Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations. The reporting witness, who wished to remain anonymous, submitted videos on behalf of a family member. In addition, a corroborating video was also submitted.

TBV Investigations’ researcher Jim Kerr and The Black Vault’s John Greenewald, Jr. worked together on the below investigation.

Witness Testimony

The original testimony submitted to The Black Vault was the following:
Hello,

I am reaching out to you because I do not know who else to turn to regarding a recent UFO sighting in San Diego, CA. I know you are all leading experts in the fields of astrophysics and UFO tracking, so I’m hopeful you can finally provide some answers, other than that they are flares.

At around 8:30 PM in the UTC area of San Diego, CA, my brother and his girlfriend observed 7 strange orbs floating in a horizontal line roughly three hundred feet above the ground. You can see the videos for yourself below. (See “The Evidence” below)

After my brother showed me the videos, I immediately knew they were the same orbs we had seen earlier in 2004, except that time they had moved very quickly, stopped on a dime, and were constantly changing formation. 

That night, I posted the fourth video to Twitter and tagged the accounts of nearby Miramar Air Station, San Diego County, San Diego Police Department, our local FOX / NBC news stations, and several UFO tracking accounts, hoping for a response, but nothing. I also emailed the videos to local news stations, but have received no response to date.

My burning question is this: Are these orbs advanced military technology or actual UFOs? 

Since posting my brother’s video to Twitter, several accounts have posted their own videos from that night. What’s odd is that all they appear to all be the same orbs, but the locations are in some cases many miles apart. One video was from Bonita, CA while another was from Rosarito, Mexico. Some other users reported sightings in Laguna Beach and Ocean Beach as well. 

Here is the video from Bonita, CA, which has the same number of orbs:

Also interesting to note, at around 10 PM, roughly 1.5 hours after my brother and his girlfriend spotted these orbs, they and many others on Twitter noted that jets were being scrambled from Miramar Air Station, which is very unusual for that time of night. 

My brother later found this footage from the same night in Laguna, CA, which also shows seven orbs:

 (Source)

Here is another article describing the phenomenon, with footage from :

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/multiple-witnesses-report-strange-row-21798719.amp?__twitter_impression=true

Honestly, what are these? I would really appreciate your insight!

The Evidence

Video #1

Video #2

Video #3

Video #4

Tom DeLonge’s UFO Sighting Video

After The Black Vault was contacted regarding the above videos, it was learned that Tom DeLonge, rock star and CEO of To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA), posted a UFO video and story on Instagram from the same evening and general vicinity.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

So last night I get a text from somebody that there was a UAP right off of the beach where I live. I ran to my balcony and saw it split into two pieces and raise vertically. I grabbed Marie, jumped in my truck and went straight down to the beach. We were the only ones on the beach last night as this light disappeared, reappeared, broke into three pieces and stacked vertically with one little red dot flying around the top and then disappeared for the rest of the evening. This video doesn’t show much, but we were up quite late watching the light dance about a half a mile to a mile off of the beach. It was huge, and it was fiery orange. Of course I called up Lue Elizondo as I was there, and he was telling me all of these things I was supposed to do with location, geographic details, weather, altitude and distance etc. Of course, I was completely worthless when it came to those details. But yes, big deal last night in Encinitas, CA. Lue checked immediately, there were no flights in the area except one that I had my eyes on the entire time. No military, no boats, and a bunch of hovering lights that were stacking on top of each other… wild. Who knows…

A post shared by Official Tom DeLonge (@tomdelonge) on Apr 1, 2020 at 7:54am PDT

Being the same night as the other submission, it was noted during our investigation, and worthy of mention here. However, it appears to solve Tom DeLonge’s UFO video, a different explanation may be needed than solving the other ‘multiple orb’ videos.

The Analysis & Investigation

The following video was put together by Jim Kerr to analyze the evidence within this case file.

“Multiple Orb Videos”

First, we tackled the aspect of this which had the best, and most, visual evidence. This involved the numerous videos outlined above, and the mainstream media reporting.

2018 Identical Case – Aircraft Flares

In August of 2018, another nearly identical incident occurred in the exact same area. The event, which resulted in multiple videos of the objects, was quickly explained by the military as aircraft flares. Here is a screenshot from one of those videos, clearly showing the many similarities between the 2018 aircraft flares, and the 2020 “UFOs.”

Air Traffic Control for the night of March 31, 2020, puts the nail in the coffin regarding the explanation of aircraft flares. Special thanks to Twitter user, and private pilot Darkstar IE, for finding recordings that prove beyond any shadow of a doubt aircraft flares were being dropped.

ATC traffic from KSAN, (San Diego) at 8:00-8:30 PM on March 31, 2020, captured the following audio clip:

The evidence is clear.

“Raider 28” Calls “So-Cal” operating in the area while doing a “Battlefield Illumination Drop” wherein they stated that, “heavy flares out here, so if you get called about it, its us.”

With the evidence above, we believe these videos and this case, can be determined as “solved” with the culprit being aircraft flares.

That leads us to Tom DeLonge’s UFO video as that is not explained as easily with the same explanation.

Tom DeLonge’s UFO Video

Juxtaposing Tom DeLonge’s UFO video posted to Instagram, to those submitted to The Black Vault above, it only contained one orb/object. Although his written post/comment contained other details not depicted in the video; we had to go by what we could prove — not what was said in the post.

We began by exporting some of the frames from the video.

Still Frame Captures

Contrary to what some observers may think about DeLonge’s UFO video, the object is not pulsating nor is it changing shapes/sizes. The effect you see is a result of the cell phone camera’s auto-focus feature, which in the extreme dark setting that DeLonge was in, the camera is having trouble finding an object to focus on due to the low light. So, it goes in and out of focus, in order to try and get something into focus.

There were very few frames that came into focus, however, this one, nearly did:

It is this frame that likely will help the most in determining the identity of DeLonge’s UFO.

We know by his testimony, that DeLonge went to the beach and looked outwards, which would be West given his position in Encinitas / Southern California. In the sky above him, at the approximate time frame of DeLonge’s UFO video, would be Venus. Below, you will find the night sky, with a closeup of what Venus would look like, courtesy of Stellarium.

Although this may sound like a classic Project Blue Book debunking explanation, it may actually be the most likely explanation for DeLonge’s video.

Not only do we know Venus would be in that direction that DeLonge was looking; the video’s single frame that was nearly ‘in focus,’ captures an image that has striking similarities to a photo that we do know is Venus, taken by TBV Investigations researcher, and amateur astronomer, Jim Kerr, on May 21, 2017 at 11:33 pm:

There are a few things to note. First off, the oblong shaping of the object in DeLonge’s UFO video and the photograph of Venus. As indicated above with the Stellarium screen shots, Venus has “phasing” just like the moon, wherein you don’t always see the full, round shape, of the planet. Both DeLonge’s UFO and the photograph of Venus indicate that is the case here: phasing. This would cause the oblong shaping of the objects in both images above.

Second, the coloring. Both DeLonge’s UFO photograph and Kerr’s Venus photograph have a similar orange tint. Kerr’s photo was taken with a much higher resolution camera, a D300, which you can clearly see a resolution difference when comparing the two images. However, the color tint is similar. This color tint is caused by “Chromatic Aberration.” As explained by Nikon, chromatic aberration is:
“Chromatic aberration is a phenomenon in which light rays passing through a lens focus at different points, depending on their wavelength. There are two types of chromatic aberration: axial chromatic aberration and lateral chromatic aberration.

Axial chromatic aberration is a variation in the length of each wavelength of light and lateral chromatic aberration is a variation in the magnification of the different colors of light; becoming more visible at the image periphery. Axial chromatic aberration results in blurred colors in front of and behind the focus position due to the differences in each color’s focal point. It can be noticeable at the peripheries of extremely bright portions of an image. Lateral Chromatic Aberration is the cause of color fringing. It is only seen at the edges of an image.

Lateral chromatic aberration is reduced to some degree by combining different lens elements with different refractive indexes, but optically speaking, it cannot be completely eliminated. In addition to red and its complimentary color cyan, and blue and its complimentary color yellow, some lenses may exhibit complex color fringing that combines these two primary types. It is greatly reduced by low-dispersion ED glass.”

When taking all of that into account, putting together side-by-side DeLonge’s UFO video, and a known photograph of Venus, the similarities are striking. Despite the clear resolution difference (ie: pixelation), the color: matches. The phasing: matches.

It is believed that although at some point, based on DeLonge’s description, that he may have witnessed what is believed to be the aircraft flares (see above), upon deeper investigation, the video itself is believed to be Venus.

An attempt was made to contact DeLonge for follow ups, but the attempts went unanswered.

Conclusion

Due to the overwhelming evidence, many of the videos (including those submitted directly to The Black Vault) can be explained as aircraft flares being dropped on the night of March 31, 2020.

The secondary piece of evidence analyzed, the video by Tom DeLonge along with his sighting report, is likely connected to the flares being dropped. It is plausible that based on DeLonge’s description, he witnessed the flares as well. However, the video posted to his Instagram account is likely the Planet Venus. The evidence is very convincing when comparing a still frame from his video, which was the closest moment his camera’s auto-focus feature came into focus, and putting it next to a confirmed photograph of Venus in the night sky. The color and phasing of the planet in the image are nearly identical.

For this reason, all of the events explored that occurred on the night of March 31, 2020, can be adequately explained.

Update April 14, 2020

After this original case was posted, some have pointed to a post by Sean Cahill / @mintyhyperspace on Twitter to disassociate Tom DeLonge’s UFO video with the flares being dropped. It insinuated DeLonge was too far away to see the flares, therefore he feels it did not play a role. This post said the following:

This tweet operates off the assumption that the flares were dropped off the coast of Tijuana, and only one time. More likely than that, they were dropped off the coast of San Diego, further North, as indicated by the SAN DIEGO ATC recordings that can be listened to above.

“VMGR-352’s aircraft is the Lockheed Martin C-130J that has a cruising altitude of 27,000 feet. Flares are deployed at cruising altitude, then ignited after they fall 1000 feet. If the above data is applicable on March 31st, ( I believe it was), this means the flares were ignited at approx 26,000 feet.

This would make the flares visible from Tijuana, Mexico to Laguna Beach, California. At a distance of 108 miles, the earths curvature at 100 miles away would drop 6668.41 feet, meaning the flares would be visible the full 108 miles along the coast.”

About The Investigators On This Case

Jim Kerr
Jim.Kerr@theblackvault.com

The post Tom DeLonge UFO Video: California – Tijuana, Mexico 3/31/20 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Tom DeLonge UFO Video: California – Tijuana, Mexico 3/31/20 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The witness submitted the following case to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 06/08/2019. The case was assigned to TBV Investigator Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis. Date, Time, and Location of Sighting: 12/29/2017 AT 8:00 PM. Cooroy, Queensland, Australia.

Witness Testimony

I’ve attached four photos (in sequential order) taken at a friend’s place one night.

The object was about three feet in front of me, moving slowly upward and away, and I’ve attached these particular photos because they were relatively clear. I literally have over a thousand photos of anomalies which neither Mary Rodwell nor Nancy Talbott can offer an answer for. I’d be happy to send you some if you’d like to see them. I personally would love an explanation! It drives me a bit mad knowing I clearly have evidence of something yet have absolutely no idea what it/they/them might be.

