Examples of Identified Sightings

Many UFO sighting reports and photographs of seemingly anomalous objects or lights have logical explanations. Numerous objects, natural objects, aerial phenomena, and space or weather aspects can be mistaken as UFO's and upon investigation, have an earthly explanation.

A few examples are: kites, microlites, helicopters or planes, meteors, Venus, lenticular clouds, 'blimps', lens flares, bugs/beetles/birds, distant elevated structures, spotlights.

Listed below are some of the reports we have received that have been 'identified'. We wish to thank the observers for lodging the reports. Keep watching the sky!

Date:  Sunday 2 May 2010
Time:  2.35 am
Location:  Halcombe (near Bulls), North Island
Special features/characteristics:  flashing coloured lights forming triangular shape

Description:
Duration of sighting approx 20 to 25 minutes.  Clear sky, stars, little to no wind.
The witness observed a group of flashing lights that appeared to be a triangular shape.  The lights flashed blue, green, red, yellow/white.  The group of lights circled occasionally and appeared to move closer to the witness at one point.
The lights were viewed in the distance above treetop height, in the southwest.

UFOCUS NZ comment: Mount Biggs is to the southwest of the witness’s position, however from aeronautical maps, Mount Biggs does not appear to be high enough to have any obstruction lights on at.  If the witness’s southwest line of sight is extended, it passes through Ohakea Air Force Base, and they are presently building a high hangar there.  Ohakea ATC advised UFOCUS NZ there is a red hazard light on top of a tall crane working on the new hangar.  It is possible the witness saw that light, and the changing light colours and appearance of movement could be due to atmospheric refraction caused by the distance between the observer and Ohakea Air Force Base.

Date:  Saturday 2 January 2010
Time:  Evening
Location:  Whatuwhiwhi, Cape Karikari, Northland
Special features/characteristics:  formations of orange lights

Description: 
Sighting duration nearly one hour.
Sky clear with light cloud; diminishing southwesterly wind, very light.
Two witnesses were kayak fishing, and waiting for moonrise to clear Cape Karikari.
They observed up to 15 bright orange lights appearing from the NW, quite low, that flew SE over the sea towards them, but not reaching them.  The lights then changed direction and ascended quite quickly.

The sightings were spaced over nearly an hour, starting at just before moon-skyline break.
Initially frequent, the witnesses observed groups of 3-4 lights following the same trajectory.  There were no strobes or navigation lights in the formations, and no obvious sound.  The path of the lights was very different from that of the wind at sea level, and the speed was higher than sea-level wind speed.

UFOCUS NZ comment:  Possibly lanterns released in groups.

Date:  Saturday 16 January 2010
Time:  8.30-9 pm
Location:  Orewa, North Island
Special features/characteristics:  thin line of light in the sky

Description:
Clear skies with a few clouds on the horizon, sunset.
A family was travelling out of Orewa onto SH1, when they sighted a bright shining yellow line of light in the sky, sitting diagonally, over West Auckland.  It appeared to be dropping in the sky, and moving slowly.  The witnesses were able to watch it until they were further south at Northcote.

UFOCUS NZ comment:  the family was watching a contrail of an aircraft, illuminated by the setting sun.

Date:  Wednesday 14 January 2009
Time:  Approx 10.45 pm
Location:  Kaikoura, South Island

Description:
A clear, moonlit night.  Duration of sighting around two seconds.
The witness and her two children were atop a hill in Kaikoura taking part in a skywatch.
The group guide was pointing out the rising Moon and the Milky Way.
The witness heard a crackling sound and looked up to see a thumbnail-sized orange light with a tail of white sparks, distance from observer unknown, but she guessed that it was well out over the ocean.  At first the witness thought she was looking at fireworks of some sort, but then realized that it could not be, given its location.  There was a sudden flash which lit up the sky (similar to the brightness of lightning) for a moment, followed by a faint ‘pop’ and a crackling noise, and the light suddenly disappeared.
The astronomy guide was setting up the telescope and saw the flash just as he was about to look away.  He asked the witness what the flash was and whether it was lightning.  She told him that it had been caused by an orange ball of light and asked the guide is if he had seen anything like that before.  He replied that no, he had not.

UFOCUS NZ comment:  The Quadrantids meteor shower peaked around January 2 and 3, and it is possible that the witnesses saw a meteor burning out in the atmosphere.  Interesting though that (1) the witnesses heard popping and crackling noises rather than the familiar sonic boom, even though the light was reportedly well out over the sea, and that (2) the amateur astronomer said he had not seen anything like it before.

Finding: Possible meteor or ball lightning.

Date:  Saturday 25 November 2006
Time:  1.40-2.30 pm
Location:  Orewa Beach, North Auckland, North Island. 
 
