IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

JAMES:
HEY THERE STAR GAZERS, IM JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR

OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE,
FLORIDA.

DEAN:
AND I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI

OBSERVATORY.

WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
THE SKY.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MYSTERIOUS LIGHT IN THE
SKY?

SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU PAUSE, MAKES YOU
WONDER?

JAMES:
MAKES YOU THINK AN ALIEN INVASION IS COMING?

DEAN:
JAMES AND I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM STAR GAZERS

OUT THERE WHO SEE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS IN THE
SKY.

JAMES:
SOMETIMES THEY ARE BLINKING.

SOMETIMES THEY ARE FAST-MOVING AND BRIGHT.

AND OTHER TIMES THEY SLOWLY CREEP FROM ONE
SIDE OF THE SKY TO THE OTHER.

DEAN:
UNFORTUNATELY THESE U.F.O.S ARE NOT FROM ALIENS

- I'VE BEEN WATCHING AND WAITING FOR THEM
FOR YEARS, BUT SO FAR NOTHING.

ALIENS NEVER CALL, NEVER WRITE BACK...

JAMES:
ITS OKAY DEAN, DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY.

IF THESE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS AREN'T ALIENS,
WHAT ARE THEY?

DEAN:
WE'RE GOING TO SHARE OUR TIPS FOR SOLVING

THE MYSTERY, AND TURN THESE U.F.O.S
INTO IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS.

LETS SHOW YOU!

DEAN:
OKAY, WE HAVE OUR SKY SET FOR ANY NIGHT THIS

WEEK FACING SOUTHWEST JUST AFTER SUNSET.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL OBJECTS,
AND THERE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY-SEEN

UFOS JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON.

IT IS SUSPICIOUSLY BRIGHT.

JAMES:
IT MAY NOT MOVE ACROSS THE SKY IN AN ALIEN

WAY, BUT ITS BRIGHTNESS IS SO DAZZLING THAT
PEOPLE WONDER ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.

IT IS ACTUALLY THE PLANET VENUS AND WHEN PEOPLE
SEE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY ARE STARTLED.

DEAN:
OFTEN IF I'M DRIVING IN A CAR AND I SEE IT,

I THINK, WHOA WHAT IS THAT?

JAMES:
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DRIVE ON A CURVY ROAD,

VENUS CAN GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT IT
IS

FOLLOWING YOU.

BUT WE WANT EVERYONE TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON
THE ROAD AND LET YOUR PASSENGERS WATCH VENUS.

DEAN:
NOW IF YOU LIVE IN A CITY YOULL PROBABLY SEE

A LOT OF BLINKING LIGHTS IN THE SKY.

TOPS OF BUILDINGS, RADIO TOWERS AND MORE.

JAMES:
BUT IF YOU SEE A BLINKING LIGHT THAT IS MOVING

AT A STEADY RATE, ITS PROBABLY JUST A PLANE.

SOMETIMES WHEN PLANES ARE FLYING RIGHT AT
YOU THEY CAN GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF A UFO.

BUT KEEP WATCHING, AND WHEN THEY GO PAST YOU,
YOU WILL SEE THE TELLTALE BLINKING RED AND

BLUE LIGHTS.

DEAN:
NOW PLANES MIGHT MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE SKY

BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE AND YOU SEE A QUICK
FLASH?

OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE, OR STREAKING
QUICKLY ACROSS THE SKY YOU SEE THIS.

JAMES:
WHOA!

IF IT MOVES
SUPER-FAST AND ONLY LASTS A SECOND OR TWO,

THATS A METEOR, OR WHAT MOST PEOPLE CALL A
SHOOTING STAR.

METEORS ARE TINY PIECES OF ICE, ROCK, AND
DUST THAT FALL FROM SPACE INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE.

DEAN:
THE BRIGHTER ONES CAN EVEN TURN GREEN IN COLOR,

BREAK UP INTO PIECES AND EVEN LEAVE VISIBLE
SMOKE-TRAILS BEHIND.

LOOK JAMES, MAKE A WISH!

JAMES: OOH, SO COOL.

DEAN:
BUT WHAT IF YOU SEE A SLOW-MOVING,

NON-BLINKING LIGHT STEADILY CROSSING THE NIGHT
SKY?

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?

JAMES:
MOST LIKELY ITS A SATELLITE.

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE MAN-MADE OBJECTS
CIRCLING

THE EARTH.

DEAN:
ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST SATELLITES IS THE INTERNATIONAL

SPACE STATION, OR ISS.

THE ISS IS 239 FEET WIDE, 356 FEET LONG, AND
66 FEET TALL SO IT CAN OFTEN LOOK BRIGHTER

THAN THE BRIGHTEST STARS IN THE SKY.

SIX CREW MEMBERS CAN LIVE THERE AT A TIME,
SO IF YOU SEE THE ISS GOING OVERHEAD, BE SURE

TO WAVE!

JAMES:
THE REASON WHY YOU CAN SEE THE ISS AND OTHER

SATELLITES IS THAT, WHILE YOU'RE IN THE DARK,
THE SUN IS STILL SHINING ON THEM.

THEY ARE ABOUT 200 TO 300 MILES UP AND SO
ITS STILL DAYTIME THERE.

THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTS OFF THEM AND LET'S YOU
SEE THEM JUST AFTER SUNSET OR RIGHT BEFORE

SUNRISE.

DEAN:
YOU CAN USE APPS LIKE SATELLITE TRACKER AND

SPUTNIK TO SEE WHEN BRIGHT SATELLITES WILL
FLY OVERHEAD.

AND I REALLY LIKE THE WEBSITE HEAVENS-DASH-ABOVE.COM
TO TELL ME WHEN AND WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM.

DEAN: SO IM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR U.F.O.S
TO FLY OVER MY TOWN, BUT THEY ALWAYS END UP

BEING IDENTIFIABLE.

JAMES:
WHETHER YOU SEE DAZZLING VENUS AFTER SUNSET,

BLINKING PLANES, STREAKING METEORS, OR STEADILY-MOVING
SATELLITES, THESE OBJECTS CAN MAKE YOUR STAR

GAZING EXPERIENCE EVEN BETTER.

DEAN:
AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE YOULL SEE AN ALIEN SOMEDAY.

JAMES:
YEAH, NOW THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT WILD-ALIEN CHASE, DEAN!

BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!