The Evidence

The witness submitted 4-photos. They are numbered 1-4.

Weather: Historical source from wunderground.com

Note: this historical weather information for 12/29/2017 at 8:00 pm was from Sunshine Beach Queensland Australia, which is located approx 15 miles from the town of Cooroy.

Temperature 77 deg, Dew Point 69 deg, Humidity 77%, Wind 9 mph from the north, Pressure 29.93 in, Precipitation 0.0 in, Condition partly cloudy.

Astronomical Historical Data from Stellarium

Searching the archives of Stellarium (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at night and day time sky), I was able to view precisely what celestial objects were visible to the witness from their location.

On 12/29/2017, at 8:00 pm, the moon was the brightest object in the sky. The moon was 10.6 days old and was 81.2% illuminated. This lunar information will be important for the analysis and conclusions of this investigation.

Analysis

I have over 40 years of experience as an amateur astronomer, photographer, astrophotographer, and videographer. I have experience in taking nighttime photography when the moon is bright, causing issues with lens flares.

In all four photos the witness submitted, the 81.2% illuminated moon can clearly be seen. Around the area of the moon, cloud cover can be seen that corroborates the weather information. All four photos show lens flares caused by the brightness of the moon.

My intent here is not to debunk or criticize the witness’ belief that she captured an anomaly. My intention is to help with nighttime photography. There are techniques, lenses, lens hoods that can eliminate lens flares due to bright objects in the night sky. Below are some helpful links.

Conclusion

Case File Status: Solved, lens flares caused by a bright moon.

References/Helpful Information

https://www.the-photography-blogger.com/lens-flare-night-long-exposure-photography/

https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/89104/how-to-avoid-light-flares-in-long-exposure-night-shots

https://photographylife.com/what-is-ghosting-and-flare

The post UFO Seen in Cooroy, Queensland, Australia, December 29, 2017 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Seen in Cooroy, Queensland, Australia, December 29, 2017 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The witness submitted the following case to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 06/11/2019. The case was assigned to TBV Investigator Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

Note: this is the only statement from the witness. The witness never replied to the questions I sent by email.

“Clouds moving really soft from early morning 4:30 am. Saw several clouds moving in like a docking station before being released to move with the wind. Also saw several other types of strange things. I have been here for 3 weeks and see something almost everyday. All photos are from the same morning”.

The Evidence

The witness provided 4-photos numbered 1-4 below.

Weather: Historical source from wunderground.com

06/09/2019 at 6:30 am, Catawissa, PA. 61 deg, Dew Point 53 deg, humidity 75%, Wind-calm, Wind Speed 0 mph, Pressure 29.69 in, precipitation 0.0 in, Condition fair.

Astronomy: Historical source from wunderground.com

Sunrise 5.36 am, Sunset 8:40 pm, Civil Twilight rise 5:02 am – set 9:14 pm, Moon – waxing crescent.

Searching the archives of Stellarium (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at night and day time sky), I was able to view exactly what celestial objects were visible to the witness in his sky from their location.

The city of Scranton, PA, was the closest Stellarium view to the city of Catawissa. The image correlates to the weather report for Catawissa, indicating clear skies.

Analysis

Unfortunately, the witness did not respond to my questions sent by email. Based on the weather and Stallerium views for 06/09/2019 at 6:30 am, the sky was clear with no cloud cover. The actual weather for this day is a contradiction to the witness’ photo evidence. It is possible the witness made a mistake regarding the date of this sighting. My analysis is based on the photos and inscription edited into photos 2-4.

The witness stated in essence; the clouds were moving softly from 4:30 am to 8:30 am. The clouds were moving like a docking station before being released to move with the wind. Other strange anomalies were seen as described in the inscription within the photos.

Photo #1

I analyzed this photo by enlarging, changing the lighting and contrast, and observed a typical cloudy day with no anomalies.

Photo #2, Triangle

I analyzed this photo by enlarging, changing the lighting and contrast, and observed a typical cloudy day with no anomalies. The triangle the witness observed was a normal cloud formation. Many people believe triangular-shaped clouds are cloaked UFOs. Since 2011, I have investigated the subject of cloaked cloud craft. While cloaked UFOs are a possibility, photo #2 does not meet the criteria for such an anomaly. It is merely a triangular-shaped cloud formed due to wind current.

Photo #3, Disk in Cloud

I analyzed this photo by enlarging, changing the lighting and contrast, and observed a typical cloudy day with no anomalies. The disk in the cloud the witness is referring to in all likelihood was a Hole-Punch or Canal Cloud. This type of cloud is formed when aircraft pass through altocumulus clouds that are rich with supercooled water droplets.

Photo #4, Cloud Balls

I analyzed this photo by enlarging, changing the lighting and contrast, and observed a typical cloudy day with no anomalies.

Conclusion

My conclusion is based on the witness’ brief statement along with photos submitted referring to a triangle and disk seen in the clouds. These are very common misidentified UFOs and depicted in countless YouTube videos and across the internet.

Case file status; misidentified natural cloud formations.

Apophenia: the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things (such as objects or ideas). The human tendency to see connections and patterns that are not really there—gives rise to conspiracy theories.

References

The following researchers both investigated anomalies in the sky and clouds. Their work was instrumental in today’s beliefs and research of cloaked cloud craft and what is termed Sky Critters.

William C. Treurniet was an early researcher of Cloaked Cloud Craft

UFOs in the Clouds

William C. Treurniet, Jan/Feb, 2008

http://www.treurniet.ca/trishadows/geometry/geometry.htm

Trevor James Constable

The Sky Critters

The post UFO over Catawissa, Pennsylvania, June 9, 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Catawissa, Pennsylvania, June 9, 2019 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault/TBV Investigations on 06/19/2019 and was assigned to investigator Jim Kerr for analysis and investigation.

Witness Testimony

The witness submitted the following statement.

“My male Basenji had to go outside, so I took him out the garage door that opens up to the backyard on the left side. I had our house lights on, but they didn’t shine far from the back area near the houseitself and driveway, front. I noticed all of a sudden a brilliant whitish-yellowish light that was stationary. Jacksonville Internatl Airport does have planes that do fly over our house and this area in /out of the airport but this was NO plane, no helicopter.

The object seemed huge as it was so bright and appeared to shimmer, but it did not go further away like a plane would be leaving this airspace or come near us like a plane would be heading to the airport to land. I couldn’t walk back with him because of my knees (replacement not long ago), or I would have to get a better look. This light seemed to shimmer and darken but then again it appeared as bright as ever, still affixed where it was.

The property where this objet was stationary also has a home there but an open place for their large yard. They do have a security light, but there is ABSOLUTELY no way that light reflected any beam into the sky to cause something that large and bright to occur and remain in spot. There were no people out at all other than myself and my dog.

I went in to get my brother, but when we came out the object was gone. This is not my first time experiencing a “UFO.” I am working on the email to send. Next time I go out at night, I will bring the cell phone to record if I see anything like this again.”

Additional witness statements after being interviewed

“My experience on this one was brief, but whatever that stationary orangish-yellowish huge globe like object was, it could not have been a plane or helicopter, light from the ground, house, or highway 1/4 mile up the road. Not at 1:05 Am at all. I just wish I had my cellphone………or been able to walk across our 2 yards to get a better look. That object was so big, and seemed closer than it was. Incredible!

I live in northeast Florida in a little town about 2 miles west of the town itself. The town is Callahan. Roughly we are about 17 miles northwest of Jacksonville, but like all places, it depends on from where in Jacksonville one is coming to this area.

That was amazing that night, but I admit when it fazed out, then came back on in the same spot, I knew it could NOT have been some weather thing or meteor et al. Unfortunately I opted to go in and grab the cell phone and get my brother up but when we came out it was gone.”

The Evidence

No photos or video footage was taken by the witness.

The Analysis

At approx 1:00 am, the witness took her dog outside and observed a whitish-yellowish light that was stationary in the sky. The witness is adamant; the object was not an aircraft as she is familiar observing aircraft over her location from the Jacksonville International Airport. The size of the object did not change like an aircraft traveling toward or away from her location. The witness went into her house to retrieve her cell phone to take photos, but when she returned, the object was gone. With the lack of photographic or video evidence it is impossible to identify what the witness observed.

The post UFO Sighting Over Callahan, Florida, June 19, 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Sighting Over Callahan, Florida, June 19, 2019 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was first submitted through the UFO Reporting hotline for The Black Vault / TBV Investigations. It was assigned to Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

The witness stated in essence; this incident took place in April 2015 between 7:00 and 8:00 pm, but he can not remember the date in April. The witness and a friend were sitting inside a parked car engaged in conversation at the corner of Metzler Road and Lamoille Highway in the city of Elko NV. The sky was clear, with no rain or wind, and the temperature was cool.

While seated inside the car, he observed an orange light approx 85-90 degrees overhead slightly moving in different short directions but remained in the same location in the sky. Using his Windows 10 cell phone camera he began videoing the sighting. After several seconds the orange light turned white then opened up like a cube-shaped portal slightly larger than his fist held at arm’s length. The light inside the portal changed to orange and blue and was swirling around like food coloring mixed with water going down a sink drain, but the two colors did not mix. Suddenly the object began to take on the shape of an orange cube. It transformed into this cube similar to someone printing a cube with a 3D printer. The size was slightly larger than his closed fist held at arm’s length. Within this cube, at least two side profiles of human-like faces appeared. The faces appeared to morph changing slightly in shape and size. After approx one minute the portal closed vanishing into the night sky. The witness stated he was convinced he and his friend had witnessed a paranormal event of unknown origin.

Telephone Interview

On 02/27/2017 at 9:17 am. I conducted a recorded telephone interview with the witness.

The Evidence

On 02/20/2019, the witnessed emailed me two links to his YouTube channel of the video he filmed of the portal. Both videos are of the same object. The first video is the unedited footage. The second video the witness enlarged to see the object more clearly. Note; to protect the witness anonymity, I am not posting direct links to his YouTube channel in this investigation.

Unedited Video Footage Submitted by the Witness

Edited Video Footage Submitted by the Witness

The Analysis

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

Weather and Astronomical Data

Due to the fact, the witness could not remember the exact date of this event; I am unable to research and report weather and astronomical data for this sighting.

Summary and Analysis of Witness’ Statement and Video Evidence

The witness couldn’t remember the day, but in April 2015, between 7-8:00 pm, he and a friend observed a portal open in the night sky that, in the witness’ words, painted or 3D printed swirling colors within a cube-shaped portal. Moments later, profile images of human-like faces then appeared. The entire sighting and video of the event lasted less than one minute. The witness believed he had witnessed a paranormal event of a portal opening in the night sky.

I spoke to the witness twice along with a recorded telephone interview and exchanged several emails. The witness’ story never varied in detail, and he seemed sincere in relating his sighting. When I first viewed both his original video and edited video, the video was dark due to being videoed at night. In the edited, cropped, and enlarged video, I could see what he described as the profile of human-like faces but suspected the objects might fall into the category of pareidolia.

