]

The Cala d' Hort Telescope (TCH ) also captured the phenomenon who is a member of the AAE Ignacio de la Cueva. Apparently, the object came from the south and made a change of direction and that could only be explained if it was self-propelled. In fact, the video shows Eduardo de Miguel shooting westward, which shows changes from the initial trajectory

what to make of this?

Changes of direction look a lot more dramatic at a shallow angle. Also people's sense of direction can be confused if they don't realize it's in level flight - it looks like it's flying "down".

 

[ufoofinterest]

(Wednesday, the 16th, about 19.20 hours. 18:20 UTC)

I think we should consider daylight saving time from Ibiza: 19.20 hours --> 17.20 UTC. Right?

 

[Mick West]

I think we should consider daylight saving time from Ibiza: 19.20 hours --> 17.20 UTC. Right?

Indeed it it. Which gives us a good candidate:
http://www.flightradar24.com/2014-04-16/17:20/12x/VLG2425/320ba7d

 

[ufoofinterest]

I agree Mick.

 

[Mick West]

I can't get the GPS track, but I overlaid the above track in google earth at 11,000m, and it seems a very good match

View from space:

View from Ibiza airport:

I'm 99% sure this is the plane.

 

[jonnyH]

Sterling work as ever Mick, certainly fits the description.

I'm surprised no one noticed it was a plane with the benefit of this fancy bit of kit though:

 

[Mick West]

Sterling work as ever Mick, certainly fits the description.

I'm surprised no one noticed it was a plane with the benefit of this fancy bit of kit though:

I doubt they actually saw it with that. They are highly unlikely to use that in the daytime. I think the article might just be referring to them having seem meteorites before.

 

[Trailspotter]

I can't get the GPS track, but I overlaid the above track in google earth at 11,000m, and it seems a very good match

View from space:

View from Ibiza airport:

I'm 99% sure this is the plane.

I am sceptical about the plane identification for two reasons. First, the contrail image suggests that the plane had more than two engines. Second, on the straight-away, blue section of the VY2425 track the plane still was climbing up (and below 29 000 ft), but the absence of notable changes of the contrail shape and size in the video suggests it was a level flight. It could be a different plane that was not on Flightradar24, possibly, a military one.

 

[Mick West]

Yes, I'm less sure now. Particularly because of the number of apparent trails. But it does match the time and position fairly well.

 

[Jazzy]

I have just seen cloud formations looking like contrails, but aligned in groups vertically, horizontally, and at a certain set angle between the two positions.

I was sunning myself (think Galapagos Lizard), facing upward through four moving air regimes, the top two at right angles to each other, and the lower two diametrically opposed.

High speed stratospheric air streamed down into linked vortices, and thermal activity working from beneath fed up in vertical vortices to unroll into horizontal mini streets rolling along the haze-top.

Contrails are vortexed clouds, and Nature can produce vortices too. The air was on the point of saturation, and wherever this activity (rotation) occurred the local temperature fell and water vapor condensed out.

Sorry, no pics, and way OT perhaps.