Triangle over Derby
- James Bowen
- Aug 12, 2024
- 3 min read
Date: 12/8/24
Time: 22:18
Location: Derby
Witness Account: ‘Out last night in our garden watching for shooting stars (the Perseids), urban setting. Not great but sky clear enough to see some shooting stars radiating from North direction. We had reclining chairs. Mine was fully reclined and I was looking straight up. My wife was stood up, looking north. We had just seen a wonderful shooting star and we said "Aahh!". My wife then walked off to get something from the house when a triangle shaped object with lights down either side shot past my vision going East to West. It only lasted a second or more but my eyes were fully adjusted to the night sky. Not an equilateral triangle, two forward pointing sides were longer than the back. There were lights down each forward sides, not at the back. It moved very fast across my field of view. I have found a picture that is very alike what I saw. I will attach at end of report.’
Further questions sent to the witness to gather more information.
1) Are you a spectacle wearer? If so, were they being worn at the time of the sighting?
2) When your wife went to get something from the house would she have needed to open a door?
3) Had/would your wife needed to turn any lighting on re-entry to the house?
Further information received from witness.
Yes, I was wearing my specs. It's easier for spotting satellites, which is a bit of a competition between my wife and myself. She's on a higher score than me.
We have an archway before the back door and that's where she was before this thing shot past my view, but yes, would have had to open the door,
All the lights were off in the house, for better darkness as we could get in our urban setting watching the shooting stars. And the light switch for the back room is on the opposite wall from the back door. We had a small fire pit, but we were keeping the flames low so as not disturb our night vision.
Whatever it was, it was fast.
Weather: Viewing/weather conditions were not great but a relatively clear sky on the evening. AccuWeather historic data says it was a warm evening, relatively clear with the wind in a Westerly direction at approx. 11mph (gentle breeze). No irregularities to consider.
Events: Bloodstock Open Air Festival was the only notable event in the area but had already ended on 11th August. The event had been held in Walton-on-Trent which is approximately 17 miles away from the witness’s location. No other notable events found for this date.
Astronomical: Shooting stars and satellites were visible and the witness was familiar with one of the major meteor showers and referred to the Perseids in their sighting report. The best observation times for the Perseids were 11/12/13th August which certainly may have fitted into their observation time. Other than meteors, there were no further astronomical IFOs which match the witness’ description.
Technological IFOs: Starlink satellites would have been visible on 12th August
Starlink Satellites often are visible as a line of lights moving across the sky travelling West to East. These satellites are fast-moving and travel around the Earth at 17,000 mph, orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes.
Other factors: Possibility of optical light refraction (spectacles).
Conclusion
A one to two second observation time indicates the object was travelling very fast. The Perseid meteor shower could possibly be an explanation as meteors are usually observed for only a few seconds. Space debris may also be viewed in a similar manner, although slightly slower in speed.
Another more likely possibility would be Starlink Satellites, which can be visible as one or more lines of lights moving across the sky. Starlink Satellites can be launched in large numbers and therefore can look very strange as they travel across the sky.
When Starlink satellites were originally launched back in 2019, BUFORA received hundreds of reports over that year until the public became used to observing them and understanding why the numbers were far more than they usually observed when looking at satellites.
However, with the lack of photographic, video and detailed description of the object, a definitive or probable conclusion has not been achievable with the information provided to us.
James Bowen
B.U.F.O.R.A AI