Conclusion

The witness’ own video footage revealed that his sighting and claims are without any doubt a hoax. During the hours of darkness, he videoed a house with two windows, with a tree in front of the right portion of the house, and a vehicle parked in front of the house. Most likely, after viewing his video, he decided to hoax a paranormal event in the sky telling tall tails of portals, swirling colors, cubes, and the faces of human-like entities.

My conclusion: Solved; Hoax. Filming a house at night claiming it was a paranormal portal in the sky.

The post Paranormal Portal Opens Over Elko, Nevada – April 2015 (Hoax) first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Paranormal Portal Opens Over Elko, Nevada – April 2015 (Hoax) appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

This report prepared by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigtions

On 12/29/2018, I was reviewing MUFON case files on the Facebook group “MUFON Global.” When I saw MUFON case number 93741, I immediately recognized the craft in the photo as a still photo/video-frame from the video I shot back on July 24, 2013, at 9:00 pm. in the Antelope Valley, Ca. I downloaded the photo’s from the MUFON investigation, compared them to my photo, and they are a match.

The Evidence

MUFON investigated, and published the follow article:

The Analysis

On 12/29/2018 I was reviewing MUFON case files on the Facebook group “MUFON Global.” When I saw MUFON case number 93741, I immediately recognized the craft in the photo as a still photo/video-frame from the video I shot back on July 24, 2013, at 9:00 pm. in the Antelope Valley, Ca. I downloaded the photo’s from the MUFON investigation, compared them to my photo, and they are a match.

The photo submitted by MUFON’s witness was plagiarized from one of two possible websites.

#1, an article I published on The Truth Denied website on 03/19/2015.

http://www.thetruthdenied.com/news/2015/03/19/ufos-aurora-tr3bs-secrets-of-black-government-programs/

#2, a UFO investigation I conducted for The Black Vault / TBV Investigations, published on 09/28/2018.

https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/triangular-ufos-over-st-thomas-ontario-canada-witness-experiences-physical-markings/

It was obvious that the MUFON witness photoshopped his photo inserting my photo to his, rotating the craft in a slight counterclockwise direction. I could take this investigation one step further and send the photos to a professional photo analysis, but I don’t believe this is necessary. Any investigators trained eye can determine that the MUFON photo and mine are the same.

Photo Comparison

The photo on the left is the MUFON witness’ photo. The photo on the right is owned by Jim Kerr. The witness superimposed Jim Kerr’s image into his own photo rotating the craft in a slight counterclockwise direction. Compare the cropped and enlarged photos. The image of the craft are the same.

Additional Information

The craft described in the MUFON report was NOT a UFO. On July 24, 2013, at 9:00 pm, my wife and I observed this craft take off vertically from the USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, Ca. Although we consider it “unidentified” we are confident it is some type of classified military project. My wife and I watched this three times, three weeks apart, same day of the week at 9:00 pm.

Conclusion

I find it sad that in today’s world of Ufology that unethical individuals find it necessary to fake UFO sightings, photos, and video using CGI, Photoshop and other programs. As a UFO Investigator for TBV Investigations, we run across our share of fake reports, intentionally manipulated photos/video, and we expose these frauds to the public. Plagiarized material is also becoming popular and harder for investigators to discern. It has become necessary for UFO investigators to question every report, photo, and video submitted by the witnesses.

I hope that MUFON will review my investigation and expose their witness’ sighting and photo as a hoax. MUFON is welcome to contact me through TBV Investigations to discuss my findings. They are also welcome to meet with me to inspect the data on my computer. As UFO investigators we need to assist each other in exposing fake UFO reports.

My conclusion; Fraudulent report submitted to MUFON. Witness plagiarised a photo owned by Jim Kerr.

The post UFO Triangle over Kansas – July 29, 2018 – (Reference: MUFON Case Number 93741) first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Triangle over Kansas – July 29, 2018 – (Reference: MUFON Case Number 93741) appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Case File Status: Solved, Astronomical-Star

Background

On 01/16/2019, the witness called the TBV Investigations Hot-Line and requested an investigator contact her so she could report a UFO sighting. The case was assigned to TBV Investigator Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

On 01/31/2018 at 4:35 pm, I contacted the witness by phone. She stated she couldn’t talk and provided her email address for communication. Multiple times I attempted to contact her by email for her statement and to answer questions. The only response was two emails containing video footage of the UFO she observed.

Additionally, during our initial phone conversation, the witness stated, in essence, her video footage told the entire story. If the witness responds to my email requests for her statement and answered questions, I will add the information to this report.

The Evidence

On 02/02/2019 the witness forwarded the following two videos. Videos were taken on 01/10/2019 at approx 1:18 am.

Warning: Profanity in video.

The Analysis

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations.

Weather

Maryville, Tennesse, 01/10/2019 at approx 1:18 am. Weather source, Weather Underground.

Temperature 31 degrees, Dew Point 18 degrees, Humidity 59%, Wind 7 mph from the NNW, Precipitation 0.0 inches, Condition Fair.

Astronomical Data

Searching the archives of Stellarium, (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars and the daytime sky), I was able to view exactly what celestial objects were visible to the witness in the sky from witness’ location in Maryville, TN, 01/10/2019 at 1:18 am.

According to the data available on Stellarium, the star Sirius was the brightest object in the witness’ night sky. The moon was not visible, rise 10:41 am, set 9:59 pm. Sirius was located at an approx 200-degree compass reading SSW and approx 45 degrees above the horizon. Sirius, located in the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog, is the brightest star in the night sky. It is easy to view in the SE-S-or-SW on evenings from winter to mid-spring. Sirius’ color is blue-white and sometimes called the rainbow star as it flickers with many colors due to viewing through the earth’s atmosphere, especially when it low on the horizon. Sirius is often reported as a UFO.

Video Reference Research

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky

SIRIUS-THE RAINBOW STAR-in The Constellation of CANIS MAJOR

Conclusion

I have experience as an amateur astronomer, photographer, and videographer, I have spent many years taking video and photos of celestial objects. I have filmed jet aircraft, celestial objects, birds, bugs, helium balloons, lightning storms, cloud formations, stars and more. I have observed the star Sirius on countless occasions and familiar with its appearance, colors, location and the fact it has been misidentified as a UFO.

Based on analyzing the witness’ two submitted videos along with my experience, I can say with 100% certainty the object the witness observed and videoed was a star. Based on the video evidence, the star in the footage has the same rainbow colors as the star Sirius. Sirius was the brightest object in the witness’ night sky and the easiest to video. In my opinion, the star the witness videoed was Sirius. It is also important to note, the star in the footage goes in and out of focus due to the camera hunting for focus.

My conclusion: Astronomical, star

The post UFO over Maryville, Tennessee – January 10, 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Maryville, Tennessee – January 10, 2019 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

Witness Scott Dyer submitted the following case to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 11/06/2018 at 3:58 am PST. The case was assigned to TBV Investigator Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

On November 6, 2018, the witness submitted the following testimony

Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018, my wife and I were out working it the yard painting our Cabana which has an N.W. to S.E. placement. Approximately 1542 with a somewhat clear sky’s the moon was up and visible to the S.E. between two layers of clouds, I caught a glint or flash of something moving from the NW to SE which was not normal since I could see it but could not hear it.

Called to Karen my wife to look up and she immediately spotted the sphere and when I asked can you hear it and she said “NO.” At first, I thought it was a balloon, but once we saw that the altitude, direction, and speed were constant, we knew it wasn’t a balloon which always gains altitude erratically and is never propelled at a consistent altitude. At least not in Fresno California

Interesting we live in the flight pattern for Fresno Air Guard, and there is a small private strip NW about 1.5 miles of us as the crow flies and there was nothing in the air at that time. It was noticeable quiet at that time.

The Sphere maintained its SE course towards the moon and I would estimate our eyes on time was about 25-30 seconds.

This is my 4th lifetime UFO siting; my first was 1966, 1969, 2012 and now 2018, Sorry no pictures or video.

Telephone Interview

On 01/25/2019, I conducted a telephone interview with witness Dyar. I found the witness to be quite credible, honest, and knowledgeable on a variety of subjects we discussed. The witness is a well-educated individual, 63 years of age, recently retired from a long career as a computer IT expert, working for a University in charge of an inventory of more than 40 million dollars worth of computer equipment.

In essence, the witness told me the sphere was approximately nine millimeters in diameter at arm’s length. He had good eyesight and did not need glasses to obtain a clear view of the object. The edges around the circumference of the sphere were not sharply defined but slightly blurred. The color of the object appeared to change slightly from a whitish color to yellowish color. The altitude of the sphere was approx 500 feet, and the distance from his location was approx one mile, estimate only. Just as the object approached the moon, it turned in an upward direction and vanished. The speed of the object was approximately the same as a jet aircraft. In the proximity of his house are many airports, an Air Force Base and a Civil Air Patrol Squadron. He is familiar with the air traffic in his area. He was adamant that the object was not a balloon and appeared like nothing that he ever witnessed in the past.

The Evidence

There were no photos or video taken of the object. Witness Dyer and his wife were working outside in his yard painting a Cabana with no camera available.

The Analysis

by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations.

Weather

Fresno, California, 10/14/2018 at 3:30 pm. Weather source, Weather Underground.

https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/KFAT/date/2018-10-14?req_city=Fresno&req_statename=California

At approx 3:30 pm the temperature was 82 degrees F, Dew Point 36 degrees F, Humidity 19%, Wind Speed 9 mph out of the NW, Wind Gust 0 mph, Pressure 29.5 inches, Precipitation 0 inches, Condition Fair, and Visibility 10 miles.

Astronomical Data

https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_calendar/2018/october

Searching the archives of Stellarium, (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars and the daytime sky), I was able to view exactly what celestial objects were visible to the witness in his daytime sky from his location in Fresno, Ca on 10/14/2018 at 3:30 pm.

According to the data available on Stellarium, there were no astronomical objects or events that can account for what the witness observed.

Moon Phase/moon and sun location for Fresno, Ca. on October 14, 2018, at 3:30 pm PST. Refer to the image below.

On 10/14/2018 the moon was a Waxing crescent visible at 30% illumination, age 5.35 days. The moon’s location was approximately 25 degrees above the S/E horizon at an approx 150-degree compass reading. The setting sun was approximately 28 degrees above S/W horizon at an approx 230-degree compass reading. According to the witness testimony, the location of the sun and moon was approximately in the location as the data indicates.

On 02/01/2019 at 11:00 am, I called the National Weather Service located in Hanford, California (website) phone number (559) 584-3752. I requested information for weather balloon launch times, dates and launch locations. The information I received was very limited, but the scientist I spoke with stated the only National Weather Service/NOAA launch site in the vicinity of Fresno, Ca. was located at Vandenberg AFB 151.8 miles S/W of Fresno. He further stated he did not have the archival data from launches at Vandenberg AFB and provided a link to NOAA (ncdc.noaa.gov) that possibly could provide the information I needed.

On the NOAA website ncdc,noaa.gov, I submitted my written request for weather balloon launch dates and times from Vandenberg AFB but the documents emailed to me did not have that information. I submitted a second online request with additional search information, but again the information forwarded did not have weather balloon launch dates and times.

