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When flying over the Harlequin-style "Tilted Triangle" formation on June 18th, I unknowingly video'd this anomalous white object flying
somewhere between myself and the crop circle. It is on screen for a second and a half, moving very smoothly from left to right.
Starting with frame 27:09 I have cloned every tenth frame into this picture in sequence. Slight discrepancies in position are probably
due to camera shake, rather than non-uniform motion on the part of the object. When viewed in motion, there appears to be a VERY slight
pulsation.
I have also included 300% enlargements of representative frames, depicting the subtle variation in the objects shape and size. These
enlargements are anti-aliased (smoothed), the rest of the image is not. Tech-skilled researchers might want to enlarge the upper
right-hand sequence to see what the object looks like WITH aliasing (in the rough).
After viewing the shot several times in motion, and inspecting it frame by frame, the object does not appear to be a bird -- wings
aren'tt apparent, either flapping or gliding. I rule out dandelion fluff because, if it was close enough to appear this size, we would
have flown past it in the plane so fast that it probably wouldn't be in view for second -- and would've been so blurred as to be
virtually invisible.
I have long hoped to capture on video the well known anomalous flying objects seen in the Alton Barnes area, and now maybe I have done so
-- completely by accident! The object reminds me of the white sphere in the famous video shot by Steve Alexander back in 1990, which
glides slowly over a crop formation, and then shoots off past a tractor, far away. (I remain convinced that the "Olivers Castle
video, which shows balls of light allegedly making a crop circle, is a hoax.) Note: I shoot digital video, and, while it is cleaner than
old-fashioned analog video, it has artifacts -- especially when things move fast -- which may account for the dark edges on the top
and bottom of the object in some frames, and probably for the blocky shape of it.
The funny thing is, I did NOT notice the object when I shot the tape, or when I was editing my footage for presentation to the CCCS
conference in Andover a couple weeks ago. I often get birds in my shots, so I didn't even
look twice! But when I showed it to the audience, there was a commotion, and several people asked to see the
shot again. I was "gob smacked" (as they say in England) by what I saw, but I still assumed there was an ordinary explanation.
Luckily, one of the people at the conference, Dave Probert, emailed me yesterday and asked me if I had inspected the shot frame-by-frame
on a good monitor. I hadn't. But I did -- and this is what I found!
In a week or so I will make copies available for research purposes on American (NTSC) and British (PAL) type VHS cassettes, for a nominal
fee.
NTSC Mini-DV copies can be available immediately, as this is the format I shoot on, and I can easily copy them as needed. However,
since digital video is perfect, and poses significant piracy possibilities if it falls into the wrong hands, a written licensing
agreement and fees will be required.
The shot will also be included in my Year 2000 Crop Circle Video, which will be available within two weeks after the last formation has
been harvested.
Email me at: croppie2@yahoo.com for information about obtaining any
of these tapes.
Peter |
