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Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 92: Mar-Apr 1994 |
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Unidentified Light
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January 14, 1993. Eastern North Pacific. Aboard the m.v. B.P. Adventure, Panama to Chiba.
"At 0235 UTC the phenomenon shown in the sketch was first seen about 15� above the horizon, bearing 265�. It was initially thought to be a downward pointing spotlight from an aircraft: it was bright (nearly white), conical in shape and about 1� high. During further observation the shape slowly enlarged, becoming more bell-shaped with a darker elliptical patch at the bottom. As it increased in size, the shape faded away and moved slowly towards the horizon in a slightly southerly direction before disappearing just above the horizon at 0254, bearing 260�.
"The maximum height reached by the shape was about 5� and throughout the observation stars could be seen through it while at one point it was nearly obscured by cloud of which there was 1 okta. The only other bright object nearby was Venus, being slightly higher and to the south, bearing 248�, elevation about 20�. Visibility was excellent as about 10 minutes after the observation a ship was spotted bearing 280� at a distance of 16 n.mile. The observers felt that the shape was too regular to be a cloud and had no real idea of its origins."
(Peacock, K.E.; "Unidentified Light," Marine Observer, 64:17, 1994.)