UFOs / Aliens

  1. Home
  2. News & Issues
  3. UFOs / Aliens
photo of Billy Booth

Billy's UFOs / Aliens Blog

By Billy Booth, About.com Guide to UFOs / Aliens since 2005

UFO Photographed over Northern Ireland

Monday May 12, 2008
Derry, Here is a photograph that is bound to raise some controversy between UFO proponents and debunkers. A man named Michael Harkin, from Galliagh, contacted the Derry Journal informing them that he had seen and photographed something unusual in the sky. The image was taken on his cell phone camera on Tuesday, May 6. The photograph clearly shows something unusual flying low over some houses.

He was traveling in his car, as you can see from the photograph, on his way to Prehen, in Derry, Northern Ireland. He saw the object, and snapped the photograph that you see here.

The unknown object, which will be identified by debunkers, I am sure, as some type of advertising blimp or possibly someone's idea of a good hoax, is clearly visible a a saucer-like UFO.

Could this be the real thing, or just another false alarm?

(Image © Michael Harkin)

Comments

May 12, 2008 at 7:19 am
(1) Tom Cole says:

It’s a great pic, and the UFO is very BIG. As it is clearly flying over a bunch of houses, why aren’t there more pics of the craft, by other towns people???

May 12, 2008 at 10:37 am
(2) Heedon says:

Instead of looking for more pictures we should be looking for a car missing two hubcaps.

May 12, 2008 at 11:20 am
(3) Siani says:

It could be a street light, with its pole obscured by the car, but I suspect it’s something much smaller. Check out the perspective. It’s much closer to the camera than the trees or houses, suggesting it’s a small object close to the camera. It may even simply be a sticker stuck to the car’s windshield. Whatever it is, it’s no flying saucer, as much as I would like it to be.

May 12, 2008 at 11:35 am
(4) Shawn says:

I’m torn on this one. Looks like a metallic object hovering at low altitude in the sky and it looks real enough, however, it wouldn’t be this first time an impressive image turns out being a hoax. It’s not shaped like a common blimp, it clearly does reflect the light of the sun, an the shine and shadow are in the right spot in relation to the lighting of the sky (position of the sun). I appears to be flying however there is a small portion of the object we cannot see where some sort of rod or stick (attached to the object)could be hidden. to big and perfectly straight to be a small object the photograher threw in the out the car window. Could have been photoshoped in, however the fact that the object is not even close to being centerd on the image seems to suggest the picture was taken in a hurry. I’m really torn on this one. No matter how much I want to believe it is real, as it appears to be, I never jump to that conclusion. Healthier to be a tad more sceptical. However my final virtict on this one is: Real until proven to be a hoax.

May 12, 2008 at 2:31 pm
(5) Heedon says:

The above commentary correctly points out that the perspective is “off.” The object is sharper in focus and resolution than all of the objects in view except for the car’s pillar, which isn’t a problem except that as a result the object should be bigger – at least the size of a house. We could posit a theory that an object utilizing other dimensions could cause this effect. However, a UFO model glued to the outside window pillar and reflecting the sun would also explain the picture. I call for a sworn affidavit to rule out a hoax. And I’m calling this one a hoax.

May 12, 2008 at 4:01 pm
(6) Diego says:

its very unusuall but why isnt there more pictures of other neighbors seeing this thing i mean the guy who shot this thing isnt the only one who saw this unless its fake but the world might never know!!!

May 12, 2008 at 4:19 pm
(7) Joe says:

The sun seems to be glinting on the right side of the object. The house shows NO sunlight at all. the car in the foreground shows the sun glinting on the LEFT side of the car . In my opinion this photo has been manipulated.

May 12, 2008 at 6:47 pm
(8) Steve says:

Real until proven hoax, or vice versa, by someone emotionally and professionally qualified. ‘Just a rule of thumb I’d like to see happen.

May 12, 2008 at 7:44 pm
(9) kd says:

sorry guys, but i think you will find it to be a street light with the pole out of the shot..good try

May 13, 2008 at 2:00 am
(10) Steve says:

O.K. It’s a hoax until proven real, or verse visa, by someone emotionally and professionally qualified; that is, if someone wants to be bothered with the investment of time. Anyways, the unexplained 5% are doozies.

May 13, 2008 at 8:15 pm
(11) Annidez says:

Baloney. Totally fake - from remarks already placed here (no one else photographed it? the perspective and questionable light and shadow?) and this thought - may be silly to consider, but we’re talking UFOs here, so all is game: how would they ever land something with a round bottom? My opinion - streelight without the pole. You wouldn’t even need to Photoshop it. Look at the left-hand middle ridge. Anyone could easily park the car and frame it just right. Hoax.

May 14, 2008 at 11:03 am
(12) Heeden says:

Earth planes have round bottoms. Upon approach to the runway a mechanical structure comprised of support beams, hydraulics, and wheels are deployed through openings which are electronically controlled by the pilot. The structure, along with its wheels, allow a plane with a round bottom to land by spinning the wheels at the point of contact with the ground and allow the plane to continue in a forward motion until brakes attached to the wheel assembly are able to slow the plane’s forward momentum. The structure maintains itself in the deployed position as the plane rests on the ground. The structure, remarkably, is also used to assist the plane to take off in a manner similar, but in opposite sequence, to that when landing.

May 17, 2008 at 7:52 pm
(13) Chance Metz says:

That is a fake,at night I bet it has a lightbulb which would mean it’s a lightpole and not a ufo.

May 18, 2008 at 9:49 am
(14) esotericywericy says:

This photo is a hoax. I know the area, and the question must be asked Where was Mr. Harkin driving to ?
The reason is blatantly obvious. The car that he claims to be in is parked in a cul-de-sac. Google it, and you’ll see what I mean.

May 18, 2008 at 7:43 pm
(15) Chance Metz says:

Wow,he’;s not even driving it.

June 7, 2009 at 11:48 am
(16) caracarn says:

Its clearly a street light anybody who thinks anything different is nuts

Leave a Comment

Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title="">, <b>, <i>, <strike>

Discuss

Community Forum

Explore UFOs / Aliens

About.com Special Features

What is a Recession?

Sure, we're all talking about it, but what, exactly, defines a recession? More >

Weird Breaking News

A daily look at some of the oddest (and dumbest) crimes around. More >

UFOs / Aliens

  1. Home
  2. News & Issues
  3. UFOs / Aliens

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.