LIGHTS OVER SPAIN BETWEEN NOVEMBER 5 AND DECEMBER 8, 2002INEXPLICATA Lights over Spain Between November 5 and December 8, 2002 by Jordi Ardanuy These cases could be associated into two blocks corresponding to the Mediterranean (Xátiva and Murcia) and the center of the Iberian Peninsula (Zamora, Badajoz and Madrid). It is worth noting that both elements of this taxonomy feature a main news story which unchained others in which the lights were seen. In the first group publication and above all, dissemination via UFO lists regarding the Xátiva case; in the second, publication on the Internet of the Madrid sighting by Iker Jimenez and its subsequent dissemination through his own radio broacast. A UFO Over Badajoz (November 5) The narrator was not a witness and does not really know how it all happened. It would appear to have occured on November 5, between 3-4 a.m.. He learned of the event through the Iker Jimenez Milenio 3 readio program. He found nothing in the digital editions of "Hoy" de Badajoz (newspaper). Sightings in Xátiva (Valencia--November 21 and 29) Paco Hellín, a local police officer, private pilot, and in his own words, presenter of a UFO radio show on Cadena SER's Xátiva affiliate, saw a powerful, light-blue light in the early hours of November 20-21 in the company of several members of the local police force. The sighting ocurred between 6:10 and 6:50 hrs., with the object remaining visible between 40 and 50 minutes. A decision was made to phone the control tower at Manises Airport to have the station's radar detect the object. "After giving them the coordinates of 150-170 degrees southeast, taking the airport as reference, we were told that their radar showed nothing, because for an aircraft to be detected, it must carry a transponder that issues a signal." In the early hours of November 29, the same witness observed through binoculars "a metallic object shaped like an inverted thimble, remaining static but sometimes moving vertically, giving off a powerful light blue brilliance along its edges." Using the size of the Moon as reference, the light "could have been equal to 1/5 or 1/6 the size of the full moon," which was behind him all the time the observation took place. He used as reference the catenary cables of the RENFE train line that crosses the community as well as the horizon delineated by the mountains surrounding the area. The location where the sighting occurred is outside the community, near the entrance to the municipality through the road to Llosa. On one occasion, the metallic object was above the Lluis Alcanyís hospital. This Xátiva resident decided to report the case to the Instituto Nacional de Astronomía, who told him that it could have been the International Space Station. Other experts have doubted this possibility due to its scant luminosity and point toward Venus as a likely object, although the imprecise coordinates hinder a full confirmation. On the other hand, Rafael Esteller, also a resident of this community, saw a light moving at high speeed on Wednesday, November 27 as he drove around 7:00 a.m. toward Albacete, some 40 km. from Xátiva. "There were three lights, two of them static and a thrd moving at such a speed that it can't be anything else (sic)." Light over Murcia, November 22, 2002. In the early hours of November 22 (an uncertain bit of data, since it could refer to two days after the second sighting), friends of the narrator claimed having seen something similar to the Xátiva UFO, also in the early morning hours around 6 a.m., which leads this writer to believe that by being seen from Valencia and Murcia, although two days later, it could perhaps be a planet or star visible in those days. The description given is of a large, brilliant light, much larger than a star although not as large as the Moon, and which did not move. Venus has also been offered as an explanation. Light over Madrid, December 4, 2002 Several witnesses, members of the Milenio 3 radio team directed by Iker Jimenez among them, were treated to the sight of a powerful unidentified light source over Madrid, from the southeast, at 5 a.m. last Wedneseday (the 4th). Some reporters from the SER radio network looked out their windows and attested to the light's presence. It was round and motionless and emitted a powerful blue flash. Our investigations have proven it was not a star, planet or satellite. It suddenly vanished two hours later. It had four tips or issued four beams of light. Witnesses phoned the radio station and alerted the persons on duty at the newsroom. The proposed explanation has been Venus, which was rising in the horizon at 5:09 and two hours later had ascended to some 20 degrees (a palm's distance with the arm oustretched, approximately). Another member of the same list claimed to have seen the same phenomenon in August, September and December. The descriptions, while very imprecise, suggest a possible astronomic origin. Light Over the Highway on December 8, 2002 Source: Lista ikerjimenez@yahoogroups.com and personal e-mail. Date: December 13, 2002 Driving along the road near Móstoles along Natl. Hwy. 5 at around 20:00 hrs. more or less, both witnesses saw a very bright white light in the distance; it was spherical and large, not fitting the typical observation parameters of an airplane. The apparente size increased and suddenly diminisehd in size until it vanished, but without moving at any time. ============================================== UFOINFO Note: INEXPLICATA : The Journal of Hispanic Ufology can be found at: http://www.inexplicata.com UFOINFO would like to thank Scott Corrales and UFO UpDates for granting permission to use this article. You can subscribe to UFO UpDates by writing to Errol Bruce-Knapp at: ufoupdates@virtuallystrange.net |
