I've read a couple of good contrail theories lately, so they were the first thing that came to mind this morning, but they're not the whole of the question.
Disclaimer--I claim the classic "UFO" status, as in, I could not, by limitations of knowledge, identify the aerial event I witnessed this morning. I do not expect flying saucers, but actually mundane answers that I can add to my knowledge file.
Detail: Very simple. 7:20 am, 11/14/2000. Sky is mostly clear with some clouds; sunrise is not yet complete for my location. Red-orange flare of clouds visible over treetops to east. Looking ESE, approx. 40-45 degrees upward, a small contrail appeared at indeterminate distance.
(At first I thought of a trail device like stunt planes have, and watched wondering if this contrail would be one of the mysterious, hang-around-all-day contrails stirring some excitement. Was that here, or elsewhere that I saw that mentioned?)
Contrail stretched from its starting point to approx 1/2 inch long to my perception, and seemed to either hold still (at first) and then move slowly away from me (visual parallax phenomena I am not prepared to explain in detail). Initial movement was slow enough that it had to be marked against telephone wires for ten seconds to determine that yes, the object was moving.
Object's course altered to descent, almost straight down, and markedly faster, though not a rapid fall. Over the course of ninety seconds, it dropped to about 20-25 above the estimated horizon (estimated due to tree line and topography). The whole time it moved, though, its trail maintained a constant length behind it, so that you had a slightly-dark pinprick against the sky and a slightly-lighter-than-the-sky contrail extending behind it.
At its lower point, the object and contrail disappeared; to my perception, the object and its trail slipped behind a smog layer, or moved out of agreeable light.
* I am agreeable to the notion that I've simply never seen the atmosphere behave this way around a number of airplanes. I'm hardly foolish enough to think I've seen every contrail; to be honest, until recently, I've seen two--well, many, but classified as "standard contrail" or "stunt trail". In other words, I'm prepared for someone to tell me that yes, it was an airplane.
* More spectacular would be satellite degradation and orbital failure. I can imagine a satellite entering the atmosphere, losing momentum, dropping faster, and then burning up before it hits the ground.
* Even more spectacular would be a meteorite.
* As silly as it sounds, one of my first thoughts, when the contrail stayed short and was definitely moving, was a rocket or missile. The lack of any large explosions in the region pretty much rules out the missile theory. (Okay ... I did watch The Day After not too long ago, and if there's one thing I would hate during a war, it's to be the last one to know that I'm about to die. How's that for twisted? But, yes, a missile did occur to me for a second or two.)
At any rate ... the trail itself seemed odd, and that's what I'm wondering about. I perceived no distinguishing shape (like a teardrop-streak, or such) of the contrail, but marked it unusual since it remained consistently a specific distance behind the object, and did not linger--or even hint of its former presence--in the perceivable atmosphere.
Summary:
* One object, too small to be identified by naked perception.
* One contrail bearing the characteristic trait of extending a specific distance (and no more) behind the object.
* Flight path seemed constant initially, some 40 or so degrees above horizon.
* Flight path appeared to change to descent after 30 seconds, descending some twenty degrees in 90 seconds.
* Disappeared--smog is the likely obscuring factor.
Anyone got a suggestion? I checked with Pat, and it's OK to trade you a vowel for it. (Probably "o")
thanx all,
Tiassa
------------------
Whether God exists or does not exist, He has come to rank among the most sublime and useless truths.--Denis Diderot
Disclaimer--I claim the classic "UFO" status, as in, I could not, by limitations of knowledge, identify the aerial event I witnessed this morning. I do not expect flying saucers, but actually mundane answers that I can add to my knowledge file.
Detail: Very simple. 7:20 am, 11/14/2000. Sky is mostly clear with some clouds; sunrise is not yet complete for my location. Red-orange flare of clouds visible over treetops to east. Looking ESE, approx. 40-45 degrees upward, a small contrail appeared at indeterminate distance.
(At first I thought of a trail device like stunt planes have, and watched wondering if this contrail would be one of the mysterious, hang-around-all-day contrails stirring some excitement. Was that here, or elsewhere that I saw that mentioned?)
Contrail stretched from its starting point to approx 1/2 inch long to my perception, and seemed to either hold still (at first) and then move slowly away from me (visual parallax phenomena I am not prepared to explain in detail). Initial movement was slow enough that it had to be marked against telephone wires for ten seconds to determine that yes, the object was moving.
Object's course altered to descent, almost straight down, and markedly faster, though not a rapid fall. Over the course of ninety seconds, it dropped to about 20-25 above the estimated horizon (estimated due to tree line and topography). The whole time it moved, though, its trail maintained a constant length behind it, so that you had a slightly-dark pinprick against the sky and a slightly-lighter-than-the-sky contrail extending behind it.
At its lower point, the object and contrail disappeared; to my perception, the object and its trail slipped behind a smog layer, or moved out of agreeable light.
* I am agreeable to the notion that I've simply never seen the atmosphere behave this way around a number of airplanes. I'm hardly foolish enough to think I've seen every contrail; to be honest, until recently, I've seen two--well, many, but classified as "standard contrail" or "stunt trail". In other words, I'm prepared for someone to tell me that yes, it was an airplane.
* More spectacular would be satellite degradation and orbital failure. I can imagine a satellite entering the atmosphere, losing momentum, dropping faster, and then burning up before it hits the ground.
* Even more spectacular would be a meteorite.
* As silly as it sounds, one of my first thoughts, when the contrail stayed short and was definitely moving, was a rocket or missile. The lack of any large explosions in the region pretty much rules out the missile theory. (Okay ... I did watch The Day After not too long ago, and if there's one thing I would hate during a war, it's to be the last one to know that I'm about to die. How's that for twisted? But, yes, a missile did occur to me for a second or two.)
At any rate ... the trail itself seemed odd, and that's what I'm wondering about. I perceived no distinguishing shape (like a teardrop-streak, or such) of the contrail, but marked it unusual since it remained consistently a specific distance behind the object, and did not linger--or even hint of its former presence--in the perceivable atmosphere.
Summary:
* One object, too small to be identified by naked perception.
* One contrail bearing the characteristic trait of extending a specific distance (and no more) behind the object.
* Flight path seemed constant initially, some 40 or so degrees above horizon.
* Flight path appeared to change to descent after 30 seconds, descending some twenty degrees in 90 seconds.
* Disappeared--smog is the likely obscuring factor.
Anyone got a suggestion? I checked with Pat, and it's OK to trade you a vowel for it. (Probably "o")
thanx all,
Tiassa
------------------
Whether God exists or does not exist, He has come to rank among the most sublime and useless truths.--Denis Diderot