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Carter UFO

Thanz

Fuzzy Thinker
Thanz
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
3,895
Does anyone know any more information about the UFO sighting of Carter debunked by Shaeffer mentioned in this weeks commentary? It seems strange. For example, how did Schaeffer determine that Carter's date was 9 months wrong? That would certainly affect the conclusion that Carter probably saw venus.

BTW, how the heck does anyone confuse Venus with a UFO? I'm no expert, but I thought that most "UFO" sigtings talk about how fast an object is moving. I don't think Venus moves that fast.
 
Thanz said:

BTW, how the heck does anyone confuse Venus with a UFO? I'm no expert, but I thought that most "UFO" sigtings talk about how fast an object is moving. I don't think Venus moves that fast.
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If we go back to the original meaning of the term, 'UFO' stands for Unidentified Flying Object. So: the person could not identify it, and it was in the sky.

Some, but not all sightings include motion of the object, little green or gray mean, etc etc. and it is best not to draw general assumptions like that or to equate UFO with 'Flying Saucer', but to examine the details of each case.

I don't have the details of JC's sighting.
 
Re: Re: Carter UFO

arcticpenguin said:

If we go back to the original meaning of the term, 'UFO' stands for Unidentified Flying Object. So: the person could not identify it, and it was in the sky.
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Unidentified? I guess so. Object? Most assuredly.

Flying? Venus? Not so much. Just being in the sky is not enough.

I still don't see how anyone could confuse Venus with a FLYING object.
 
Re: Re: Re: Carter UFO

Thanz said:
I still don't see how anyone could confuse Venus with a FLYING object.
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This is easy to do, especially if you are moving. If you are driving in a car, and see Venus out your window (especially when it is very bright), it appear as though the planet is following you or keeping pace with you.

Also, at its brightest, Venus looks almost exactly like landing lights of distant commercial aircraft. It is not unusual for air traffic controllers to mistake the planet for an aircraft.
 
My father in law believed in UFO's for years, as he was "followed" by Venus once while on a long drive. He was also a Navy officer. Once I used Philip Klass's book to show him that it was Venus, he was intelligent enough to admit the error.

Carter also was attacked by a swimming bunny. There are supposed to be photos of it. Now, to me, a swimming attack bunny is way more interesting than Venus.
 
Thanz said:
Does anyone know any more information about the UFO sighting of Carter debunked by Shaeffer mentioned in this weeks commentary? It seems strange. For example, how did Schaeffer determine that Carter's date was 9 months wrong? That would certainly affect the conclusion that Carter probably saw venus.

BTW, how the heck does anyone confuse Venus with a UFO? I'm no expert, but I thought that most "UFO" sigtings talk about how fast an object is moving. I don't think Venus moves that fast.
Click to expand...

The truth is in here
 
kittynh said:
My father in law believed in UFO's for years, as he was "followed" by Venus once while on a long drive. He was also a Navy officer. Once I used Philip Klass's book to show him that it was Venus, he was intelligent enough to admit the error.

Carter also was attacked by a swimming bunny. There are supposed to be photos of it. Now, to me, a swimming attack bunny is way more interesting than Venus.
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Philip Klass!!! I've been looking for that book, could you tell me the full title? I read parts of it once and was very impressed.
 
arcticpenguin said:


Bringing UPOs down to Earth

UFOs explained

UFOs: The public deceived

UFOs -- Identified
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Hmmm. not sure if I am thinking of the same book...

This one had case studies from an investigation of approximately 2000 UFO reports. It set up a useful definition of a UFO which included radar contact. Unfortunately I can't remember the exact outcome, but I do remember that a lot of them turned out to be planes with lit advertising on the side, and almost all, if not all, were eventually explained.

It even described what visual effects account for observed behavior in UFO's such as "Suddenly flew straight away from me." (a light turned off)...

A favorite part described how eyewitness accounts can be horribly distorted. One sighting that turned out to be, undeniably, a Cessna, had eyewitnesses claiming amazing aerial feats that were clearly impossible. But, as they say about the Carter sighting... they know where the Cessna was and where the "UFO" was described as being, and the UFO would have to have been doing a really good job of blocking the perfectly ordinary plane that would be prominently visible
 
I think this has to do with parallax and that the fact that Venus both close enough to appear to move relative to our position, but too far away to get an actual parallax view.
 
I think this has to do with parallax and that the fact that Venus both close enough to appear to move relative to our position, but too far away to get an actual parallax view.
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Venus is never less than 40,000,000km away. Like the Moon I would expect Venus to appear stationary relative to our position, so if we move it appears to move with us, like the Moon. Or is that what you meant?

David
 
davidhorman said:


Venus is never less than 40,000,000km away. Like the Moon I would expect Venus to appear stationary relative to our position, so if we move it appears to move with us, like the Moon. Or is that what you meant?

David
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Sorta. :) It would appear to move with or follow us. That appearance of movement would be resultant from changes in our position.
 
There is also the illusion that can occur when Venus (or the Moon or any other bright object in the night sky) can be seen through or near slowly moving clouds. The motion of the clouds causes it to appear as though the bright object in the sky is moving.

This illusion once scared the pants off me. I was parked at a gas station under one of those tall signs that can be seen from the highway. When I looked almost straight up at the sign, it appeared as though the sign was tipping over, and was about to fall on me. It was actually the motion of the clouds in the sky that created the illusion of movement, but nevertheless, the illusion was quite powerful.
 
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