The NSL debate

[Guest]

I'm a member of AboveTopSecret.com. Our motto is to 'Deny Ignorance' so that is the primary reason for my post.

On the site there is a thread about a large bright object that appears on the NSL camera. Here is the picture:

and other of an animation created by one of our members


Now I believe it is either the sun or the moon. Moving across the sky. However this is a 'Night Sky' cam so the sun is eliminated.

Can anyone confirm this?

[/url]

[lior]

That object is the moon. You can see it in many NSL sites.

In the archive, there is a small picture of the moon status near the link of any of the nights, so you can easily tell whether the moon was up at that night.

It is also interesting to use a virtual observatory (such as SkyGlobe). If you set the location and the date/time of the observation, you will see that the moon appears exactly at the same place it appears in NSL images.

[Guest]

Here is a response from one of our members:

NEXT MORNING, 11/8

Here. Let me show you why that CAN'T BE the Moon--impossible.

This sequence shows a round lit object that CHANGES RELATIVE SIZE as if its distance is varying from the earth. First it comes closer, until November 1st it's as large as it gets. And then it begins diminishing and the latest shots of it -- at the bottom --

http://www.abidemiracles.com/images/99a ... r_1106.gif" 06/12/04
http://www.abidemiracles.com/images/99a ... r_1108.gif" 07/10/04

http://www.abidemiracles.com/images/99a ... r_1118.gif" 08/08/04

http://www.abidemiracles.com/images/99a ... r_1015.gif" 09/06/04

http://www.abidemiracles.com/images/99a ... r_1136.gif" 10/04/04

http://nightskylive.net/mw/mw041101.html 10/05/04

http://nightskylive.net/mw/mw041107.html 11/08/04 --

show it back to the size it was last June.

Well, I've never seen the MOON enlarge and diminish in size as if it were moving toward or away from us. The Moon doesn't do this.

So, let's go back to Square One and start over.

If you would like to get involved in the debate, the thread is located at: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread94073/pg1

[Emoticon Fury]

Its simply the moon climbing across the sky. The reason it appears to change in size is because dew collects more on the tip of the dome rather than the edges. As the moon climbs it gets diffused more and more due to the increased dew at the tip of the dome making it seem bigger. Bring up NSL images on a humid night versus a dry night and youll see what I'm talking about. The dew droplet size also has a lot to do with this and that all depends on local temps.

Besides you dont think a giant bright object in the skies over California that wasnt the moon would have been reported or even made the paper? Just dial the location and date into some planetarium software and you'll see the moon takes the same track. Also note that it moves about the same speed as the moon in comparison to other NSL images. I tend to be more liberal minded when it comes to things like this but there are to many sensible explinations for this.

[EDIT] After reading the thread at ATS I'd like to point out that I am not affiliated with the NSL team. However I have been watching these cams for some time now. I'm just an avid photographer and also have great interest in the skies. Another possible contributing factor to the moon appearing to grow and diminish is because the moon gets brighter as it climbs higher in the sky causing the already overexposed moon to bleed further into the neighboring pixels of the CCD camera. I know what I know about the dew development from my own adventures in astrophotography.