10-24-2012, 01:47 PM
VIRGIE, Ky. (WSAZ) -- An object spotted in the sky by several people across Pike County last week has still not been identified. One local astronomer captured pictures and video of it through his telescope.
"It wasn't anything I recognized. Definitely not an airplane, and I've never seen a helicopter that looked like that," said Allen Epling.
Sightings of the object have been reported in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, but it has yet to be identified.
Epling says even with his background in astronomy, it is unlike anything he has ever seen.
"Looked like two fluorescent bulbs, side by side, parallel, shining very brightly," said Epling. "It would get so bright they would seem to merge, and you could see it very clearly with the naked eye. Then it would dim down almost invisible."
Even stranger, the object barely moved. It hovered in the same area for more than two hours.
"I don't understand how it could stay up there in one place. There was no sign of propellers or any kind of proportion system. No gas is coming out," said Epling.
Police in the area say they received a handful of calls about the object, but they were unable to locate it.
Airport officials say they do not have any records of aircraft flying through the area at that time.
Epling says his best guess is that it is some sort of balloon, but his research has not turned up anything similar. And he says it had to be hovering at an altitude of at least 100,000 feet.
"Contradictory, if it's a balloon, how could it maintain its structure at that altitude?" Epling said.
For now it remains unidentified, better known as a UFO.
Epling put his video of the object on YouTube. It has had more than 30,000 views.
http://www.WSAZ.com
"It wasn't anything I recognized. Definitely not an airplane, and I've never seen a helicopter that looked like that," said Allen Epling.
Sightings of the object have been reported in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, but it has yet to be identified.
Epling says even with his background in astronomy, it is unlike anything he has ever seen.
"Looked like two fluorescent bulbs, side by side, parallel, shining very brightly," said Epling. "It would get so bright they would seem to merge, and you could see it very clearly with the naked eye. Then it would dim down almost invisible."
Even stranger, the object barely moved. It hovered in the same area for more than two hours.
"I don't understand how it could stay up there in one place. There was no sign of propellers or any kind of proportion system. No gas is coming out," said Epling.
Police in the area say they received a handful of calls about the object, but they were unable to locate it.
Airport officials say they do not have any records of aircraft flying through the area at that time.
Epling says his best guess is that it is some sort of balloon, but his research has not turned up anything similar. And he says it had to be hovering at an altitude of at least 100,000 feet.
"Contradictory, if it's a balloon, how could it maintain its structure at that altitude?" Epling said.
For now it remains unidentified, better known as a UFO.
Epling put his video of the object on YouTube. It has had more than 30,000 views.
http://www.WSAZ.com
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