Anyone Know What This Might Be

[Paul Sherman]

Wednesday 14th July was a pretty active day across the Uk. Many Storms across the whole country with lots of Thunderstorms. One such Elevated Multi Cell Storm tracked across the coast of Kent and gave some the pictures of the year - Yes we do also get Structure Shots Although not as often as we ould like.
I attach firstly an amazing Pano of the Storm approaching from the English Channel, and then the youtube clip which has a lot of us baffled. If you watch at 30 seconds something appears to cut through the Gust Front at 2 different points, it is too fast for a bird, too low for a plane.
Any ideas on this one
Enjoy!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4794259219_b450430ec3_o.jpg - Pano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z51bxNc-K6I - Youtube Clip

Paul Sherman

 

[Zachary Lassiter]

A weather balloon

...

 

[Skip Talbot]

Wow, great structure! Some of the best I've seen from England. As for the UFO, are you sure its cutting through the gust front? I can clearly see a frame or two where its in front of the the lowered cloud in the center of the shot which leads me to believe it was in front of it the entire time. If it did bisect the shelf cloud at some point, the object would be quite large, probably aircraft sized, and would be traveling very, very fast (maybe even supersonic). I think its probably a bird that saw the storm coming and is booking it the heck out of there, or even an insect. The larger the object in the video camera's view, the slower it will appear to go, so a bug or a bird will appear to be traveling quite fast if you lose the scale of things. I think the camera loses sight of it for a few frames or the contrast was too low so it looks like its going through the clouds when in fact its still in front of them. Neat shot though.

 

[Paul Sherman]

Thanks Guys

A few over on the Uk Forums have said maybe a Bird, we don't get Texas Sized Insects here thankfully

Zach - The Nearest Weather / Radiosonde Launch would be a Place called Herstmoncieux which is about 30 Miles due West of where the Storm hit and at 12pm (Midday) This storm occured between 7-8pm last night so probably "No" to the Weather Balloon theory.

Going to keep replaying and stopping the frames to see if the bird theory is going to win the debate.

Paul S

 

[Robert Edmonds]

Wonder if it is a detector issue? Cosmic rays do create bright spots, combined with hysteresis, and also given the fact charge is moved around when it is read off, perhaps you could get this effect.?.?... Maybe it's more clear in the non crappy youtube version?

Great structure though!

 

[Andy Jackson]

It seems to have a vapor trail like a rocket.

google weather modification rocket....

weather rocket

 

[Robert Dewey]

It seems to have a vapor trail like a rocket.

I noticed the trail too. It just doesn't seem like a bird to me...

 

[Jeff Miller]

A Bird's path is generally more erratic then the path of this UFO. Plus, there is a unique vapor trail behind the object as well. It is also going way too fast to be a bird in my opinion. It seems to literally cut right through the shelf - or, by illusory effect, fades in and out - a bird would not have that reaction. Also, it changes direction very quickly mid screen. I'm ruling out bird myself.

I thought about Skip's position as a close insect. That doesn't make sense to me - it clearly cuts through the cloud lowering in my perspective.

I went frame by frame and I'm pretty sure it went through the lowering underneath the advancing shelf cloud at a rapid rate of speed.

I'm stumped by this. The thought of "ball lightning" quickly entered my mind - and left. I was thinking maybe some sort of "probe" but even then, I'm not sure. The other thing I am considering is this - it seems unaffected by winds which would be blowing into the storm and vertical as well - ruling out a light object - at its attitude and position to the shelf cloud - OR, caught in strong outflow depending on the transitory layer. It's just going way too fast.

Great find and I'm honestly perplexed!

 

[Matt Gingery]

Yeah, trip out on that. You sure this isn't something added to the video for kicks? Can you zoom in on this feature and re-edit your video to focus on this area in slo-mo? Pretty cool that it shows a clear vapor like trail without any sound at all. If this is for real it definately cruised through the shelf cloud pretty fast. I'd like to see this feature zoomed in and slower motion.

 

[Jeff Hawkins]

Where was the sun angled at, when this storm came in? That would determine if what appears to be a sunlight reflection was just that, or if it was something with a beacon attached. It appears to be flashing, which might suggest further a sort of rocket or supersonic jet. Oh heck, lets just admit what we're all thinking...it's an alien craft!!

 

[Von Castor]

The vapor trail suggests to me that it would be some form of lightning or electrical phenomena associated with the storm. What to call it I have no idea, maybe the Sherman phenomena. Great stuff Paul! Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Could the vapor trail simply be ghosting? I'm still having trouble seeing it go into the clouds, maybe someone can post frame grabs, but it still looks to me that it could just as easily be the camera losing sight of it.

 

[Dave Kaplow]

OK, am I missing something? This looks to me simply a raindrop being blown quickly across the camcorder lens. Or am I looking at the wrong "object"?

 

[Jason Foster]

It's an African Swallow

 

[Paul Sherman]

Well I am still Stumped. But had not thought of the Raindrop Theory

Just a few things from previous Questions. This is NOT My Video so in answer to Matt, It might be hard to contact the owner of this Vid to see if they have doctored it, the only way we found the Youtube Clip was to Google it.

In answer to what way the Videographer was Filming, I am almost 100% certain he/she would have been looking to the SW, Since the Coastline curves away from NE - SW Down in that part of Kent and the Storm was moving ENE From the WSW.

Thanks for all the responses so Far - It is Intruiging

Co-Incidentally has anyone got any Clips of Ball Lightning ?? I know it is Super Rare to Capture but I have heard from reading accounts that it takes on a Jaggegy path.

Paul S