Description:  The weather was sunny, with some clouds. The witnesses (2) were on the 10th floor of an apartment building.  They observed an object traveling from east to west at a slow ‘gliding’ speed quite some distance out over the ocean.  At first they thought it was either a kite or a hang glider. It traveled slowly towards land, up and along a ridgeline north of them.  Through the viewfinder of the camera, they could not see any tether line.  Because of the considerable distance it traveled from out at sea, they decided it could not be a kite or hang glider, and they could not see a person suspended from it.  It was v or boomerang shaped, and glowed red.  It appeared to be a powered object, ascending and descending, and appearing to hover for periods.  Something could be seen trailing off its left edge.
The object was lost from view behind trees at the northern end of Orewa, at which point it appeared to be glowing intensely red.  The flight was captured on mini-DV video tape (approx 25-30 mins).  Friends who viewed the footage agreed it was a strange object.
Before contacting UFOCUS NZ, the witnesses searched the internet for flying objects of similar appearance, but found nothing.

UFOCUS NZ comment:  Photos of the object, and a flight path map made by the observers were examined by UFOCUS NZ.  The object was clearly a large red fishing kite attached to a clear fishing line.  Photo 1 shows the kite approaching over the sea.  Photo 2 shows a classic fishing kite profile.

Date:  Monday 25 September, 2006
Time:  7.30 pm
Location:  A park or backyard somewhere in Mangere, Sth Auckland

Description:
UFOCUS NZ received a sighting report concerning a lighted disc with green light in the centre, which had been sighted by many people in the area, including 20 members of a local art group.  Reports were made to Radio Live on both the Marcus Lush programme Monday evening, and the Michael Laws programme Tuesday morning.

UFOCUS NZ was contacted by an Auckland radio station and invited to comment on the sighting.  The announcer also had on line a person claiming to be an enthusiastic witness of the event.  The announcer was keen to have UFOCUS NZ state categorically that the lighted object was a craft, however we are much more professional and thorough than that, and we stated that no such claims could be made, and that we would have to interview witnesses, check out astronomical features, consult ATC etc, before we could make any statement.  At this point, the enthusiastic ‘witness’ professed to be a member of the Skeptic Society, who was actually impressed by our logical and scientific approach to investigations.  In fact he reprimanded the radio announcer for having tried to push us into a rash analysis!

We soon discovered that this ‘sighting’ was a prank set up by members of the Skeptic Society to ‘test’ the credibility or gullibility of the public and/or UFO sighting investigators, as a prelude to their annual conference the following weekend.   As a result, members of the Skeptic Society and Sue Hansen from UFOCUS NZ were interviewed on ‘Campbell Live’ TV3.
To read an excellent article by US physicist and optical data analyst Dr Bruce Maccabee, CLICK HERE: ‘Prosaic Explanations: The Failure of UFO Skepticism’.

UFOCUS NZ comment: Skeptic Society hoax

Date: 24 June 2006
Time:  Approx. 10.35pm – 10.50pm
Location:  Manurewa, Auckland

Description:  The sighting lasted approx. 15 minutes with 3 observers, viewed from an easterly direction, looking NW to Manurewa/Mangare.  A very clear night with minimal clouds.  For approx. 8 mins, the brightly lit object appeared to be stationary.  It then briefly moved about continuously before slowly moving off in a southerly direction.  It appeared about the size of a small plane, with flashing colours.  Most of the light was projected from the front of the object.  Footage & photos provided from digital camera.

UFOCUS NZ comment: Police heicopter. UFOCUS NZ contacted ATC; none of the Auckland ATCs recorded either a visual or radar anomaly.  The footage was viewed by UFOCUS NZ, and Hamilton & Auckland ATC & identified as a helicopter.  The time, position, & direction of the sighting all corresponded with the movements of a police helicopter using spotlights, working over Manurewa, Cornwallis, & south of the city.

Date: 19 and 20 May 2006
Time: between 8.30pm and 9.00pm on both days
Location: Hamilton

Description:

On, and following these two evenings, a number of people contacted the Waikato Times, the police, the Hamilton Astronomical Society, and the local 'News Talk ZB' radio station to report a UAP (unusual aerial phenomenon) taking place.

They reported sighting mysterious white luminous circles 'dancing' in the sky above the city of Hamilton, and the townships of Cambridge and Te Awamutu. The glowing circles seemed to appear, move, disappear and reappear.

Meanwhile, the staff in the control tower at Hamilton airport were able to observe this spectacular phenomenon at close proximity. They were also able to inform the groups above that the phenomenon was caused by two powerful spotlights (searchlights) that were being trialled at the nearby Mystery Creek Field Days site, in preparation for their use at the Cambridge High School ball to be held there on Saturday.

According to our member, Air Traffic Controller Graeme Opie, depending on where the observer was positioned, and the angle of sight, the spotlights reflecting off the 3000ft cloud base would give the appearance of the circles being in different locations over the 3 towns. When the spotlights were turned on and off, the mysterious glowing 'discs' seemed to disappear and reappear elsewhere, similar to many reports of the often erratic movements of UFOs.

UFOCUS NZ comment: Spotlights shining on low cloud base.

Date:  Friday 24 July 2009
Time:  unknown
Location:  Tauranga, North Island

Description:
A person photographed a rainbow.  When the photos were loaded onto computer, they noticed an airborne object.

UFOCUS NZ comment: Seagull in flight.