INDENTIFICATION GUIDE
Here is a quick guide for indentifying several of the most common aerial phenomena. This is obviously just a rough guide, so if you are in doubt about any phenomenon, phone SUFOI straight away or use our sighting form which you can find on this page: Online sighting form!
If the phenomenon moves very quickly, go to point 1.
If the phenomenon moves quite quickly, go to point 2.
If the phenomenon moves slowly or remains in one position, go to point 3.
Point 1:
- Duration of a few seconds, and the course is straight or curved. The light is somewhat like a star: Shooting star.
- Duration between several seconds and a minute. The course is straight or curved. The light is rather brighter than a star. The colour is white, or several colours. There may be a tail or the phenomenon splits into several parts: Fireball (large shooting star) or space debris burning up in the atmosphere.
- Long duration and the light moves around quickly in a pattern. It may also appear as a light moving around Inside a cloud, or a light that seems to be situated above the clouds and shining down on them: Laser or projector used for advertising purposes.
Point 2:
- A small light - similar to a star - that moves across the sky on a straight or curved course. It may seem to curve slightly when it passes stars or similar objects: Satellite.
- Bright light moving through the sky. Combination of blinking lights and/or small coloured lights. Apparently No sound: Aircraft.
Point 3:
- A bright light that remains stationary or travels very slowly from left to right towards the horizon. It may often appear to be rotating with different colours or emitting rays of light at the edges: Planet or bright star.
- Check that the light is there again the next evening at the same time (if the sky is clear).
- One or more bright lights that for a while remain stationary or move very slowly. After a short time the lights diminish and disappear: May be aircraft landing lights.