Unidentified Light, Eastern North Pacific, m.v. B.P. Adventure en route Panama to Chiba, 14 January 1993.

[Terry W. Colvin]

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UNCLAS
SUBJ: Unidentified Light

http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf092/p092-10.gif
Unidentified light seen in sky

January 14, 1993. Eastern North Pacific. Aboard the m.v. B.P. Adventure, Panama to Chiba.

"At 0235 UTC the phenomenon shown in the sketch was first
seen about 15 DEGREES above the horizon, bearing 265 DEGREES.
It was initially thought to be a downward pointing spotlight
from an aircraft: it was bright (nearly white), conical in shape
and about 1 DEGREE high. During further observation the shape
slowly enlarged, becoming more bell-shaped with a darker
elliptical patch at the bottom. As it increased in size, the
shape faded away and moved slowly towards the horizon in a
slightly southerly direction before disappearing just above
the horizon at 0254, bearing 260 DEGREES.

"The maximum height reached by the shape was about 5 DEGREES
and throughout the observation stars could be seen through it
while at one point it was nearly obscured by cloud of which there
was 1 okta. The only other bright object nearby was Venus, being
slightly higher and to the south, bearing 248 DEGREES, elevation
about 20 DEGREES. Visibility was excellent as about 10 minutes
after the observation a ship was spotted bearing 280 DEGREES at
a distance of 16 n.mile. The observers felt that the shape was
too regular to be a cloud and had no real idea of its origins."

(Peacock, K.E.; "Unidentified Light," Marine Observer, 64:17, 1994.)

From Science Frontiers #92, MAR-APR 1994. (C) 1994-2000 William R. Corliss
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