After two requests to NOAA for weather balloon launch dates and times from Vandenberg AFB here is a pdf document of the data I received. 

It is also important to note, High Schools, Colleges, and Universities that offer meteorology classes launch weather balloons. It is also legal for anyone to launch weather balloons.

Further research to obtain weather balloon launch dates and times will be necessary for future investigations. For this report, I wish I had the data. The flight characteristics of the object the witness described do not seem to match the flight characteristics of a weather balloon, or Helium filled party balloons. It is also important to note; weather balloons do not descend back to the ground from their altitudes of up to approx 115,000 feet. They are designed to explode at high altitudes then a parachute is deployed to return the radiosonde (electronic data transmitting computer) to earth. If located, the radiosonde is repaired/serviced then launched suspended from a new weather balloon.

Additional Information

Why Do Forecasters Still Rely on Weather Balloons?

Below: Excerpt from the above link.

“Twice every day, from nearly 100 locations in the United States, the National Weather Service launches weather balloons, carrying instrument packages called radiosondes. Radiosonde sensors measure upper-air conditions such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity, wind speed, and direction. The data is important for aviation safety, and meteorologists use radiosonde information to prepare weather forecasts.”

Upper Air Observations-Excerpt from Wikipedia-Weather Balloons

Below: Excerpt from above Wikipedia link.

“Upper air weather data is essential for weather forecasting and research. The NWS operates 92 radiosonde locations in North America and ten sites in the Caribbean. A small, expendable instrument package is suspended below a 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide balloon filled with hydrogen or helium, then released daily at or shortly after 1100 and 2300 UTC, respectively. As the radiosonde rises at about 300 meters/minute (1,000 ft/min), sensors on the radiosonde measure profiles of pressure, temperature, and relative humidity. These sensors are linked to a battery-powered radio transmitter that sends the sensor measurements to a ground receiver. By tracking the position of the radiosonde in flight, information on wind speed and direction aloft is also obtained. The flight can last longer than two hours, and during this time the radiosonde can ascend above 35 km (115,000 ft) and drift more than 200 km (120 mi) from the release point. When the balloon has expanded beyond its elastic limit and bursts (about 6 m or 20 ft in diameter), a small parachute slows the descent of the radiosonde, minimizing the danger to lives and property. Data obtained during the flights is coded and disseminated, at which point it can be plotted on a Skew-T or Stuve diagram for analysis. In recent years, the National Weather Service has begun incorporating data from AMDAR in its numerical models (however, the raw data is not available to the public).”

Below are several good videos showing launches and flight characteristics of weather balloons. Keep in mind; anyone can launch a weather balloon. One does not need a license, but there are liability issues to consider, i.e., the parachute does not deploy and the payload injuries someone on the ground. No insurance company will insure weather balloons. Questions regarding liability is an issue and standards have been proposed to the FAA.

Back in 2014, I investigated a misidentified object that was, in fact, a weather balloon. It was an interesting case where the witness filmed the balloon through a telescope exploding at high altitude. He claimed the balloon was a chemical device ejected from a jet as an alternative to alleged geoengineering and chemtrail activity. He referred to it as a chem.-bomb. I sent the video footage to a weather balloon manufacturer. After reviewing the footage, the manufacturer confirmed it was a weather balloon exploding as intended after reaching its maximum altitude.

Video Reference Research

Additional Links of Reference

National Weather Service-Upper Air Observation Program

National Weather Service-Maps of the NWS Rawinsonde Network

More Facts About Weather Balloons

Advertising Balloons

Advertising balloons have been popular for years and are available in many shapes, size, or color imaginable. Businesses use them for grand openings, sales or are a permanent fixture above a business. Some have no advertising printed on them and are a solid color. An internet search will find round solid color (white, yellow, blue, etc.) balloons available in sizes from 5-10 feet in diameter, even larger. These balloons can become detached from their anchor points, or ropes break causing them to be carried away by the wind. These balloons are filled with Helium. Many business use balloon companies to maintain their balloons as the Helium needs to be replaced within 4-5 days, sometimes longer. As the Helium degrades or escapes from the balloon, the balloon will still stay aloft, but if the line breaks the balloon will not reach a high altitude. Its assent rate will be much slower and altitude lower, maintaining a much lower, consistent altitude. You may have seen this happen with Helium filled party balloons inside your house. The balloon will rest on the ceiling for a day or two then begin to drop hovering in mid-air. Then a day later it will no longer float and drops to the floor. This principle can be related to advertising balloons as well. It is possible that when a 5-day-old, or older, advertising balloon escapes, it can reach an altitude of only 500-1000 feet while being carried away with the wind. It is possible that a weakened Helium filled advertising balloon is what the witness observed. However, without photos or video of the object, I can only speculate.

Link to advertising balloon company

Local Airports

The witness lives within 1-35 miles from approx thirteen airports and is familiar with the basic types of jet and propeller aircraft. (Refer to the image below for airport names and locations.)

Local Military/Air Force Bases

The witness lives within 10 miles from military air bases and is familiar with the basic types of military jet aircraft. (Refer to the image below for base names locations.)

Summary and Analysis of Witness’ Statements

As I stated earlier in this report, the witness is very credible, educated and is familiar with observing aircraft and other objects in the sky. In 1966, 1969 and 2012 he had UFO sightings. His testimony to those sightings are very interesting, and I hope he submits them to TBV Investigations.

To summarize what the witness observed. On 10/14/2018 he and his wife were working in their yard. The witness observed a reflection from the sun on an object traveling from the N/W to the S/E. The object was round in shape, Approx 9 millimeters in diameter, appeared to change colors from white to yellow, emitted no sound, and traveled straight at the approximate speed of an aircraft. The elevation of the object was approx 500 feet, and the distance from his location was approx one mile. When the object approached the moon, it curved upward and vanished. According to the witness, his wife’s observations were the same.

The witness’ statements of the elevation of the object are consistent with the data I obtained from Stellarium regarding the location of the moon and sun. The moon’s location was approximately 25 degrees above the S/E horizon at an approx 150-degree compass reading. The setting sun was approximately 28 degrees above S/W horizon at an approx 230-degree compass reading. Based on the witness’ statement that the object was approx 500 feet in altitude is consistent with his view of the sun and moon that were both low to the horizon.

The object vanishing when it curved toward the moon was most likely due to the 30% illumination of the moon washing out the object. However, this does not account for the witness losing sight of the object. It would only take a second or two for the object to cross the moon becoming visible once again, but the witness did not see it.

I spent a lot of time researching weather balloons as I felt it necessary. Many would state it was a weather balloon, but I do not believe it was. The ascension of a weather balloon is rapid and would not travel at a low maintained altitude of 500 to several thousand feet. Weather Balloons reach altitudes of over 100,000 feet, explode, and their instruments are parachuted back to earth. Refer to the information in this report on weather balloons.

An advertising balloon, on the other hand, is a possibility. If a white runaway advertising balloon with no marking had degraded helium or an alternate gas, it would maintain a low altitude similar to a two-day-old party balloon hovering between the floor and ceiling.  It is also important to note that the wind speed was 9 mph out of the NW the same direction that the UFO was traveling. However, the aforementioned would not account for the object vanishing. Refer to the information in this report on advertising balloons.

The post UFO over Fresno, California – October 14, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Fresno, California – October 14, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

Witness submitted the following case to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 09/09/2018 at 3:08 pm PST. The case was assigned to TBV Investigator Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

Witness Webster submitted the following testimony on 09/09/2018 which is unedited and appears as it was submitted:

“As usual I was photographing The classified cabal planes I had been very hard and asking the aliens telepathically if they existed to show themselves as I was photographing one of their menacing green planes this thing decided it wanted to be the main attraction it winked on out of nowhere as the video shows and just as quickly it winked out. I have photographed many strange things this is the only one that I am absolutely sure is alien No Doubt and when I expand it I am sure I see some kind of humanoids in it but I would like other people to verify that but I’m sure that I see them I’m going to send the picture and the video so you can expand picture see if you see humanoids this is one of the only sightings to affect me emotionally.”

Additional Witness Testimony submitted on 11/15/2018 at 6:58 pm PST. This statement is in reference to submitted evidence # 3.

“I have so many dome I believe to be UFO but here is one these blinking ones have been EVERY day for about 1 month”

The Evidence

The witness submitted five files of visual evidence, two jpg photos, and three mp4 video clips. The visual evidence is numbered in the order it was received.

#1, jpg photo, submitted on 09/09/2018.

#2, three-second mp4 video clip submitted on 09/09/2018.

#3, three-second mp4 video clip, submitted on 11/15/2018 with the following witness statement.

I have so many dome I believe to be UFO but here is one these blinking ones have been EVERY day for about 1 month

#4, jpg photo, submitted on 11/15/2018.

#5, Three-second mp4 video clip submitted on 11/15/2018

The Analysis

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

As an amateur astronomer, photographer and videographer I have spent many years observing celestial objects in the night sky. I have experience with astrophotography along with coupling DSLR cameras and video cameras to telescopes using eyepiece projection to film celestial objects. I am familiar with camera focus issues in low light, lens flares caused by the sun, moon, and artificial light sources. To recognize out of focus celestial objects, I and have intentionally observed and filmed celestial objects that are out of focus. I am very familiar with aircraft flying both at night and during the day. I am familiar with aircraft landing lights and marker lights. From 2011 to 2015 I investigated claims of geoengineering taking place in our skies including claims of aerosols, aka Chemtrails, being released/sprayed by jet aircraft. As a result of my geoengineering investigations, I have over 100 hours of archived video taken of jet aircraft during the day and at night.

I attempted to contact the witness numerous times since 11/15/2018 as I had a list of questions regarding his statements and the submitted visual evidence. The witness never replied to my questions but based on the visual evidence alone I can identify the objects and video/photo anomalies bringing this investigation to a conclusion.

The witness stated, in essence, he was photographing classified cabal planes and asking the aliens to reveal themselves. He then videoed what he described as their menacing green plane, and the aliens decided to show themselves appearing out of nowhere then immediately vanishing.

Let me explain what the witness is referring to when he states cabal planes, menacing green planes, and his belief they are aliens. Back in 2011 I investigated this subject and am very familiar with these beliefs. There is a small sect of people who firmly believe aliens are piloting flying saucers disguised as jet aircraft and are spray toxic chemicals (aka chemtrails) in the earth’s atmosphere. They believe these so-called chem jets; cabal planes are holograms projected by alien flying saucers to conceal their diabolical plan to terraform the planet to sustain alien life. If one searches YouTube or an internet search, there are thousands of examples of this cult-like belief system. At best, this belief would make a poor “B” rated Hollywood movie.

Weather 

Porter, Texas, 08/23/2018 at 9:00 pm. Source: https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/KIAH/date/2018-8-23?req_city=Porter&req_state=TX&req_statename=Texas&reqdb.zip=77365&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999

At approx 9:00 pm the temperature was 86 degrees, dew point 76 degrees, humidity 72%, wind 14 mph out of the SE, precipitation 0.0 inches, visibility 10 miles, and it was partly cloudy.

