IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS
JAMES: HEY THERE STAR GAZERS, IM JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR
OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
DEAN: AND I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI
OBSERVATORY.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MYSTERIOUS LIGHT IN THE SKY?
SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU PAUSE, MAKES YOU WONDER?
JAMES: MAKES YOU THINK AN ALIEN INVASION IS COMING?
DEAN: JAMES AND I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM STAR GAZERS
OUT THERE WHO SEE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS IN THE SKY.
JAMES: SOMETIMES THEY ARE BLINKING.
SOMETIMES THEY ARE FAST-MOVING AND BRIGHT.
AND OTHER TIMES THEY SLOWLY CREEP FROM ONE SIDE OF THE SKY TO THE OTHER.
DEAN: UNFORTUNATELY THESE U.F.O.S ARE NOT FROM ALIENS
- I'VE BEEN WATCHING AND WAITING FOR THEM FOR YEARS, BUT SO FAR NOTHING.
ALIENS NEVER CALL, NEVER WRITE BACK...
JAMES: ITS OKAY DEAN, DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
IF THESE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS AREN'T ALIENS, WHAT ARE THEY?
DEAN: WE'RE GOING TO SHARE OUR TIPS FOR SOLVING
THE MYSTERY, AND TURN THESE U.F.O.S INTO IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS.
LETS SHOW YOU!
DEAN: OKAY, WE HAVE OUR SKY SET FOR ANY NIGHT THIS
WEEK FACING SOUTHWEST JUST AFTER SUNSET.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL OBJECTS, AND THERE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY-SEEN
UFOS JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON.
IT IS SUSPICIOUSLY BRIGHT.
JAMES: IT MAY NOT MOVE ACROSS THE SKY IN AN ALIEN
WAY, BUT ITS BRIGHTNESS IS SO DAZZLING THAT PEOPLE WONDER ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
IT IS ACTUALLY THE PLANET VENUS AND WHEN PEOPLE SEE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY ARE STARTLED.
DEAN: OFTEN IF I'M DRIVING IN A CAR AND I SEE IT,
I THINK, WHOA WHAT IS THAT?
JAMES: AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DRIVE ON A CURVY ROAD,
VENUS CAN GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS
FOLLOWING YOU.
BUT WE WANT EVERYONE TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD AND LET YOUR PASSENGERS WATCH VENUS.
DEAN: NOW IF YOU LIVE IN A CITY YOULL PROBABLY SEE
A LOT OF BLINKING LIGHTS IN THE SKY.
TOPS OF BUILDINGS, RADIO TOWERS AND MORE.
JAMES: BUT IF YOU SEE A BLINKING LIGHT THAT IS MOVING
AT A STEADY RATE, ITS PROBABLY JUST A PLANE.
SOMETIMES WHEN PLANES ARE FLYING RIGHT AT YOU THEY CAN GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF A UFO.
BUT KEEP WATCHING, AND WHEN THEY GO PAST YOU, YOU WILL SEE THE TELLTALE BLINKING RED AND
BLUE LIGHTS.
DEAN: NOW PLANES MIGHT MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE SKY
BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE AND YOU SEE A QUICK FLASH?
OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE, OR STREAKING QUICKLY ACROSS THE SKY YOU SEE THIS.
JAMES: WHOA!
IF IT MOVES SUPER-FAST AND ONLY LASTS A SECOND OR TWO,
THATS A METEOR, OR WHAT MOST PEOPLE CALL A SHOOTING STAR.
METEORS ARE TINY PIECES OF ICE, ROCK, AND DUST THAT FALL FROM SPACE INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE.
DEAN: THE BRIGHTER ONES CAN EVEN TURN GREEN IN COLOR,
BREAK UP INTO PIECES AND EVEN LEAVE VISIBLE SMOKE-TRAILS BEHIND.
LOOK JAMES, MAKE A WISH!
JAMES: OOH, SO COOL.
DEAN: BUT WHAT IF YOU SEE A SLOW-MOVING,
NON-BLINKING LIGHT STEADILY CROSSING THE NIGHT SKY?
WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?
JAMES: MOST LIKELY ITS A SATELLITE.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE MAN-MADE OBJECTS CIRCLING
THE EARTH.
DEAN: ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST SATELLITES IS THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, OR ISS.
THE ISS IS 239 FEET WIDE, 356 FEET LONG, AND 66 FEET TALL SO IT CAN OFTEN LOOK BRIGHTER
THAN THE BRIGHTEST STARS IN THE SKY.
SIX CREW MEMBERS CAN LIVE THERE AT A TIME, SO IF YOU SEE THE ISS GOING OVERHEAD, BE SURE
TO WAVE!
JAMES: THE REASON WHY YOU CAN SEE THE ISS AND OTHER
SATELLITES IS THAT, WHILE YOU'RE IN THE DARK, THE SUN IS STILL SHINING ON THEM.
THEY ARE ABOUT 200 TO 300 MILES UP AND SO ITS STILL DAYTIME THERE.
THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTS OFF THEM AND LET'S YOU SEE THEM JUST AFTER SUNSET OR RIGHT BEFORE
SUNRISE.
DEAN: YOU CAN USE APPS LIKE SATELLITE TRACKER AND
SPUTNIK TO SEE WHEN BRIGHT SATELLITES WILL FLY OVERHEAD.
AND I REALLY LIKE THE WEBSITE HEAVENS-DASH-ABOVE.COM TO TELL ME WHEN AND WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM.
DEAN: SO IM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR U.F.O.S TO FLY OVER MY TOWN, BUT THEY ALWAYS END UP
BEING IDENTIFIABLE.
JAMES: WHETHER YOU SEE DAZZLING VENUS AFTER SUNSET,
BLINKING PLANES, STREAKING METEORS, OR STEADILY-MOVING SATELLITES, THESE OBJECTS CAN MAKE YOUR STAR
GAZING EXPERIENCE EVEN BETTER.
DEAN: AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE YOULL SEE AN ALIEN SOMEDAY.
JAMES: YEAH, NOW THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING.
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT WILD-ALIEN CHASE, DEAN!
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!