Why do you think UFOs so often have prominent lights?

Does it seem bizarre to anyone else that an alien spacecraft would have bright navigational-type lights? "UFOs" in many pictures do. In a way it's one of the weirdest things about many UFO sightings in general.... what's up with the lights?

Why would an advanced alien spacecraft NEED lights? To impress us? Or is it part of their propulsion system? Are they in fact genuinely worried about getting hit by airplanes?

Or do you think the ones with lights are probably all just terrestrial craft? (some perhaps top-secret?) Then agian, why would top secret military aircraft use super-bright lights to draw attention to themselves?

What does everyone think about this?


[edit on 27-7-2007 by The Little Penguin]

Agreed, the lights on all those ship's would seem to make them bogus, unless made on this planet.
Don't feel its a big leap to expect technology to get beyond the glaring GE halogen from the real visitors.
Light from within the ship, orbs, glowing disk, puts them in a more realistic plane for me. The huge triangles are cool, but the lights are a turn-off, expect to see USAF someday on those babies.

maybe they use the lights as a way to communicate with other ufo's
such as the flickering might be them 'sending' a msg of some sort.

maybe different color lights mean forms of different messages.

or perhaps the lights are a sign of some sort to other ufo's. like maybe ufos A use bright white pulsing lights while ufos B use bright white flashing lights, or maybe ufos C use red lights, andd so on

just throwing some ideas out there

I always thought i would be some kind of after effect or something perhaps from their propulsion system, not overly sure but a good though provoking post!

I dont really how its weird. If they're able to come to our planet, then they are intelligent enough to have lights... right? Maybe, just maybe, the need for artificial light was a problem in one of the other couple of hundred billion planets in this universe. Assuming they exist

Originally posted by agent violet
maybe they use the lights as a way to communicate with other ufo's
such as the flickering might be them 'sending' a msg of some sort.

maybe different color lights mean forms of different messages.

Interesting, and I hadn't thought of that, but I'd think they'd have a better form of communication than colored lights.

But then maybe they're extra-dimensional and are limited on how they can communicate in our "world", so they have to use lights. Like, essentially, their "radios" don't work properly. (Silly-sounding, I know!)

Assuming for the sake of the discussion that a given craft (with lights) is not of human origin (be it ET, cryptoterrestrial, intra-dimensional, whatever), here's my theory (err, wild speculation) about it.

Maybe their actual appearance is so weird that we see them as "spaceships" in the classic sense, because our brains are incapable of actually forming an image of what they actually are. That would somewhat explain why they have so many different "models." Of course, sometimes multiple witnesses all claim to see the same type of craft, which screws with my idea, but I still think it's interesting.

The thing is, if the things with lights AREN'T "ours", then the fact that they have these inexplicable aircraft-type lights makes me feel that the whole things must be actually WEIRDER than if they didn't.

Ya know?

Originally posted by The Little Penguin

Originally posted by agent violet
maybe they use the lights as a way to communicate with other ufo's
such as the flickering might be them 'sending' a msg of some sort.

maybe different color lights mean forms of different messages.

Interesting, and I hadn't thought of that, but I'd think they'd have a better form of communication than colored lights.

But then maybe they're extra-dimensional and are limited on how they can communicate in our "world", so they have to use lights. Like, essentially, their "radios" don't work properly. (Silly-sounding, I know!)

Assuming for the sake of the discussion that a given craft (with lights) is not of human origin (be it ET, cryptoterrestrial, intra-dimensional, whatever), here's my theory (err, wild speculation) about it.

Maybe their actual appearance is so weird that we see them as "spaceships" in the classic sense, because our brains are incapable of actually forming an image of what they actually are. That would somewhat explain why they have so many different "models." Of course, sometimes multiple witnesses all claim to see the same type of craft, which screws with my idea, but I still think it's interesting.

The thing is, if the things with lights AREN'T "ours", then the fact that they have these inexplicable aircraft-type lights makes me feel that the whole things must be actually WEIRDER than if they didn't.

Ya know?

You made the first mistake in your opening sentence. Why do we generally assume that is so? We like to take the road thats most "believable" or authentic, but if we're talking aliens from other planets, hell, throw all conventional wisdoms away

Originally posted by 3_Libras
I dont really how its weird. If they're able to come to our planet, then they are intelligent enough to have lights... right?

Sure, they could have them... but WHY?

Originally posted by 3_Libras
Maybe, just maybe, the need for artificial light was a problem in one of the other couple of hundred billion planets in this universe. Assuming they exist

Sorry, I don't understand this part. Can you explain what you mean?

