Unknown objects over Essex, United Kingdom

Hi all,

First up, please go easy on me, this is my first ever thread!

I have been wanting to post this on here, and have been a very keen reader. I was not sure if it was worth it as I was not sure what it was myself, but it really was very weird.

The images that I am posting were taken by me in my front garden, and witnessed also by my mother, myself and my girlfriend, and we were all totally perplexed.

The objects in question appeared December time last year, around new year. They appeared on the horizon and moved slowly at first. The first thing that went through my mind was that it might be a plane as we do live over stansted airport flight path. But I see planes at night going over all the time, and this was no plane. Next up, I thought flares, but this got rulled out later on.

The objectes moved in unison, so naturally at first I thought flares, or chinese lanterns (although this chinese lantern thing is not that promonent over here in the UK), but then one started moving erratically and at times at great speed. The other objects (there were three) would move to match the other objects manauvere shortly afterwards.

Im totally baffled by it all, I grabbed my camera, and I have a fairly big zoom on it (50-300 lens) but still couldnt get close! I thought therefore it must be either very small or very high altitude.

Anyway, I hoped maybe someone on here might know of this type of incident. I thought it was not made by something I know, but I do see from reading posts on this site that sometimes things look really strange only to turn out to be normal. But this had us all stumped.

Thanks for your time and any help you can give.

Welcome to ATS and you have some interesting photos nonetheless...

Based solely off your photos, I would first to to debunk it as a atmospheric related phenomena. With no, clear man-made or manufactured appearance, it is hard to determine a definitive answer for what this object is. Take a look at the thread in my signature, there is a link to the USAF's "aid to identifying an unidentified flying objects," which may be of some use.

Also you can try posting your sighting on the Mutual UFO Network website (www.mufon.com), and their investigators may be able to help as well... good luck!

My first assumption would again be one of 2 things, based off of my UFO studies.... One (again) it is a atmospheric phenomena. Two, it is some type of inter-dimensional craft/being, whatever... That is where I would start.

Something that you may find interesting... google Dorothy Izatt or "Capturing the Light" and you will find some very interesting UFO footage that she has compiled over the past 30 years about lights she has seen in the sky similar to yours.

Here is a thread about the Amazing Story of Dorothy Izatt

[edit on 2-9-2009 by tmayhew01]

Thanks tmayhew, I will check out your link, and thank for the welcome.

It was very unsual, and it had us (and a few people on the street) watching it for about ten mins until they dissaperared. I would not have thought it was atmospheric based on what I saw, but I cant rule that out. It was the erratic movements and unsual speed that made me confused.

upload the original photos please so i may look at the exif data. Without that i can't be much help on anything since there is nothing in those photos to indicate that the object is even in the sky.

reply to post by Jed1Knight

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Ya sometimes based on chemicals in the atmosphere, it can appear that there are objects moving through the sky. One specific instance is when light is reflecting off a contrail, it sometimes looks likes a very rapidly moving object... I know this is probably not the answer, but just a general direction of where to search.

I also respect your philosophy of not ruling out atmospheric phenomena like 99% of everybody else on these forums and jumping to the ET conclusion. That is the first step into identifying objects in the sky, consider every rational explanation, and debunking those first

Hi, sorry Zaiger.

Can you explain how I do that? Apologies, first thread syndrome...

reply to post by Jed1Knight

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S&F for your first post.

Well written, descriptive, and photo's.

I have no idea what the photo's are but you didn't state that you will "post them later'.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will take a look and come up with an idea what is in your photos.

Thanks tribewilder! I tried!

Is that a good thing then to not state that? Im guessing you mean that it means im not trying to hook people in and then not post photos? Id never do that, that annoyes me! lol

Thanks for your kind reply.

I can u2u my email and you can send it to me if you would like.

Zaiger, ok sure I can do that if it helps.

reply to post by Jed1Knight

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Hi Jed and welcome,
I think you are probably right with your first instincts,the pictures show the hallmark of Chinese Lanterns. Orange, with a yellow glow near the bottom, and even the time of year...although you can see them anytime if there is something going on.

He sent me the photos in email. The exif data is legit and does not look like anything touched these pics besides his Microsoft Windows Live Photo Gallery and his Nikon.

well i don't know,if a Jedi knight can't work it out...!!
it looks like aholographic/spectral/interdimensional/weather
balloon with optional time warp lanterns.i recomend carrying
a fire extinguisher at all times,younever know when one of these could crash,abduct and probe you.it happens all the time.

Me and my partner saw something very similar 6 months ago in SE London. We thought it was a balloon of some kind, but it didn't seem to have any mass above the area where the fire was coming from and it wasn't moving in the direction of the wind.

Don't know what it was but I'd thought I'd post my experience anyway.

Droidyx