Bell-shaped UFO caught on camera

Photo: Copyright 2003-2009 Doug Rubino.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PA - Ufologist Stan Gordon studied a 2003 photo where the photographer only recently discovered a bell-shaped object moving across the sky.

Gordon, who found the image to be very interesting, sent the photo out for professional analysis. 

This reduced version of the entire image shows the object at about mid-photo, just above the dark cloud coverage.

Gordon's complete investigation and the photo analysis follow.

Possible UFO Photographed Over Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

By Researcher Stan Gordon

An amateur photographer with 25 years experience, Doug Rubino, was looking through his  multitudes of sunset shots in his computer folder, when something strange on one picture  drew his attention. The photo was actually taken on May 6, 2003, at 7:47 P.M. from Derry Township, not far from Latrobe, but wasn't noticed until last year. When Doug took a closer look at the photo and enlarged it, there seemed to be a solid object with a bell or acorn shape in one of the pictures.

On the evening that the picture was taken, Doug had noticed the sun behind some clouds in the west just as a storm had passed by. He felt that the view of the sky he was seeing would make a nice photograph. He knew he didn't have much time to capture that scene so he grabbed his Sony digital camera and tripod, and set up for the shot.

The sun was still behind some of the storm clouds, which were moving northward. When the high clouds broke, Doug said there was a beautiful view of the sun. Doug stated that since the clouds were moving so quickly, he took about 10 pictures in about a 5 minute period, as the clouds would cover and uncover the sun.

When he was finished taking the pictures, he viewed the pictures that he had taken on the camera LCD screen, and deleted the pictures that were not properly framed, and kept four shots. Doug commonly took sunset shots, and he had numerous such pictures stored in his computer file. It was one day last year while Doug was looking through his many sunset pictures trying to find some good quality shots to print out that he noticed the picture with the object above the clouds.

Photo: Copyright 2003-2009 Doug Rubino.

Doug did some initial examination of the object to try to figure out what might have caused the image. He also showed it to another experienced photographer who looked at it and was also puzzled as to the origin of the object in the picture. Doug recently contacted me and described the image on the photo. We met and discussed the circumstances as to how the picture was taken, and his interest in trying to determine what is on the photograph.

Doug indicated that he did not see anything unusual in the sky when he took the picture. The photographer also mentioned, "of all the thousands of pictures I've captured, I personally have never an anomaly like this one."

I contacted Jim Brown, a long time research associate of mine, who has an extensive technical background, and has photo analysis experience. You will find Jim's website at www.jimsdestinations.com

Jim has had an opportunity to examine this picture, and the following information is taken from his report.

UNKNOWN OBJECT ANALYSIS

The object in question is located near the center of the image in the bright area near the sun. I would point out that there is no indication the sun is directly responsible for this anomaly, all levels are within dynamic range. No saturation was noted.

Photo: Copyright 2003-2009 Doug Rubino.

A pixel weight scan across the object indicates a ratio of change within the parameters of other light /dark areas in the image. Thus I conclude it likely is a solid object, not a camera anomaly or something caused by later processing. Pixel weighted values are indicated on the resized image as well as areas where these values were obtained.

Color rendering indicates a lack of blue and somewhat lower green levels in the object as compared to nearby clouds. This tends to discount the possibility that the object is a cloud or in any way related to the clouds located nearby. Average Color weights are indicated on the resized image, and for comparison on the clouds nearby.  As expected, the clouds show a much higher level of blue and green than the object in question. This supports the determination it is a solid object rather than a vaporous cloud.

I attempted to resize and smooth the object. After that a second pixel weight scan was done. This scan indicated a more defined change on the right side of the object. This would be expected of a solid object located as this one with respect to the sun.

I also adjusted saturation and thresholds and was able to determine there is a slightly darker region toward the wider area.  While this may be shadowing, it seems to be more defined than one would expect if it were simply a darker area of an object of this shape. However this effect still may be a shadow, it is not well defined and this conclusion is somewhat subjective considering the level of adjustments needed to bring it out.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS

While it may not be possible to accurately determine what the object is, certain characteristics can be established. It appears to be a solid object considerable distance from the camera. It is reflective in that it does not appear to be generating any light on its own. The shape is somewhat larger on one side, almost as a bell, with the top pointed toward the sun. The dark area referred to above could be anything from a recessed area to simply a marking of some kind on the object.

Birds or conventional aircraft can be ruled out due to the shape of the object, no wings or fuselage is apparent.  Also no motion blur is visible however this would not rule out slow to moderate speed or movement. Note the exposure time is 1/1000 sec. per EXIF data.

One possibility considered and rejected was that this was some kind of balloon. The shape and its position discount that theory since the larger area is not centered vertically.  This position would be unlikely for a balloon to maintain since lift on a balloon would be uniform.

Based on the information available, I would at this point consider this an unknown.   

Jim Brown
Independent Research

Other UFO Sighting Reports

It is interesting to note that there were a number of UFO sightings reported in Pennsylvania around the time that this picture was taken. The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) listed two UFO reports on May 3, 2003. One sighting location was listed as St. Clair, where a bright light hovered, then quickly moved across the sky.  The other location reporting a sighting was Jim Thorpe, where observers saw a sphere moving fast across the sky at about 9:40 P.M. on that same day.

There was a UFO sighting reported near Everson in Fayette County in early June, 2003. I interviewed several young fellows who were playing outside at about 3:30 P.M. on that day. They all saw what they described as a luminous green heart shaped object, that was dropping down from the sky. As they looked on, a long white probe suddenly emerged from the bottom of the object. As the object approached the top of the tree line, it hovered for a few seconds, then dropped down out of sight. A few seconds later, the object shot straight up into the sky at a very fast pace and was lost from sight.

If you have information on similar pictures of bell shaped objects, please contact me at: paufo@comcast.net