Astronomical Data

Link to Moon Phases, August 2018

Searching the archives of Stellarium, (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars), I was able to view exactly what celestial objects were visible to the witness in his night sky from his location in Porter, TX on 08/23/2018 at 9:00 pm. The moon phase was a waxing gibbous illuminated at 93% that would account for the lens flares in one of the witness’ photos.

https://stellarium.org/

Analysis of Witness’ Visual Evidence

Refer to photos and video 1-5 under the evidence heading.

#1, jpg photo. Keep in mind the witness never responded to my questions, but the picture and video are self-explanatory rendering my conclusions. In the top left portion of this photo is an overexposed photo of the moon. The shape of the overexposed moon matches the waxing gibbous moon, 93% illuminated on the night of 08/23/2018 at 9:00 pm. In the lower right portion of the photo are two lens flares. Based on my experience these are lens flares are common when photographing an illuminated moon.

#2, three-second mp4 video clip. This video clip shows nothing but lens flares from an external light source, most likely a red laser pointer or flashlight with a red lens. It is obvious that the video recording device was mounted on a tripod or sitting on a stationary object. It is also obvious that someone was manipulating a laser or flashlight in an up and down motion directed in the vicinity of the camera lens to cause the lens flares captured by the camera. It’s also important to note while taking video at night, the shutter speed of the cameras will be slowed down using automatic settings. This slow shutter speed is the reason we see the squiggly red lens flare dancing around in this video footage. In my professional opinion, this was done intentionally to bring about deception.

#3, three-second mp4 video clip. As an amateur astronomer, I can state exactly what is depicted in this video clip. I can not state the name of the star, but it is, in fact, a star. It is obvious to me that the witness pointed his camera on a bright star the rotated the camera in a clockwise circular motion that gave the star the false illusion that it was moving. Also, due to the motion of the camera, the star went in and out of focus. Again, in my professional opinion, this was done intentionally to bring about deception.

#4, jpg photo. Photo of a jet aircraft with it’s landing lights turned on. The witness stated he was photographing aircraft or what he termed as a cabal plane.

#5, Three-second mp4 video. Distorted video footage of a jet aircraft with it’s landing lights turned on. The witness moving/giggling the camera, along with the slow shutter speed of the camera at night, distorted the image of the jet and it’s landing lights.

Video Analysis

Conclusion

Based on my years of experience filming the sky as an amateur astronomer, photographer/ videographer, along with my knowledge of cameras, I can recognize deceptive manipulation in visual evidence submitted by a witness. There was no need for this witness to answer my questions. Answering questions would only be additional evidence of a hoax. I believe the witness intentionally submitted this hoax for reasons known only by him. I don’t even believe the witness believes his implications that these jet aircraft are alien flying saucers in disguise. While I find these fake UFO reports frustrating, I am glad the witness submitted this hoax to TBV Investigations. There is a valuable benefit to these fake UFO reports. Investigations like this can be a benefit to other investigators and valuable archival reference data for future investigations.

My conclusion: Camera manipulation using an artificial light source (flashlight or laser pointer) at night with a slow camera shutter speed to create squiggly lens flares in video footage. Overexposed moon photo with lens flares. Intentional camera manipulation rendering an out of focus star to fake a UFO. And to top it off, an IMPLIED TALL-TALE of alien flying saucers disguising themselves as jet aircraft spraying toxic chemicals in our atmosphere to terraform the planet and take over the earth. Now that’s what I call a WHOPPER…

The post UFO over Porter, Texas – August 23, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Porter, Texas – August 23, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

Witness Kevin Lane submitted the following case to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 07/14/2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigator Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

Witness Lane submitted the following testimony which is unedited and appears as it was submitted.

“Large glowing object, it seems to change colors from inside out. It comes and goes and changes spots in the sky in a matter of seconds. It is bright orange but changes rapidly from orange to green to blue then back orange. I have tried looking through a telescope ( Walmart brand bought for my young son ) it does not zoom in close, but it looks like it is pulsating inside out. I have pics and video with my phone that I will try and upload.”

The Evidence

Witness Lane submitted one photograph.

The Analysis

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

As an amateur astronomer, photographer and videographer I have spent many years observing celestial objects in the night sky. I have experience with astrophotography along with coupling DSLR camera and video cameras to telescopes using eyepiece projection to film celestial objects. I am familiar with camera focus issues in low light and have intentionally observed and filmed celestial objects that are not in focus. Based on my database of out of focus planets and stars I can recognize photos and video of these objects that are out of focus.

The witness stated he had additional photos and video of the object he witnessed. I requested he forward the additional data along with answers to questions I submitted to him. At the time of writing this report, the witness has not responded to my request. If the witness submits the additional requested information, I will add the information to this report; however, based on the single photograph submitted, I was able to resolve this case.

Weather 

Knoxville, TN., 07/14/2018 at 10:00 pm. Source: Wunderground Weather Website.

At the time of the witness’ sighting, it was 81 degrees, Dewpoint 73 degrees, Humidity 77%, Wind speed ten mph SSW, and was cloudy.

Astronomical Data

Searching the archives of Stellarium, (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars), I was able to view exactly what celestial objects were visible to the witness in his night sky from his location in Knoxville, TN on 07/14/2018 at 10:00 pm.

Based on the witness’ description that the object was pulsating (twinkling) showing colors of orange, blue and green is consistent with stars. Two of the brightest stars were visible, Arcturus which is the 4^th brightest star and Vega which is the 5^th brightest star we see from earth.The visible planets Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus, can be ruled out as the object he observed because planets do no pulsate (twinkle) or change colors.

Refer to the article link below, Why do stars twinkle but planets don’t.

https://earthsky.org/space/why-dont-planets-twinkle-as-stars-do

Below: Excerpt from the above article. Credit, Deborah Byrd, EarthSky.com

Stars twinkle, while planets (usually) shine steadily. Why? 

“Stars twinkle because … they’re so far away from Earth that, even through large telescopes, they appear only as pinpoints. And it’s easy for Earth’s atmosphere to disturb the pinpoint light of a star. As a star’s light pierces our atmosphere, each single stream of starlight is refracted – caused to change direction, slightly – by the various temperature and density layers in Earth’s atmosphere. You might think of it as the light traveling a zig-zag path to our eyes, instead of the straight path the light would travel if Earth didn’t have an atmosphere.”

“Planets shine more steadily because … they’re closer to Earth and so appear not as pinpoints, but as tiny disks in our sky. You can see planets as disks if you looked through a telescope, while stars remain pinpoints. The light from these little disks is also refracted by Earth’s atmosphere, as it travels toward our eyes. But – while the light from one edge of a planet’s disk might be forced to “zig” one way – light from the opposite edge of the disk might be “zagging” in an opposite way. The zigs and zags of light from a planetary disk cancel each other out, and that’s why planets appear to shine steadily.” 

Conclusion

Upon analyzing and enlarging the witness’ photo, I immediately recognized the object as an out of focus or defocused star. I have conducted tests while filming celestial objects defocusing planets and stars and archiving those images and video footage. The witness claims to have used a cell phone to take the single photo he provided; however, the camera he used while defocused on the star captured the six aperture blades inside the camera’s lens depicting the object with a hexagon shape.

The vast majority of cell phone camera lenses do not use an adjustable aperture that opens and closes regulating the amount of light the camera sees, and the camera sensor controls the exposure. Cell phone camera lenses use a fixed aperture of f/1.8 in a higher priced smartphone or f/2.2 in less expensive phones. When taking a defocused photo of a star with a cell phone, we would not see any internal camera lens aperture bladed. We would see the defocused star as an Airy Disk. Due to the lack of answered questions from the witness along with his statement he would try and upload video and photos from his cell phone, I have formed the opinion the single photo he provided was taken with a conventional DSLR camera with a lens that contained an adjustable six-bladed aperture. Additionally, based on the photographic evidence alone and comparing my photo to the witness’ photo the only conclusion is the witness photographed a star. Basically, it doesn’t matter what camera was used by the witness as the evidence and conclusion is in the photographic comparison.

Additional Information

• Do Cell Phone Cameras Have an Aperture and Shutter?

The post UFO over Knoxville, Tennessee -July 14, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Knoxville, Tennessee -July 14, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case file report was written by TBV Investigations’ researcher Jim Kerr.

On October 28^th, 2018, at approx 4:23 am, Esteban Zavala posted a live video to Instagram showing what he stated to be 5 UFO’s hovering over the city of Rosarito, Baja California. It was a foggy early morning in Rosarita with multiple illuminated objects that appeared to be hovering approx 100 ft above the ground. Later that day Zavala posted the same Instagram video titled, “UFO’s Hovering in Rosarito 2018”, to his YouTube channel named Esteban Zavala, (refer to the link below under credits). Within hours, Zavala’s video footage went viral worldwide across the internet, re-posted on UFO YouTube channels, UFO Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and more.

On November 6, 2018, John Greenewald, creator of “The Black Vault,” shared with his team of UFO Investigators an article titled, “One of the best UFO sightings filmed lately” which included Zavala’s video footage. We all viewed the video and came to the unanimous conclusion that what Zavala videoed were in fact street lights.

Even though the objects in Zavala’s video had already been solved and determined as street lights, we at TBV Investigations are publishing this information not only to educate the public but for necessary archival reference material.  Our report is important documentation regarding how easy one can mistake street lights in foggy weather conditions for Flying Saucers, especially newly designed and installed circular LED street lights.

The Evidence

Witness Zavala’s written statement from his YouTube Channel.

“Today October 28, 2018, I witness 5 UFOs hovering over Rosarito, Baja California MX. At around 4:23 am I was driving back to San Diego, California with my grandmother. We were having a normal conversation when she suddenly went mute and all she could do was point at the sky. I look up and see 5 of these things hovering over homes and the beach. I pulled over and immediately went live on Instagram to avoid speculations of video editing and such. Share your thoughts.”

Investigative journalist, Ales Backman, is credited for determining these alleged Flying Saucers were new circular LED street lights recently installed for illuminating a recently constructed highway interchange along highway 1D.

Backman drove to Rosarito and videoed the location of the lights.

Backman’s video posted to YouTube Channel  concienciaradio.

Below you will find screenshots from Backman’s video showing the circular LED street lights. Note the lens flare of the light fixture in the first photo.

Conclusion

After watching Zavala’s complete unedited video on his YouTube Channel, I truly believe he and his mother believed they witnessed multiple UFO’s over the town of Rosarito, Baja California. It is important to note that they were not traveling on the main highway 1D but a side road in foggy weather conditions. Had they been driving along highway 1D, I believe they would have seen that the lights were in fact highway lights.

I find it very sad that so many so-called UFO researchers and individuals on social media capitalized and exploited this video footage claiming the objects were real Flying Saucers. The aforementioned is a real problem in Ufology today and casts s a bad light on legitimate researchers. It is our goal at TBV Investigations to inform and educate the public and to reduce the exploitation of misidentified UFO sightings.

