for sure I have been around people who insist strange lights and "dots" in the sky are UFO's, mostly from beginning astronomers, yet personally I have seen and heard reports that are not easily dismissed. I am talking about definable shapes seen through binoculars, in one case I saw it with 2 other experienced observers from SLAS that are often lauded for their knowledge of the sky. We are amateur astronomers not scientists, no one makes a living going into the desert and looking through telescopes. When one starts insisting they are of Alien origin then they are venturing into the world of "crackpots". If it is truly a UFO then is is truly unknown. I am wary of reports gotten from hypnotism that recount tales of Alien Abduction. I remain skeptical of non human beings being responsible for UFO's, they are not dependent on each other.
I guess I don't see what all the fuss is about. Brent's UFO story turned
out to really by an IFO story because he correctly determined it was a geosynchonous satellite. Another member told me about a moving dot on the face of the moon which he researched and concluded was a migrating bird. These guys did the due diligence of science and the UFO became an IFO. Another club member saw flashing lights in the east but needed to be told that there was a thunder storm fifty miles in that direction that night and yes you can see them from that far away. UFO turned into IFO. Best to call them IFO stories. As an amateur astronomer I do more than just observe and report. I like to intepret and explain, because that's part of the science process, and astronomy is a science. As an amateur photographer still shoot pictures and process them into their final form. Amateur golfers still hit the ball around. So amateur status in a science field doesn't mean you're free to shut off your brain and pretend. The real world is much more interesting and challenging. But it requires some effort. DT _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
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