- (AFP) -- Jose Angel Docobo, director of the Ramon Maria
Aller Astronomical Observatory in Santiago de Compostela, stated today
that the unidentified luminous object seen Tuesday over different parts
of southern Galicia was almost certainly "a cosmic rock".
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- According to Docobo, early signs point to the fact that
the phenomenon was caused by a "bolide, a natural object" although
this cannot be said with certainty. The Observatory notes that no atmospheric
penetration by an object of that type had been expected, but it would not
be the first time such a thing occurs unexpectedly. Jose Angel Docbo is
convinced that coming hours will reveal the precise nature of the phenomenon
responsible for sightings among numerous residents of southern Galicia
around midnight yesterday. The Observatory is in contact with a number
of experts in the field to seek a definitive explanation to the events.
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- The likeliest possibility, says Dacobo, is that it was
a natural object "with a rather even trajectory", since eyewitnesses
claiming to have seen it reported [the object] was following an ascending
path. In any event, the Observatory's director has not dismissed the possibility
that the strange lighs could be space junk or even some military experiment.
The Guardia Civil received up to nine phone calls on Tuesday night from
southern Galicia reporting the sighting--all of them around 12:30 a.m..
According to the accounts, the object "was as bright as an airplane"
but changed intensity, and lef t trail similar to that of a rocket during
its ascending trajectory.
- Moreover, AENA (Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegacion Aerea)
reported that it has no evidence of any incidents over Galicia last night.
The aviation agenciy reproted that the Vigo Airport is closed at that time
of night but that air traffic continues over the area, involving airliners
crossing the airspace in question and the possibility that private planes
are also flying in the vicinity.
- The strange phenomenon was also seen by numerous eyewitnesses
in Portugal, especially in the north, according to that country's press.
Diario de Noticias reports that the Firefighting and Civil Defense services
received phone calls reporting a "large, intense white light with
smoke."
- The unidentified luminous object was seen as the same
time as in Galicia, at 11:30 p.m.in Portugal and from locations throughout
Portuguese territory, such as Penafiel, Vendas Novas, Evora, Algarve and
Setubal. For the moment, Portuguese authorities do not know what could
be the cause for the odd sighting in the skies.
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- Translation (C) 2004. Scott Corrales, Institute of Hispanic
Ufology. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez.
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