Credits / Special Thanks

Investigative journalist, Ales Backman. Thank you for taking the time to drive to Rosarito, video the sighting location and reveal the truth.

https://concienciaradio.com/

The post “Flying Saucers” Sighted and Videoed Over Rosarito, Baja California – October 28, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post “Flying Saucers” Sighted and Videoed Over Rosarito, Baja California – October 28, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted by witness John to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 07/03/2018 at 1:42 am and was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

The following testimony was submitted by the witness:

“It was a cloudy Monday; I was going to take a break outside, when I spotted a light in the sky that moved, I took the opportunity to film it and take photos on the object. It moved before disappearing, disproving that it’s a meteor or asteroids. It had to be a UFO.

The photo and the video was taken in Ronneby, Blekinge County, Sweden.”

Witness Interview Conducted by Email on 08/15/2018 @ 11:52 pm

Q: What make, and model of camera or cell phone camera did you record the video and still photo?

A: I filmed the sighting with my Huawei Honor 8 lite, which had a built-in star track.

Q: Do you have additional still photos you can forward?

A: I didn’t have time to change the camera mode, because if I changed it, the object would’ve disappeared.
     I took a video so that It wouldn’t look like any star.

Q: What was the approx compass direction you were facing while filming?

A: I was facing southeast at 140°.

Q:  In your video, it appears you are inside a building behind a glass window, possibly inside a restaurant or store with the ambient sounds of conversations. The window is visible in front of the camera lens. Please set the stage as to what you were doing just before filming the UFO?

A: I was in my apartment, watching television, I wanted to take a look at the night sky, which is often. So I went to my window and noticed the object up there (it was shaped like a flying saucer, but for some reason, it was bright for my camera), but the camera didn’t capture the object in good quality, it was too bright for my camera.

Q: What drew your attention to this object?

A: The fact that it was moving, and that it didn’t resemble any known aircraft in Sweden, drew me into it.

Q:  Approx how long did you observe the object before filming?

A: I observed it for a full minute.

Q: Before your sighting did you have an interest in the UFO topic?

A: Yes, I had (and still have) an interest in the topic of UFOs.

Q: Is this the first UFO sighting you ever had?

A: Yes, this is my first UFO sighting.

Q:  Have you seen any UFO’s since this incident?

A: Yes mate, I did encounter another UFO at the same location before this incident.

Q: Were there other people in your presence that also observed this UFO? If so, describe their reactions or any statements they made. I don’t need their names.

A: There weren’t any people outside during that time.

Q: Just before or even days before seeing this UFO were you engaged in conversation with anyone about the topic of UFO’s? Note; (In many sightings witnesses were engaged in conversation about UFO’s before their sighting).

A: Check the above answer.

Q: If you were in a restaurant or business, please provide the name of the establishment or the cross streets of this location. Note; (this is important to eliminate any air traffic of flight patterns from local airports).

A: I wasn’t in a restaurant during that time, I was in my home.

The Evidence

The witness submitted two forms of visual evidence. A seven-second video clip with audio and a still photograph. Both were recorded using a Huawei Honor 8 lite cell phone.

The Analysis

by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

My Background as a UFO investigator began in 1973 after witnessing two illuminated disk-like objects that hovered, made right angle turns at high speed then ascended into the atmosphere at unbelievable speeds. In one sighting three USAF F-4 fighter jets arrived on the scene after the UFO shot up into the atmosphere. Since that time I became an amateur photographer, videographer and astronomer. Over the years I have archived many hours of video footage of jet aircraft during daylight and night in different weather and lighting conditions. Based on my experience I am aware of how aircraft in different lighting conditions can appear as a UFO, flying saucer, etc. Even in my photos and video, I captured objects that I initially believed were UFO’s, but after carefully analyzing the images with video editing software I determined them to be aircraft, birds, balloons, bugs, etc. Always keep in mind that even with the human eye can deceive us.

On 12/11/2017 at approx 2:00 pm Witness John related he went outside to take a break and observed a light in the sky that was moving. Using his cell phone, he took photos and video of the illuminated object before it disappeared. The witness believed it was not a meteor or asteroid and must have been a UFO.

On 08/15/2018, I conducted an email interview with the witness; There are minor inconsistencies from his original statement but nothing that affects the visual evidence presented in the photo and video submitted. Due to the passage of time, it is understandable that statement inconsistencies will occur. Refer to the witness’ statements under “Witness Testimony.”

Below is one witness statement that I will elaborate on later in my conclusions.

“I was in my apartment, watching television, I wanted to take a look at the night sky, which is often. So I went to my window and noticed the object up there (it was shaped like a flying saucer, but for some reason, it was bright for my camera), but the camera didn’t capture the object in good quality, it was too bright for my camera.”

I don’t know the witness’ exact location while filming within the city of Ronneby as he seemed reluctant to provide this information. Due to this, I am unable to determine his exact location while filming and his distance from the Ronneby Airport. Again, with the witness submitting photo and video, his location is not necessary to identify the object he filmed. Here is my analysis of that evidence:

Weather Information

Weather history searched on the weather website wunderground. The weather station is located at the Ronneby Air Base, Sweden.

Weather conditions at the time of the witness’ sighting; 34 deg, humidity 93%, wind 9 mph out of the NE, and mostly cloudy.

High temp 37 deg, low temp 29 deg, precipitation 0.24 inches, dew point 31 deg, average wind speed 12 mph, visibility 19 miles.

Surrounding Airports

Ronneby Airport is located approx 2.5 miles from Ronneby, Sweden. It is the 6th largest airport in Sweden and considered a Minor International Airport that handles approx 226,995 passengers per year. On the average, there are approx 16 incoming and outgoing flights per day.

Surrounding Military Installations

Blekinge Flygflottilj F17 Swedish Air Force Base, simply known as “F 17”, is located approx 0.62 miles from the Ronneby Airport. The base currently houses two squadrons of the multirole aircraft. A wing of the Swedish helicopter forces is also stationed at F17.

Additional information about Blekinge Flygflottilj F17:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_17_Kallinge

Astronomical Data

Searching the archives of Stellarium, (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars), I found no celestial objects that could remotely account for what the witness observed. Below is historical astronomical data from Weather-Underground.

Summary and Conclusion

Based on the following I determined the illuminated object in the witness’ photo and video to be landing lights of an aircraft on approach to the Roddeby Airport. I used Sony Vegas video editing software to enlarge the object and adjusted the lighting and contrast in both the photo and video footage. The speed of the object along with it’s straight, steady flight path is consistent with aircraft on approach to an airport. The Ronneby Airport is located 2.5 miles from the town of Ronneby.

In my video analysis of the witness’ video, (see video analysis above), the aircraft’s white strobe light can be seen flashing intermittently within the brilliant landing lights. This is evident in the witness’ video footage. As an example, I videoed an aircraft at night with it’s landing light turned on. My footage also shows the intermittent flashing of the aircraft’s white strobe light that can be seen within the brilliant landing light. Both the witness’s video and my video are similar enough to conclude aircraft landing lights were what the witness observed, videoed and photographed.  

The witness made the statement;  “It was shaped like a flying saucer, but for some reason, it was bright for my camera, but the camera didn’t capture the object in good quality, it was too bright for my camera.” Based on my video analysis, adjusting the lighting and contrast, I observed no flying saucer associated with the aircraft landing lights. I have personally observed and videoed aircraft landing lights and as I stated earlier, they can be deceiving and can appear saucer-like in shape. Keep in mind that aircraft in the different light setting are often mistaken for Flying Saucers. Watch the analyzed video below for further details.

I want to thank the witness for sending TBV Investigations his UFO report and visual evidence. I hope this investigation will provide answers to those who witness lights in the sky and help identify UFO’s, Unidentified Flying Objects.

The post UFO over Ronneby, Blekinge County, Sweden – December 11, 2017 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Ronneby, Blekinge County, Sweden – December 11, 2017 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on 06/11/2018 at 9:32 pm. It was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

The witness submitted the following testimony, which is unedited and appears how it was submitted:

“I became interested in orbs after one showed up in a picture I took of my daughter on her 5th birthday. I began taking video at night (after kids in bed ) in our woods & saw a lot of activity. One night I was drawn to the river, so I sat down, began a video & saw this small light about 20 ft in front of me above the water.. as I went to stand up and began walking, it was suddenly right in front of me! It was tiny & the only way I can describe it, is ‘other dimensional’ it was almost like you couldn’t quite focus in on it & it was amazing. It was very playful, almost felt familiar? I was able to record it so I know i’m not crazy! I saw the same thing on several occasions. Probably 3-4xs each year for 2 years. Always in the late summer & fall I believe. I’ll attach a few videos. You can see it change colors & I put my hand around it to make sure it isn’t a cobweb reflecting the light from the camera. Whatever it was, it was definitelt INTELLIGENT as it was trying to communicate / interact with me in a playful manner. I came across Damien’s story on Australian Lights & thought ‘finally – this is pretty similar to what I’ve seen’… only his ars in the clouds and not so close like mine. I’ve never met or discovered anyone that had had this same experience & have been seeking information for a very long time now. Damien suggested I connect you all for an opinion, so here I am. i’m hopeful for some answers or at least some input from a professional. I greatly appreciate it. Thank you & many blessings, Jen”

The Evidence

The video below is also posted on the witnesses YouTube channel titled, “Friendly orb/ energy encounter.”

Note. The video below that was submitted to TBV is a edited version of the original video posted to the witnesses YouTube channel. The footage is cropped and enlarged and missing key information that led to my conclusions. The correct title to this video according to the witnesses YouTube channel is, “Friendly orb visiting I can actually SEE with my eyes.” 

The Analysis by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

I have a background in amateur astronomy, using a number of different types of telescopes and astronomical cameras. Since 1965 I have have had a passion for film photography, 8mm and 16mm motion picture film continuing to present day with professional DSLR cameras, lenses, and camcorders both consumer and pro engineering. I am experienced with lighting and the causes of lens flares that occur with different focal length and types of lenses. 

Since 2011 I have had an interest in the paranormal relating to orb sightings. In 2015, I assisted a MUFON investigator in New Jersey on several orb related cases he was working on. I provided him photos relating to strange blue orbs that had dots inside the orb. In reality the blue orbs were lens flares common to certain brands of cell phone cameras. 

While I have not spoken directly to the witness due to missed telephone calls and no response to questions from my last email, there is enough data in the witness videos and photos to resolve this case. 

The witness lives in the town of Alto, Michigan. Alto is an unincorporated community in Bowne Township, Kent County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The terrain has forest areas, (wooded areas), sparsely located within the borders of Alto. The elevation is approx 1,072 feet above sea level. From any location within Alto it would be a short walk to any wooded area.

Source: https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/mi/grand-rapids/KGRR/date/2017-11-15

Celestial Objects Rendering a Significant Light Source

Searching Stallerium, (a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars), I was able to go back in the archives to view the night sky over Alto, MI on 11/15/2017 @ 1:00 am. There were no extremely bright celestial objects in the sky. The moon was a waning crescent that rose in the sky at 5:29 am and set at 5:18 pm.

Analysis of Video Footage

I downloaded both videos to my Sony Vegas video editing software for a detailed analysis of the footage. I was able to view sections of the video frame by frame, adjust lighting and contrast to bring out details in an effort to reveal the possible origin of the orbs.

