Photograph of strange star anomaly in Ecuador, February 2015

[Nick Matkin]

Since it hasn't been reported by amateur astronomers as real astronomical object, I'd guess it was very local to the observer or a camera artefact.

One possibility is an Iridium flare, although I'd reject that idea because like all satellites visible to the naked eye, Iridium satellites move. Nevertheless, for the few seconds of the flare they can be very impressive, with magnitudes sometimes exceeding -8!

My bet is a lens flare if that shape wasn't evident until you saw the photograph.

How did the object disappear?

Nick

[ChristianSky]

Nick- it didn't dissappear. It just remained there, as I figured it to be simply an unusually bright star. As I mentioned in my opening post, I noticed it but I was so in awe of the volcano and pressed for time that my goal was to simply to take as many shots as I could within a 10-15 minute time span.

[StandingWave]

Posted by ChristianSky (here)
Nick- it didn't dissappear. It just remained there, as I figured it to be simply an unusually bright star. As I mentioned in my opening post, I noticed it but I was so in awe of the volcano and pressed for time that my goal was to simply to take as many shots as I could within a 10-15 minute time span.

The more info you give, ChristianSky, the more I am convinced that this is a high energy discharge in the upper atmosphere and, yes Herve, geosynchronous.

Here follow a bunch of illustrated articles exploring the existence of ancient evidence for high energy plasma discharges being the physical referants for petroglyphs and other rock art left by our long-gone ancestors:

http://www.theplasmaverse.com/verse/...troglyphs.html
http://www.robertschoch.com/plasma.html
http://www.cropcircleconnected.com/A...stability.html
http://www.everythingselectric.com/f...php?topic=61.0
http://plasmauniverse.info/NearEarth.html
http://transmissionsmedia.com/plasma...d-in-rock-art/

Enjoy

[Nick Matkin]

I'm not an atmospheric physicist, but I do know about the upper atmosphere/ionosphere.

I'm not al all convinced about the high-energy discharge theory for a number of reasons.

These events are fleeting, and unlikely to be photographed. If a new phenomenon, and not fleeting, then they'd be seen and their EM effects detected.

Such an event would create some sort of electromagnetic effect that would be picked up, if not world wide then at least locally. I've groaned on about this before - frequently - but there are thousands of well equipped amateur observers checking/measuring the ELF/VLF/LF/MF/HF/VHF spectra. Not only that but many also monitor the earth's magnetosphere.

There seems to be a widely-held belief that NASA and other government organizations have some sort of strangle hold on all astronomical and terrestrial signals/data/measurements. This is simply not true. Thousands of scientific amateurs all over the globe watch and measure all sorts of astronomical and terrestrial signals and parameters. They use the internet for conformation and collaboration. (For example, there is currently some work being done by one of these groups to determining the natural or man-made origins of squiggly signals often appearing between 20 an 35 MHz.)

Back to the photo in the OP. It has a passing resemblance to a sprite/blue jet atmospheric lightning discharge as mentioned in the second link in post #23 but they do not present horizontally, but vertically.

Nick

[ChristianSky]

Update - A short while ago I received an update from a New York astronomy group I contacted. Not much to update but an update nonetheless. See below.




Hi Christian:

Holy cow!

These are absolutely gorgeous photographs! Nicely done!

I have no idea what the object it is at this point.

Comet Lovejoy does not look like that or hasn't looked like that at all.

I am asking a couple of friends what they make of this.

I will let you know as soon as I hear anything. I have a number of friends in Australia but haven't asked them yet.

These really are beautiful photographs! And the Mystery sure adds a lot to them as well!

Thanks for sending them,

Ken

[ChristianSky]

Some type of plasma discharge was my instinctual reaction to the pictures as well. However, taking into consideration other factors just seems to add more questions than answers. At this point, taking out the discharge or flare aspect of it, I'd like to simply know what the source of the light is. Analyzing the celestial bodies that were visible that night doesn't quite explain the intensity of the light source.

[StandingWave]

In looking t the OP photo again I notice that the clouds are being lit locally by this phenomonen, which proves it's much closer to the earth's surface than the upper atmosphere. Also the OP has admitted that the mountain in the picture is in fact a volcano. Was it active or dormant when the photo was taken? Electrical discharge events (lightning, ball lightning, etc.) are frequently seen in the vicinity of volcanoes. In fact, cosmic electrical forces are being postulated to be causative in the eruption of volcanoes by some of the proponents of electric universe theory.

There seems to be a widely-held belief that NASA and other government organizations have some sort of strangle hold on all astronomical and terrestrial signals/data/measurements. This is simply not true.

I find it interesting that you should be so certain that NASA and the government are not witholding data, Nick Matkin. What makes you so certain? I have seen a repeated objection being raised to the fact that NASA frequently vanish the feed from solar observing platforms often just as some or other interesting event unfolds. Visit any of the solar monitoring threads in Avalon and you will see a comment or two to that effect. Are these people all just being paranoid?

If "there are thousands of well equipped amateur observers checking/measuring the ELF/VLF/LF/MF/HF/VHF spectra" during the time that possible discharge was in progress, could we find out if any did? Are there any radio-hams or amateur astronomers in the region the OP pictures were taken? This is at least something that could be verified.

