an>roid.v2 said:But the basket area/distance from the main structure of both types differ drastically, as you can easily spot. Besides, if reflected heat from the spheres is illuminating the baskets (and distorting them) then why aren't the cones also being illuminated (and distorted)?
As to the former, I don't see what you're referring to, though I might remind you that the images aren't of visual spectrum, but of thermal/infrared. One also cannot equate brightness with amount of heat. It is the contrasts of temperature which the FLIR will show, making some objects very easy to discern, but others difficult because of temperature consistencies. It could very well be that the "illumination" of the area below is not a reflection at all but IR emanating from the baskets themselves. Or it could be a combination of both.
Having viewed many objects (natural, manmade and man) through various IR and thermal devices, I long ago learned not to accept what I saw at face value. I've seen cows in the right profile appear to be people and people appear as animals. I once observed a pair of people carrying a third which looked for all the world like horse walking sideways. The trick to it is experience and experimentation. The balloon hypothesis, as far as the two objects are concerned, is a testable one for anyone with a FLIR. I'd say that there are without a doubt those that have already observed known balloons in FLIR that could corroborate or falsify the hypothesis. The UFO hypothesis is non-falsifiable and not testable...