In the video titled “Friendly Orb”, it is obvious in my analyzed video that the orb in reality is a reflective object attached to a spider web, a balled up clump of spider web or light reflection off the web itself. Other webs are also observed in the footage. The video was filmed in or near a wooded area with vegetation and home to spiders. The object was being illuminated by the video recording device light or flashlight. Reflective areas on a web is a common mistake made by individuals hunting for orbs. As the camera moves it will cause the reflective area to move as well making it appear as though there is a object / orb moving or floating in thin air. With the naked eye one may or may not see anything attached to the web.

The second video sent to TBV Investigations designated, (received_10155980884127518), is a edited shortened version of a video posted on the witnesses YouTube channel titled, (Friendly orb visiting I can actually SEE with my eyes). In my investigation I visited the witnesses YouTube channel to make sure TBV Investigations was receiving the complete unedited video of these events. With the video we received, important footage was missing that led me to identifying the source of this alleged orb. With out any doubt, in reality, the orb is a lens flare caused by a outdoor floodlight mounted on the eve of the building or house to the left of the video recording device. This can clearly be seen at time stamp 1:32 in the video posted to the witnesses YouTube channel. I downloaded the full video but there is no reason to analyze the footage in Sony Vegas. Also the YouTube download has tracking information on the screen for copyright purposes. Additionally, there is no way the witness could have seen this lens flare with the naked eye.

Video still removed from witnesses YouTube unedited video titled, “Friendly orb visiting I can actually SEE with my eyes.”

Conclusion

My intention in this investigation is not to upset the witness or anyone who hunts for orbs. I believe the witness is sincere and not attempting any deception. My conclusions are based on the video evidence along with years of experience operating cameras in various lighting conditions. Also observing lens flares and anomalies in my own videos, photographs and other peoples work. My hope is for those who view this investigation take the time to educate themselves on camera operation, what causes lens flares and other anomalies and the effects of lighting in a given situation. There is much information on this topic available on the internet.

In the first video the alleged orb is either a reflective object stuck on a spider web, a balled up clump of spider web or a reflection off the web itself caused by the light from the witnesses video recording device. The spider web can clearly be seen in my video analysis and the witnesses original footage. The second video the witness provided TBV Investigations is a edited version of her video, cropped and shortened in length. Upon further investigation I found the complete unedited version of the video on her YouTube channel. This unedited video showed the light source that caused the lens flare in both versions of the videos. It was the light source, (floodlight) that caused the lens flare.

Additionally, the witness reported the date of these sightings as 11/15/2017 1:00 am however, both her videos on her YouTube channel are dated 12/09/2016 and 10/19/2017 respectively. This fact would make the weather conditions in this investigation void. This fact does not affect the analysis or conclusions of this investigation as the video evidence speaks for itself. 

Based on the video evidence this investigation is solved.

The post Witness Describes “Friendly Orb” in Alto, Michigan first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Witness Describes “Friendly Orb” in Alto, Michigan appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on May 8, 2018, the day of the sighting. It was assigned to TBV Investigations’ researcher Jim Kerr for investigation and analysis.

Witness Testimony

“3 flying objects flying closely in a row from the southeast to the northwest at approximately 10:20pm. They all were a dull orange colored light making no noise at all and flying slowly. There were no flashing lights such as on a jet. They went directly over our home. About 30 to 40 seconds after passing overhead the first one started to flicker then disappeared. The same for the second one then the third one. The sky was clear as we can see all the stars in all directions. I did call my wife outside after the first one passed overhead so she wouldn’t think I was crazy. Hoping somebody else saw the same thing. Then the light flickered on the first and disappeared. The same for the second and then the same for the third. I called my wife outside so she could see them and wouldn’t think I’m crazy.”

The Analysis

by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

I have made numerous attempts to contact witness Rich and received no response. With that said, along with the lack of video or photo evidence, I will attempt to provide my opinion of what the witnesses observed.

The witness lives in Palos Heights, IL which is a suburb of Chicago in Cook County. According to data compiled in Cheryl Costa’s book, (UFO Sightings Desk Reference, USA 2001-2015), Cook County reported 1,431 UFO sightings, (2001-2015), which are the highest in the state.

The witness stated he observed three dull orange colored lights flying in a row from S/E to N/W. He heard no sound from the slow-moving objects as they traveled directly overhead. Approx 30 to 40 seconds after passing overhead, the first one started to flicker then disappeared. Then the second one, then the third one flicker then disappeared.

I researched the date and time for meteor or fireball activity and found none. Based on the witness statement of the objects speed, meteors or fireballs can be ruled out. There are numerous airports in the surrounding area, however, the witness description is inconsistent with aircraft lighting. The witness stated the object was traveling S/E to N/W and according to wunderground the wind was traveling in the same direction. I can only speculate, but Chinese Lanterns could account for the lights the witness observed along with the lights flickering then extinguishing. The orange glow, flickering and lights or flame burning out at different intervals are consistent with Chinese Lanterns.

Weather Report for 05/08/2018 10:30 PM

The weather on the date and time of the sighting; 69 degrees, wind 7 mph SE, humidity 40%, zero precipitation, visibility 10 miles, and the skies were cloudy.

Local Airports

Palos Heights is surrounded by at least 21 airports.

Possible Explanations

Conclusion

Based on the fact I was unable to interview the witness along with no video or photograph evidence case number 148816 is determined inconclusive due to lack of evidence. 

The post UFO over Palos Heights, Illinois – May 8, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Palos Heights, Illinois – May 8, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations on March 24, 2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigations researcher Jim Kerr for investigation. 

Witness Testimony

The following was submitted to TBV Investigations in the initial report:

“I observed a randomly flashing light that moved from the north in a southerly direction at various speeds, but generally slow. It appeared to almost hover at times and would also appear make slight changes in direction. The light light would flash with a bright silver slow pulse which was then followed by a quick much dimmer blink. Both were very random. It was visible for approximately 20 minutes and appeared change its general direction and moved in a more eastern direction and lights slowly became dimmer before disappearing. I also observed a similar object at approximately the same time the previous night at my residence and it appeared to behave nearly the same.”

The Investigation

by Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

On 03-29-2018 I interviewed witness Jimmy Fugitt and he related his observations of what he referred to as a strange craft flying in erratic directions with random flashing lights. The object appeared to almost hover at times and would also appear make slight changes in direction. He also stated he observed the same object the night before at the same approx time. His description of the object did not differ from his original written statement submitted to The Black Vault.

This was a nighttime sighting which occurred on 03/23/2018 11:30 PM, not a daytime sighting as the original date and time indicates. He further stated he did not believe this object to be an alien craft but possibly an advanced military craft. 

There are three airports within 20 miles of Greenup , KY. The weather was clear with good visibility with temperatures from 24 to 53 degrees. 

1. Ashland-Boyd County Airport 

Location: Ashland, KY
Greenup County 4.23 miles

2. Tri-State Airport/Milton J. Ferguson Field 

Location: Huntington, WV
Wayne County 19.82 miles

On 03/23/2018 11:30 PM witness Jimmy Fugitt observed what he believed to be a strange craft flying in erratic directions with random flashing lights. The object appeared to almost hover at times and would also appear make slight changes in direction.

As an amateur astronomer I spend many nights observing the sky. In addition to celestial objects, I have observed countless aircraft, their flight patterns and marker lights. I also have tracked and observed satellites, the ISS and meteor showers . At night the human eye can play tricks with ones observations and perceptions. Aircraft marker lights can appear to flash in random pattern, dance around in erratic directions and even appear to hover. It is not uncommon to mistake a conventional aircraft classifying it as an unidentified flying object. 

Conclusion

Based on the witness description and my own observations, I believe the witness observed an aircraft in flight. However this case lacks sufficient evidence to make a solid conclusion.

The post UFO over Greenup, Kentucky – March 23, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Greenup, Kentucky – March 23, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to TBV Investigations on March 16, 2018. It was assigned to TBV Investigations researcher Jim Kerr for investigation. 

Witness Testimony

The following was submitted to TBV Investigations in the initial report:

“My husband Lance and I both saw the UFO at the same time. It was at dusk around 6:05 PM but still light, and the sky was blue. We were standing on our back deck looking at birds on our lake. We had our binoculars in hand. I saw this bright shiny thing in the sky. At first we thought it was a plane, then we realized it wasn’t. It was round like a moon hovering in the sky and very bright, like a mirror reflecting light. As we watched it, it divided in half, a vertical line that divided the circle in half. You could see the sky between the two halves. The halves stayed side by side and continued to hover for about a minute or two. Then it just vanished. About 10 seconds later it reappeared still divided but this time it was moving southward, then it vanished again. It’s hard to say how far away it was, but you could see it well with the naked eye and even better with the binoculars. It would have been hard to get a good picture of it without zoom lenses.”

Witness Interview

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

On 03-27-2018 at 1:10 pm PST I conducted a telephone interview with witnesses Tina and Lance. A little over a month has passed since their sighting and their description of the incident closely matches their original written statement submitted to TBV investigations. Both witnesses seemed credible, sincere and neither formed an opinion as to what this object was.

On 02-23-2018 at approx 6:00 pm, witnesses Tina and Lance related to me they were standing on the rear deck of their house which overlooks a small lake behind their property. The sky was clear with no cloud cover, the sun had set but was still light with good visibility. It is common practice for witnesses to bird watch from their deck using binoculars. Both witnesses observed a round illuminated stationary object in the western sky at approx 30 degrees above the western horizon. This initial sighting lasted for approx two minutes. Both witnesses stated the object first appeared to be the light from an aircraft but then determined the object was stationary and was not a aircraft. The object was brightly illuminated with a mirror like appearance. Witness Tina related, with her naked eye, the object was the size of a 50 cent piece held at arms length. Witness Lance related, with his naked eye, the object was the size of a dime held at arms length. During this first observation, approx one minute into the sighting, the object split vertically into two equal half’s, slightly separated, and blue sky could be seen behind the vertical split. Viewing the object through binoculars both witnesses related the edge around both split half’s of the object was blurry and not sharply defined. After viewing the object for approx two minutes it began to move slowly in a southerly direction for a short distance while maintaining the same altitude then suddenly vanished. The object did not travel out of sight but vanished from view. 

Approx 30 seconds after the initial sighting, both witnesses related the object reappeared southwest of it’s original location at approx 30 degrees above the horizon. The object was moving very slowly in a southerly direction for approx 30 seconds then suddenly vanished.

The Analysis

By Jim Kerr, TBV Investigations

With the lack of video or photo evidence, I will attempt to identify what the witnesses observed based on the following facts along with witness statements. 

Sunset in Asheboro North Carolina 02-23-2018 at 6:08 pm indicating it was still daylight. Link, https://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp?back=USANC&comb_city_info=Asheboro,+North+Carolina;79.8117;35.7198;-5;1&month=2&year=2018&time_type=0&wsom=0

Checking the website “Weather Underground” weather for this date and location at 5:55 pm, the temperature was 70 degrees , dew point 59 degrees, average humidity 68%, precipitation 0.00, wind speed 0 mph and visibility 10 miles with scattered cloud cover. Based on this weather report the witnesses had a relativity clear but very lightly obstructed view of the sky due to scattered clouds. Evaluating witness statements, I don’t believe the scattered clouds hindered their observations of the object. 