Originally posted by 3_Libras
You made the first mistake in your opening sentence. Why do we generally assume that is so? We like to take the road thats most "believable" or authentic, but if we're talking aliens from other planets, hell, throw all conventional wisdoms away

Hmm. I'm not sure I agree with saying one must throw away ALL conventional wisdom. I'd say more like... well, questioning one's preconceptions.

But in this case... the tech for interstellar (if they're actually from other systems) craft ,but no radio-type technology? I'm having trouble with that. But who knows; I won't discount it.

Originally posted by The Little Penguin

Originally posted by 3_Libras
I dont really how its weird. If they're able to come to our planet, then they are intelligent enough to have lights... right?

Sure, they could have them... but WHY?

Originally posted by 3_Libras
Maybe, just maybe, the need for artificial light was a problem in one of the other couple of hundred billion planets in this universe. Assuming they exist

Sorry, I don't understand this part. Can you explain what you mean?

Firstly, they could be headlights for all we know. I dont think anyone can really answer that question, but it seemed that you sort of made it out as if they wouldnt have the need to use such an inferior thing like light. Why arent they telepathic? Why do they even need spacecraft, and live vicariously through sheep to spy on us? Who knows..... but lights arent that much of a mystery in my mind, whatever they may use it for

Asking why UFO's have lights is like asking why they come from light years across the universe to just hang out for a second and take off.
To me, it is as simple as them wanting to be seen. They want you to look up, see amazing lights in the sky and put that question in your head.....
Was that something from another planet?

Originally posted by The Little Penguin

Originally posted by 3_Libras
You made the first mistake in your opening sentence. Why do we generally assume that is so? We like to take the road thats most "believable" or authentic, but if we're talking aliens from other planets, hell, throw all conventional wisdoms away

Hmm. I'm not sure I agree with saying one must throw away ALL conventional wisdom. I'd say more like... well, questioning one's preconceptions.

But in this case... the tech for interstellar (if they're actually from other systems) craft ,but no radio-type technology? I'm having trouble with that. But who knows; I won't discount it.

Maybe they dont have a device through which to hear? Lol thats a really hard question to answer. You are trying to make sense of something which is near impossible without being in contact to try and gauge whats what. Maybe light stimulation is an advanced form of communication to them

Originally posted by 3_Libras
Firstly, they could be headlights for all we know. I dont think anyone can really answer that question, but it seemed that you sort of made it out as if they wouldnt have the need to use such an inferior thing like light. Why arent they telepathic? Why do they even need spacecraft, and live vicariously through sheep to spy on us? Who knows..... but lights arent that much of a mystery in my mind, whatever they may use it for

I guess I DO see the lights as a mystery, because it just seems goofy to me that alien spacecraft (again, I'm not assuming that what any of them are) would need these kind of lights.

Headlights? Why would a spaceship need headlights.

Really, to me, more than anything, the lights give the feeling somebody/something is screwing with us. Like a prank, or something that is not really what it seems.

Super-secret advanced military craft flying around with bright nav lights? Unlikely, I'd think.

Aliens that need "headlights" to see where their craft goes. Who knows but I have a hard time with it.

Someone/something that wants to impress us with crazy flying things?

I buy the last one more...

Originally posted by The Little Penguin

Originally posted by 3_Libras
Firstly, they could be headlights for all we know. I dont think anyone can really answer that question, but it seemed that you sort of made it out as if they wouldnt have the need to use such an inferior thing like light. Why arent they telepathic? Why do they even need spacecraft, and live vicariously through sheep to spy on us? Who knows..... but lights arent that much of a mystery in my mind, whatever they may use it for

I guess I DO see the lights as a mystery, because it just seems goofy to me that alien spacecraft (again, I'm not assuming that what any of them are) would need these kind of lights.

Headlights? Why would a spaceship need headlights.

Really, to me, more than anything, the lights give the feeling somebody/something is screwing with us. Like a prank, or something that is not really what it seems.

Super-secret advanced military craft flying around with bright nav lights? Unlikely, I'd think.

Aliens that need "headlights" to see where their craft goes. Who knows but I have a hard time with it.

Someone/something that wants to impress us with crazy flying things?

I buy the last one more...

Oh, headlights weren't a suggestion. It was just to point out at the number of reasons that it could be, however stupid we may find it. You're trying to rationalize something that cant be done. Most people cant rationalize the idea that beings live outside this planet - well, newsflash, with millions upon millions of stars in galaxies, and the number of galaxies in clusters, not only makes that possible, but it even makes it logical that there are hundreds of millions other lifeforms, if not more - intelligent or not.

