12 UFO's float over Basingstoke

[Matty1973]

Photos and video of UFO's in the UK.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/ufos/article1357159.ece

Use of the word float makes me think of those Chinese lanterns that sometimes get mistaken for UFO's. Does anyone know of any Chinese festivals that might have been celebrated on Saturday evening (28th July)?

 

[plumjam]

They were wise not to land.

 

[Matty1973]

It seems they have already been explained as lanterns.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/mysun/comme...1357159&submissionId=346788&nav=jump&pageNo=1

We can all leave the emergency bunkers now!

 

[Athyrio]

....Use of the word float makes me think of those Chinese lanterns that sometimes get mistaken for UFO's.

So UFO really stands for Unidentified Floating Object? That's why I try to use the term UAO.

 

[Beerina]

It seems they have already been explained as lanterns.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/mysun/comme...1357159&submissionId=346788&nav=jump&pageNo=1

We can all leave the emergency bunkers now!

Re-read the first article again with this knowledge in mind.

"An amateur astronomer", and thus skilled at spotting things in the sky.

"Called the RAF, who wouldn't comment 'for security reasons'"

"Too slow for satellites, and were not being blown by the wind."

"Formed a delta pattern...then a triangle."

"Not silent like Chinooks which fly over regularly. It's scary."






How much of that is accurate, now that you know these were, indeed, floating balloons? Obviously he was wrong about his claim they were not being blown by the wind. The RAF comment clearly reflects normal security procedures, and they probably didn't even know, or care, about this non-event. The skilled astronomer goofed big-time. Couldn't one of his scopes get a good enough zoom on one? The delta and triangle patterns -- randomness as they drifted about, combined with creative interpretation.