Researching Stellarium for know celestial objects on 02-23-2018 @ 6:00 pm, the planet Venus was visible at approx 30 degrees above the western horizon. Venus would have appeared bright in the sky, approx 2 millimeters in size at arms length but not the size of a 50 cent piece or dime as described by the witnesses. Additionally, Venus’s only movement would be setting in the west same as the sun. Based on witness statements Venus can be ruled out as the object they observed. 

Airports near Asheboro, NC. Based on the number of airports located near the witnesses location they most likely have observable air traffic. Even at sunset aircraft landing lights can still be quite bright and at times appear stationary in the sky for several seconds, especially if the aircraft is traveling directly toward the observer. Many aircraft have dual landing lights. When approaching closer to an observer, dual landing lights could account for an object appearing to dividing vertically in two as both landing lights come into view. Turning off landing lights could account for an object appear to vanish. Could the witnesses have seen the landing lights of an approaching aircraft then 30 seconds later seen a second approaching aircraft? Based on the witness statements they are positive the object was not an aircraft. However, if the object was in fact aircraft landing lights pointed in their direction and the aircraft turned in a southerly direction, this could explain this sighting.

Again, with no video or photo evidence I can only theorize to the identity of the object. 

69 miles: Raleigh, NC (RDU / KRDU) Raleigh-Durham International Airport
38 miles: Greensboro, NC (GSO / KGSO) Piedmont Triad International Airport
6 miles: Asheboro, NC (KHBI / HBI) Asheboro Regional Airport 

Conclusion

According to the witnesses this was a strange unexplained sighting and unfortunately no video or photo evidence was captured. With the lack of physical evidence I could only theorize as to the identity of this object.

Case is unidentified, but lacks sufficient evidence to make a conclusion.

The post UFO over Asheboro, North Carolina – February 23, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO over Asheboro, North Carolina – February 23, 2018 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault / TBV Investigations.  The witness submitted the following testimony:

Witness Testimony

“I was randomly shooting the moon with my Canon SX60HS which can zoom into craters on the moon. I had it on auto, no particular settings other than 3 shot burst.

I did not see the object when I clicked the shutter, it was only later when looking over the images of the day. What I captured I kept to myself, a few friends and family. Posted it to fb twice for some opinions later on.
It was only recently that I decided to throw it out there and get some real ideas on what, who and where this came from.

Thanks for your help,
NAME REMOVED

** I have added all of the pictured captured in the 3 burst. The times in exif data reflect this.
– image with object IMG_6440
– images without objects IMG_6441, IMG_6442

** I have added the photo to a video and blown it up here

Note from The Black Vault: The video was removed to withhold the witnesses identity. It only was a blow up of the below photographs, so all REAL evidence is maintained in this case file. For reference, here is a blow up of the object (with is a screen shot from the video).

The Evidence

The following photographs were submitted for analysis:

The Analysis

by Michael Kelly, TBV Investigations

After conducting a series of thorough photo forensic methods, a number of discrepancies were found in the photographs submitted by the witness.

We list only a few of the examples, though more can be found in the metadata using sophisticated photography software. These examples are sufficient to support our conclusion, and we feel that adding even more additional (and technical) evidence would only assist future digital manipulation of a “UFO” photograph.

Problem #1

The 3-shot burst mode is not indicated in the time stamp nor the metadata which indicates each shot was separated by a few seconds and not fractions of a second as would be the case in burst mode.

Image time stamps

• 19:15:09
• 19:15:12
• 19:15:20

It is noted that when the witness was asked about this, they submitted the following, and changed the original submission:

“Yep you are right in that they possibly weren’t the pictures I snapped in the burst, I have always assumed they were as I was going from memory out shooting. They were certainly part of the same group of images which I had shot in the burst, however they may have been just straight shots as well.”

Problem #2

The changing position of the moon in the photographs indicates that the camera was being held or pointed in different directions on a tripod. The witness confirmed in follow-up communications that the camera was being held.

When comparing all three images pixel for pixel, the moon in each image is identical.

With a change of position of the camera, the moon should have slight variations in each photograph. The fact that it does not suggests that the images were digitally modified, copying the same image of the moon into all three photographs.

Problem #3

Camera sensors create a high frequency noise pattern over an entire image.

In this photograph the moon and sky have this pattern, but the dot does not.

The fact that the dot does not have this pattern suggests that it was digitally inserted into the image.

Problem #4

Through investigation, the witness was found on Facebook using only publicly available information. Recent (public) posts include one of his own Photoshop works with a hidden “easter egg” that he inserted, wherein he invites his friends to attempt to find it.

Other posts highlight his Photoshop skills, along with his web  and graphics design career.

It is for this (and other) reasons we decided to strip the name of the “witness” off this report, and post it as Anonymous.

Conclusion

These photographs do not stand up to digital scrutiny and therefore must be labeled fraudulent.

There is additional information which TBV Investigations has left off this report.  We feel the above information is more than enough to support this conclusion, and we do not aim to enhance digital manipulation techniques.

Witness Responds to Digital Manipulation Claim

Note from The Black Vault: In the interest of fairness, the witness responded to our report prior to it being published. They felt the need to respond, and we offered to post their responses here, unedited.

This is what they submitted:

Let me address your points as we go.

TBV Investigations Final Response

In addition to the above statement, the witness submitted a video.  We assume by their description, they did not want it shared publicly, so we respect that and have not published it. However, we are going to respond, and ultimately leave it for all of the readers of this case to decide.

The following is from a third party consultant to TBV Investigations. Their ability for image analysis is highly credible.  We have withheld their identity (unless they give us permission later) to thwart future hoax submissions on who we call upon for help.  Their information below is very detailed, and can speak for itself.  Also, the analyst below did view the video (per the witnesses request to show to our analysts). The time codes referenced are irrelevant since the original response video by the witness is not show, but the analysis is self explanatory.

Regarding his video:
1. At 2:40, he correctly interprets the ELA result as being uniform. However, he draws an incorrect conclusion at 2:40 when he says that a resave would have removed the white noise. The white noise only gets removed if the picture is a low quality. His picture, as I previously noted, does not appear to be low quality.

2. At 5:15, he shows his camera roll.
This does not identify the pictures as being original — only that he has them in the same directory.

There’s also something interesting:
At 5:25, the camera roll shows many moon pictures: 6440-6448, but we only have 6440-6442.
Picture 6444, 6445, 6446, and 6447 were visibly altered:
6444 was cropped to a square (his canon doesn’t do that), recolored to a teal, and strong vignetting was added. 4665 had different color alterations. Similarly, 6446, 6447, and 6448 were all visibly altered. And this is easy to see from the thumbnail images.

This means that the known moon pictures (6440-6442) are sitting in a directory next to other pictures that were definitely altered.

3. At 5:38: Viewing metadata from Windows Properties literally proves nothing. In particular, Windows metadata viewer displays fields that do not exist in the file, and omits fields that do exist. See: http://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?%2Farchives%2F712-Metadata-Tools-of-the-Trade.html 

By the same means, at 6:35, he claims that the Microsoft property tab for “Previous Versions” says it was never resaved. However, that only applies to using Microsoft to edit pictures and retain revisioning. Again, it literally proves nothing.

4. At 6:55, he zooms in to show no photo manipulation. But again, this proves nothing.

5. At 7:20, he shows that the Microsoft properties for the created and modified dates match his claim and have not been edited. However, this just shows the metadata fields. (And it is my claim that the metadata was replaced.)

Now, let’s compare his counter-argument with my original findings:

Finding #1: Burst mode — alright, he admits he was wrong. We can look past this part.

Finding #2: The pictures show the same moon at the exact same orientation relative to the camera. Yet, the moon’s position changed relative to the camera. So he somehow managed to change the angle of the view of the moon, repositioning the moon in the frame, and still kept the exact same moon orientation.

This is a fun experiment to try at home: Hold the camera and take 3 pictures of a distant object — each 3 seconds apart. Then align the pictures on the object. The orientation should change. A very small object (only a few pixels in the frame) may appear to keep the orientation. A very large object, like the moon taking up 20% of the frame, should change orientation a little. Even though it is only a little different, this should be a visible difference when you overlay the two pictures and view the difference.

Then try the same experiment using a tripod — be sure the move the camera on the tripod a little so the object is not in the same relative location between frames. Again, it will change orientation.

And yet, he someone managed to take 3 pictures that all have the moon with the exact same orientation.

Here’s a difference-overlay of 6440 and 6442 (11 seconds apart): http://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=4a3d92dcda18e048a36bea4871c2b34948246585.2346289&fmt=orig
– There is blue sky that exists in 6442 and not 6440 — visible due to aligning the moons.
– The UFO stands out because it doesn’t exist in 6442.
– There’s a tiny fraction of misalignment along one edge of the moon — likely due to scaling.
However, if the moon were rotated even one degree, then we should start seeing that reddish difference edge over most of the moon’s edge and most of the moon’s high-contrast features. We’re just not seeing that.

Even more interesting: Save the difference picture, bring it up in Gimp or Photoshop, and apply a histogram equalization to it. If you apply a histogram equalization to the difference picture, then you can see (1) moon features stand out along JPEG compression differences (expected), and (2) there is a dark swath through the moon that goes through both pictures. That dark swath should be a lighting artifact (like a lens flare), but it is in the same place in both pictures, even though the camera “moved” relative to the moon.

There’s one other thing that bothers me (and makes me chuckle):
In 6440, there is no motion blur. So the object is traveling slower than the shutter speed.
A few seconds later, in 6441, it is gone. So a UFO flew into view, sat still for a photo, and then vanished. In order to vanish, it would have to travel more than half the width of the frame in 3 seconds. Assuming it is far away and not in front of the lens, that would require a very fast speed.

Now, I’m not claiming that a real extra terrestrial UFO couldn’t travel really fast, but this seems like an amazing coincidence that he photographed it at the brief moment that it came to a stop.

Or maybe cloaking? Again — amazing coincidence that he photographed it right at the moment when it was about to put up the cloak.

Of course, if it were a blur from an insect that this close the the camera, then that would explain the really fast relative movement.

Regarding his written comments:

Accepted by MUFON? Good for him. MUFON didn’t contact me about this picture. Had they contacted me, I would have told them the same things I told you.

“#4 – The fact I post Graphics on social media is kind of moot, I am a web designer…”
Note: You hadn’t told me his name, but I got it from his youtube video.
This goes toward skillset. He clearly is capable of doing photo manipulation. This is evident in many of his pubic galleries. For example, his art gallery (LINK REMOVED TO WITHHOLD IDENTITY OF WITNESS) includes a collection of real, altered, and edited photos.

What do you think? Post your comments below! 

Special Thanks

TBV Investigations team members Jeremy Enfinger, Jim Kerr, and James Clarkson all contributed to this report and analysis.

Raw Metadata

Image 2

Image 3

The post UFO Appears Over Cornwall, Ontario Canada, While Witness Photographs Moon first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post UFO Appears Over Cornwall, Ontario Canada, While Witness Photographs Moon appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.