TOMSK 2006 -- Why SOME [if not ALL] 'space spirals' could be manmade

I'm digging further into the wonderful database and video libraries of observations of weird-looking shapes in the dusk or dawn skies, especially spirals.

I've just completed a report on one of the most famous Russian 'spiral UFO' videos, from Tomsk in 2006.

For comparison I also link a recent report on an entirely different class of 'spiral UFO' sightings caused by Russian ICBM tests, high enough over Kazakhstan to be widely visible, including once from as far away as Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon.

I hope this research can help cast light on one of the most spectacular categories of UFO reports of this century. Critical comments and arguments are solicited.

Can the array of bright enthusiastic folks hereabouts come up with serious arguments that these explanations do not satisfactorily explain these reports?

satobs.org...

satobs.org...

Hey Jim

It would be interesting to see if there is a correlation as to where these events take place and their proximity to a nation capable of launching ICBM's.

Only events close to or over land could be used to discount submarine launched vehicles.

For example, does this phenomena only take place in the Northern hemisphere? As there are few countries in the Southern Hemisphere capable of launching these.

And also is this a phenomenon that has only been observed post invention and production of rocketry?

You might be interested in a fantastic thread made back in the golden age (in my view) of ATS about the famous Norway Spiral

There's a wealth of info contained in that thread and well worth your time if you are into the sky spiral scene. Enjoy.

originally posted by: Qumulys
You might be interested in a fantastic thread made back in the golden age (in my view) of ATS about the famous Norway Spiral

There's a wealth of info contained in that thread and well worth your time if you are into the sky spiral scene. Enjoy.

I'm working on a Norway spiral presentation now, thanks for the link. I'll certainly be directly addressing all the factual howlers and wrong guesses used as evidence against the missile explanation.

One example involves why people farther east didn't report seeing it. Simple. Morning had broken and the sky was too bright. You can easily verify this by using www.heavens-above.com function on 'Sun' status for any given place on Earth for any date/time. Go run it for possible observation areas of the Norway spiral.

Also, historical weather satellite images are available showing which areas of Scandinavia were clouded in.

originally posted by: Krusty the Klown
Hey Jim

....For example, does this phenomena only take place in the Northern hemisphere? As there are few countries in the Southern Hemisphere capable of launching these.

It occurs wherever satellites can fly over, because rockets also fire after initial ascent to modify orbits, as well as simply releasing surplus fuel in the hour or two after launch. Major South American UFO sightings were caused by Soviet satellite launches that deliberately restarted rocket engines half an orbit after launch, and Australia's position 'down under' made it perfect for seeing post-launch fuel dumps for rockets from Florida and from China, as thoroughly documented -- but as rejected by
UFO buffs.

The key discriminator is solar illumination -- does the sighting occur in an area where objects in orbit 300-400 km above them are still in sunlight and thus visible. THAT is the main factor producing such sightings and it's easy enough to calculated the altitude an object -- or fuel cloud or plume -- must be higher than, to be sunlit, even if the sky as viewed from the ground is dark and star-studded.