ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. When you click through the links on our site and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Learn more

This is why NASA cut footage of a 'UFO' sighting

NASA has some explaining to do - but UFO hunters won't like the answers

This is why NASA cut footage of a 'UFO' sighting

The truth is out there. At least, we think it is; NASA just keeps trying to deny us a good look at it.

This is the general line of thinking popular amongst many of the web's keener UFO hunters - a crowd that was handed a big fat conspiratorial treat back on 9 July when footage from the International Space Station appeared to confirm their wildest dreams.

This is what all the fuss is about

On 9 July, footage from the ISS High Definition Earth Viewing experiment appeared to show a small something entering the Earth's atmosphere. 

Given that this is an unidentified object that appears to be flying, it fits the bill as being a 'UFO'. The factor that added a conspiratorial edge to the footage was that NASA appeared to cut the video feed as soon as the object stopped moving. 

Coincidence?! Well, we don't know.

This is what NASA has to say on the subject

While the alien-hunting corners of the web lit up with their own ideas, CNet took the sensible step of actually asking NASA what was going on. 

"The video is from our High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment aboard the ISS, which is mounted externally on the ISS," said NASA spokesperson Daniel Huot. "This experiment includes several commercial HD video cameras aimed at the Earth, which are enclosed in a pressurized and temperature-controlled housing. The experiment is on automatic controls to cycle through the various cameras."

In short - no one is in control of what those video cameras are viewing. At least, that's what they want you to think, eh?

Footage 'cutting out' from the ISS is actually really normal

"The station regularly passes out of range of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) used to send and receive video, voice and telemetry from the station," said Huot. "For video, whenever we lose signal (video comes down on our higher bandwidth, called KU) the cameras will show a blue screen (indicating no signal) or a preset video slate."

So there's no one madly pressing buttons to stop you from seeing "the truth". 

As to what that dot/horseshoe/object is? 

"It's very common for things like the moon, space debris, reflections from station windows, the spacecraft structure itself or lights from Earth to appear as artifacts in photos and videos from the orbiting laboratory."

Sorry guys. 

[Via: CNet]