Nick, you seem to be fairly knowledgeable on these matters, could you explain exactly what these amateurs should be looking for if these are high energy discharges? Maybe these types of electric discharges are causing those 'squiggly signals' you mentioned. By your own admission there are indeed unattributed, unexplained signals being measured by your famous 'thousands of amateurs'. Are these anomalous signals a long standing mystery or are they only being observed more recently?

[ChristianSky]

StandingWave - the volcano is in fact the Chimborazo Volcano and is currently classified as a dormant volcano. A few days after this picture was taken, I was in Baños, Ecuador, home of the Tungurahua Volcano, which is an active volcano. It is common knowledge within a lot of the locals there that a few years ago a pair of German photographers where photographing Tunguragua while it was erupting and apparently captured strange lights or UFO's coming out of the volcano. I have researched this but no luck in finding pictures from these photographers.

[Nick Matkin]

Posted by StandingWave (here)

There seems to be a widely-held belief that NASA and other government organizations have some sort of strangle hold on all astronomical and terrestrial signals/data/measurements. This is simply not true.

I find it interesting that you should be so certain that NASA and the government are not witholding data, Nick Matkin. What makes you so certain? I have seen a repeated objection being raised to the fact that NASA frequently vanish the feed from solar observing platforms often just as some or other interesting event unfolds. Visit any of the solar monitoring threads in Avalon and you will see a comment or two to that effect. Are these people all just being paranoid?

If "there are thousands of well equipped amateur observers checking/measuring the ELF/VLF/LF/MF/HF/VHF spectra" during the time that possible discharge was in progress, could we find out if any did? Are there any radio-hams or amateur astronomers in the region the OP pictures were taken? This is at least something that could be verified.

Nick, you seem to be fairly knowledgeable on these matters, could you explain exactly what these amateurs should be looking for if these are high energy discharges? Maybe these types of electric discharges are causing those 'squiggly signals' you mentioned. By your own admission there are indeed unattributed, unexplained signals being measured by your famous 'thousands of amateurs'. Are these anomalous signals a long standing mystery or are they only being observed more recently?

A fair point. I'll try to explain.

(Apologies if this is off-topic, but I was asked.)

For example, the international ELF/VLF group (mailing list here) have a particular interest in the so-called dawn chorus, whistlers, etc. generated in the atmosphere by lightning strikes. It is part of the radio spectrum is generally clear of man-made signals, but there are exceptions, mostly concerning military submarine communications and 50/60 Hz signals from the worlds AC mains generation.

The Schumann Resonance and its harmonics are also observable. There have been ill-informed reports that this is changing. It isn't unless the size of the earth changes - but that's another story!

Then there's the sun's influence on the signal strength and phase of known man-made signals that reveal a number of ionospheric/atmospheric effects.

There are also those that monitor very weak radio signals to asses that state of the ionosphere 24/7.

Your question: "... could you explain exactly what these amateurs should be looking for if these are high energy discharges?" is a good one.

I suppose "looking for" is not quite how it's done. During all these observations a "high energy discharge" would enhance or reduce signal strengths with no usual cause, or the energy released would be detected across a broad spectrum, possibly saturating sensitive equipment. For example solar flares are not necessarily "looked for", but their effects on various signals are very recognisable.

Incidentally, the 'squiggly signals' mentioned previously appear erratically, but we think they were first noticed in the 1970s, although that might be just from when appropriate radio gear was widely available. Industrial RF heating equipment is one possible cause or possibly switching transient from certain kinds of radar. Both theories have problems.

As for NASA withholding certain information, that's certainly possible I guess, but lets' not confuse cock-up with conspiracy.

I'm thinking more about them supposedly hiding alien signals. Or not releasing information about Nibiru entering the solar system, or the earth's orbit or axis changing - not something you could hide from amateur astronomer with a half decent telescope, or some with a sun dial!

Nick

[Warren Peace]

Posted by StandingWave (here)
This is a high energy plasma discharge (z-pinch aka Bennet-pinch in a Birkeland current) in the upper atmosphere.

Interesting idea - I agree we live in an Electric Universe, but in this particular case, I think the explanation is much simpler; just optical diffraction, perhaps off of lens debris. It also could be a digital effect like lens flare. Always start with Occam's Razor, and look for the simplest explanation, which is often the right one.

[swoods_blue]

Here's another possible explanation: vented rocket fuel. Here's an interesting story about a somewhat similar image captured on March 12:

Glowing Cloud of Rocket Fuel Captured in Night Sky Photo

I'm not saying 100% that's what I think you photographed, but it's worth consideration.

So I checked for rocket launches -- there were no advertised launches on Feb. 9, but on Feb. 11, the ESA's mini spaceplane, the IXV, launched from French Guiana. Here's some more info about that launch:


Live coverage: European mini-shuttle back on Earth

Are you sure on your Feb. 9th date?

[ChristianSky]

Thanks swoods_blue. Yes, I am certain it was on 2/9, which is the day I arrived at Rio Bamba. I certainly resembles the vented rocket fuel picture but at this point, who knows. Cheers.