I used the word logical, so I just contradicted myself, but you know what I mean

[edit on 27-7-2007 by 3_Libras]

[edit on 27-7-2007 by 3_Libras]

Originally posted by 3_Libras
Maybe they dont have a device through which to hear?

Ooh I like that one a LOT! Very nice!

Or... maybe they CAN'T hear?!

That's exactly the kind of thinking I was hoping to stir up. And it works with the idea (supported by many abduction accounts) that they can communicate telepathically.

Maybe they use telepathy because they HAVE to?

And maybe telepathy is a poor choice for craft-to-craft communication. (Range or interference issues?)

[edit on 27-7-2007 by The Little Penguin]

Originally posted by Megadeth
They want you to look up, see amazing lights in the sky and put that question in your head.....

I think that explanation is in the top 10...

Originally posted by The Little Penguin

Originally posted by 3_Libras
Maybe they dont have a device through which to hear?

Ooh I like that one a LOT! Very nice!

Or... maybe they CAN'T hear?!

That's exactly the kind of thinking I was hoping to stir up. And it works with the idea (supported by many abduction accounts) that they can communicate telepathically.

Maybe they use telepathy because they HAVE to?

And maybe telepathy is a poor choice for craft-to-craft communication. (Range or interference issues?)

[edit on 27-7-2007 by The Little Penguin]

Why not lol. Maybe they have a range for telepathic communication? Which is why when people have seen more than one object, they are clustered so closely together. The possibilities!

Having seen 4 UFO's in the space of 10 minutes last night, and getting a perfect view of one, i think this is the reason why they are "prominent lights";

The one i saw best was slightly orange, and seemed to give off sparks or something as it moved. The only thing i can think of which gives off light, and possibly sparks etc is plasma.

Maybe the light is a byproduct of somekind of plasma, which itself maybe the result of the "engine" of such craft. A plasma sheath around the craft to interfere with gravity or something? Heh

I and 3 others I was with at the time saw 2 large triangles, one close up and one further away flying parallel with it. It was around 4 PM and even though it was a clear almost cloudless day, we saw colorful bright pulsing lights on the triangle that was closer to us (they were both flying by Lake Erie's shoreline).
After I saw this, I then began to look up everything on the net about UFO triangles. Most articles talked about black triangles but there's plenty of information about grey metallic triangle sightings too. The ones we saw were grey, not black. Anyway, I was to find that there have been many such sightings all over the world and here are a few facts from my research:
-- they are completely silent (the ones we saw were too)
-- they seem to travel in 2's
-- they are often reported to be seen over busy highway intersections
-- and they have colorful pulsing lights

The conclusion reached by those who have webpages set up on the net about such sightings is that such UFO's show up in such heavily populated areas as if THEY WANT TO BE SEEN!

Hence why they put on a complete show, colorful pulsing lights included.

So what's going on here and what are they and where are they from?

Your guess is as good as mine.

We automatically assumed they were experimental military craft of some sort but how does one explain how they could hover in one place for a good many minutes and then, in a blink of an eye, shoot off into the wild blue yonder at a speed that's something out of star wars?

And then, a few minutes after those triangles were out of sight, 2 military jets thundered across the sky after them.

Were those triangles experimental aircraft? Well, whatever the case may be, believe me, these things exist and above is my personal witness to having seen them with my own two eyes!

An encounter that I had on New Year's Eve back in '87 was charcaterized by a triangular shaped craft with a holographic looking white light on each corner (I say encounter because we experienced about 3.5 hours of missing time). There was a much brighter and bigger white light in the center.

We had a very good view of this thing from less than 50 yards away. As it ascended upwards beside the treeline, the lights slowly rotated counter-clockwise as the light in the center was steady shining at a fixed point on the ground below. When it got above the treetops, the center light went out.

After a brief pause, the lights slowly rotated clockwise about a half turn while the craft simultaneously cocked up at about a 60 degree angle, as if it was getting its bearings or setting a course. At this point the lights were facing directly at us.

After another brief pause, the UFO just blinked out of the atmosphere without as much as a peep of sound. All that was left in its wake was a streak of light that appeared to zig-zag in small straight lines hundreds if not thousands of times in a millisecond.

Upon reaching our destination, we realized that the 30 minute drive had taken us 4 hours and we hadn't made any stops. To this day, niether of us remember any breaks in the continuity of time, which is very unsettling. The physics behind what we had witnessed took a back seat to the philosophical issues as you might imagine.

In my opinion:

The light in the center of the UFO appeared to be the means with which it taxied upward. The lights on the corners looked like something out of a 3-D hologram, for lack of a better description. Whether or not they were part of the propulsion system, I have no idea.