Seattle UFO 2012-12-30

Edit: Identified as streetlight, but keep reading for some good common sense from the replies!

While browsing MUFON, I found an interesting report and couldn't locate a thread here on it. The well known issue with most of the photos on MUFON, is that there isn't enough detail to uniquely identify the unidentified object in the photo - so you're stuck guessing which kind of blurry light you're looking at, and the main value of the report is in the circumstance and other details of the setting. This photo is different.

Taken at face value, this is another "Something showed up in the photo that wasn't visible to the naked eye" sighting. I do disagree with the original poster in that I do think the object in the photograph looks a bit like an airplane. However, I wouldn't expect to see an airplane showing up there in downtown Seattle, so that doesn't work so well as an explanation for me.

Here's the original report from MUFON (source: mufoncms.com...), reformatted for readability only:

On Dec. 30 2012 I was downtown killing time before meeting friends for a weekend of bringing in the new year, so I decided to take some photos of buildings and places around downtown Seattle which I found to be interesting. It was an uneventful morning and I got several great photos of the area.

Several days later I was reviewing my photos when I noticed this object apparently hovering above a building in one of them. I zoomed in on it and quickly realized the object does not look like an airplane or a helicopter. It vaguely resembles a blimp, yet it had unusual characteristics.

There appears to be no windows, some blueish and reddish coloration, definitely metallic looking surface. There also appears to be an appendage sticking out the top near the middle and also seems as if it may have a boomerang shape as well.

When I originally took the photograph I saw nothing hovering there and heard nothing unusual, just typical sounds of city traffic and such. It was only after I had reviewed the photo nearly a week later that I realized it was there. It was not visible to the naked eye or in my viewfinder on my phones camera when I took the photo. I feel like it could be something remarkable or perhaps not.

I do not have any means of enhancing the photo with my phone, so I cant really get a more clear look at the object other than the zoom I do have. This thing doesnt look like any known aircraft I have ever seen and all who I have showed the photo to agree that I may very well have a legitimate UFO sighting over downtown Seattle. I would like to have this picture examined by an expert to determine what it is just as much as I want to know what it is not.

And the photo (source: www.mufoncms.com...)


What does ATS think of this one? Has it been discussed here or elsewhere yet? I'm seeing three usual suspect possibilities suggest themselves, in order of likelihood. However I'm not really leaning towards any one hypothesis yet, so that's where you come in!

1) Airplane
2) Photoshop
3) Genuine unidentified object

Its a street light.
Same as all the others.

Its just that the "arm" connecting it to the post hasnt been imaged properly because the bright background has "bleeded" around it.


Edit - if you increase the contrast MASSIVELY, the arm connecting it to the post starts to be seen...

reply to post by Autograf


Looks like an airplane to me too. I couldn't figure out the color around it. Then I zoomed in again and noticed the building it is above has colored on the edge of it. Could it be a reflection from the building? To catch the selection would it have to be right above the building . It looks to be right above the building. If it is a plane, is it not flying to close to the buildings?

Errrmmm, that will be a streetlight then...........sorry fella.

Using the Dexter Horton Building as a reference, in google street view I find that he is standing outside
1067, 2nd Avenue, Seattle

...and this is the streetlamp in question, with the brown "Seattle Aquarium" sign on it.

Originally posted by alfa1
Its a street light.
Same as all the others.

Its just that the "arm" connecting it to the post hasnt been imaged properly because the bright background has "bleeded" around it.


Edit - if you increase the contrast MASSIVELY, the arm connecting it to the post starts to be seen...

edit on 1-3-2013 by alfa1 because: (no reason given)

Good eye! Thank you sir, and now we can move on to the next interesting photo. I agree with your analysis, there's not much to see here now.

I will note that it being a streetlight explains why it wasn't "seen" at the time of the photo - it was seen, but not noticed since it's an ordinary object.

reply to post by alfa1


Just wanted to say good work Alfa
we need more of you on ATS

BTW the way this has been posted before but to be honest I cant find the thread myself so your forgiven lol

reply to post by Autograf


We have had a thread on this already a few months back.

This has been shared before and was proven to be nothing more than a street light.

The fact that this was even thought to be an UFO of any type after looking at the fullsize picture leaves me dumbfounded. My 6 year old could have told from the picture this was a streetlight. These kinds of pics and the people that don't look closely at them to scrutinize (or in the case, no need to look closely at all) just baffle me.

here's a good tip
if you find anything that is more than a day or two old,
you can be almost sure its been posted here already

reply to post by Vasa Croe


I can't tell if this is a criticism of the MUFON poster or my post, but I certainly looked at the picture for a long time without seeing a streetlight, so I guess I resemble that remark.

Thanks all for the advice, I guess I need to lurk more to catch these posts!