Location of Sighting: Kitt Peak Observatory, Arizona
Date of Sighting: August 1, 2015
Time of Sighting: 2:28 PM MST
PHOTO & ENLARGEMENT OF UNKNOWN OBJECT.
Description: This image was discovered by a PROFESSIONAL ASTRONOMER (See his report below):
How did I find this observation? As a professional astronomer and the associate telescope scientist for the WINY 0.9 Meter
Telescope Consortium that maintains the Kitt Peak 0.9 meter telescope located just west of the 2.1 meter telescope, I have set the default page for each of my browsers to http://www.noao.edu/kpno/kpcam/index.shtml, a web page that normally shows both a north-facing and south-facing view of Kitt Peak. The south-facing camera is currently off-line as KPNO personnel complete extensive work on the 4.0 meter telescope. Using this website, I keep track of the KPNO weather on a daily basis
in order to anticipate what the weather will be for the following night of observations.
So I came upon the observation of the UAP entirely accidentally yesterday afternoon when opening up a browser window. Recognizing it’s significance, I immediately downloaded the frame containing the object. However, because I took several minutes to examine this picture carefully to eliminate the possibility this was a buzzard ora military aircraft***, I was unable to download the several frames immediately following the one containing the UAP. I had to wait until today to extract the frames mentioned above from the entire data set contained at the first link.
I will not spend time attempting to analyze the object in the 14:28:13 MST data set because I want to present this observation to our community as quickly as possible. Except for examining the pictures immediately before and after the frame in question, I have not attempted to search the data set from all of August 1st to see if a similar object can be found. Nor have I examined the data sets from previous days. Hopefully, one or more of our group will undertake such an examination over the next few days while these unique sets of data are readily available on-line at the first URL
given above.
I’m more than glad that there are those working in the capacity as astronomers who are not just aware of the U.A.P. factor, but also are willing to act upon this when this kind of phenomenon presents itself, especially in the vicinity of the astronomers’ areas of operation!
This given picture is indistinct, but it does appear to resemble some structured object that doesn’t align with most conventional aircraft. I am quite certain that Professor Peter A. Sturrock, renowned for his work in Applied Physics and Director of the Center for Space Science and Astrophysics at Stanford University and author of at least one book on the U.A.P. subject; one he just published called “A Tale of Two Sciences; Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist.” He would be MORE than interested in the Astronomer’s case and photo. Mr. Puckett, can you please, if possible, ask this person to make contact with Professor Sturrock in reference to this case? Please let me know one way or the other, and if he can’t, perhaps I can. Again, thanks so much for your untiring work to get to the bottom of this ongoing mystery!
Joel:
Thanks for your comments. This report wasn’t directly sent to me. It was discovered by an astronomer who is a member of another UAP investigation group (of which I am also a member). For this reason I am not comfortable asking him to contract Peter Sturrock. I read Dr. Sturrock’s book “The UFO Enigma” and he is a class scientist who believes in the UFO phenomenon.
Looks exactly like a bird or insect to me.