UFO over Euless. (Credit: tcastellon/WFAA)

A witness with the nickname tcastellon has submitted an iPhone UFO photo to Dallas TV station WFAA. The witness says the photo was captured at a 7-11 in Euless, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The witness wrote:

Wednesday night about 11:30 pm I was heading to Fort Worth on airport freeway. When I got to Euless I stopped at a 7-11. As I came out of the 7-11, I noticed about 5 or 6 people standing in the parking lot aiming their iPhone cameras to the night sky.

They were looking at a shimmering shape way high in the sky. It was not moving. I would say it was at least 1000 feet up. I asked one person ‘what’s that?’ He said, ‘I don’t know, I think it’s a UFO.’ He told me he had been watching it for awhile, that at times it would flash all kinds of lights. He also said that it had floated around for awhile before it came to a stop.

I took a picture of it and watched it for about five minutes. Suddenly, it flashed a bunch of lights. Then the lights went dim. It was cigar shaped, the left side was a dim green glow and the right side was dim red glow. I watched it for a few more minutes and then I got in my car and took off. The picture I posted is from my iPhone.

According to 10News, San Diego’s ABC affiliate, witness Ellen Henry snapped multiple UFO photos of the object as it hovered over the historic, and allegedly haunted, Edgmoore Barn. And she is convinced that whatever she saw in the sky was extraterrestrial.

Close-up of the UFO over Santee, CA. (Credit: Ellen Henry/News10)

News10 interviewed Henry, but “she did not want to show her face on camera because she said she was still spooked by what she captured.” And she claims that her camera stopped working after she photographed the UFO.

The station reportedly contacted the nearby airport and the nearby Marine airbase, but neither had an explanation for the UFO. The station also checked with the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) and determined that only one UFO sighting in San Diego had been reported during May. News10 points out that Edgemoore Barn sits beneath multiple flight paths.

The station provides very few details from the witness. The News10 reporter states that the object was hovering over the barn, but it is unclear whether that is her description or Henry’s description. Based on the pictures, the object appears to be in motion. Henry told News10 she is certain the object was not a bug. With multiple flight paths above the barn, and with the unidentified object apparently in motion, a conventional aircraft is a possible identification. But it is always possible that Henry snapped photos of something extraterrestrial.

A positive identification of this UFO over Santee is unlikely unless more details are obtained from the witness.

Jung demonstrated a great interest in UFOs in his career, primarily the psychological aspects of the modern mythology, but as he expresses in the letter, to his chagrin, “one almost must regret that the Ufos seem to be real after all.”

Book cover to Jung’s Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies. (Credit: Princeton University Press.)

In 1958, Jung wrote a book focused on the psychological aspects of the phenomenon titled, Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies. This is the publisher’s description of the book:

Jung’s primary concern in Flying Saucers is not with the reality or unreality of UFOs but with their psychic aspect. Rather than speculate about their possible nature and extraterrestrial origin as alleged spacecraft, he asks what it may signify that these phenomena, whether real or imagined, are seen in such numbers just at a time when humankind is menaced as never before in history. The UFOs represent, in Jung’s phrase, ‘a modern myth.’

It appears to be in anticipation of this book that Mr. Harrison of the New Republic requested Jung to submit an article on UFOs. The letter reads:

Dear Mr. Harrison,

“[T]he problem of the Ufos is, as you rightly say, a very fascinating one, but it is as puzzling as it is fascinating; since, in spite of all observations I know of, there is no certainty about their very nature. On the other side, there is an overwhelming material pointing to their legendary or mythological aspect. As a matter of fact the psychological aspect is so impressive, that one almost must regret that the Ufos seem to be real after all. I have followed up the literature as much as possible and it looks to me as if something were seen and even confirmed by radar, but nobody knows exactly what is seen.  In consideration of the psychological aspect of the phenomenon I have written a booklet about it, which is soon to appear. It is also in the process of being translated into English. Unfortunately being occupied with other tasks I am unable to meet your proposition. Being rather old, I have to economize my energies.

Very sincerely yours

Jung’s letter to Mr. Harrison.

As indicated in the letter, although he was primarily interested in the psychology, Jung had also done extensive research into whether or not the mythology was based on a physical phenomenon. In 1955 he submitted an article to a British UFO magazine called the Flying Saucer Review, in which he stated:

In the course of years, I have gathered together a considerable mass of observations, included in which are reports by two eyewitnesses known to me personally (I have never seen anything!). I have also read on the question. However, I can only say for certain: these things are not a mere rumour: something has been seen.

Although Jung had been involved with investigating UFO reports, the Flying Saucer Review was a somewhat obscure publication. So after Jung’s book was published, because he used the term “mythology” in the title, skeptics purported that he was not advocating that UFOs were real.

In order to remove any doubt, Jung released a report that was picked up by the Associated Press and printed on July 30, 1958, in the New York Herald Tribune. They wrote:

Dr. Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, says in a report released yesterday that unidentified flying objects are real, and show signs of intelligent guidance by quasi-human pilots. “I can only say for certain that these things are not a mere rumour. Something has been seen. A purely psychological explanation is ruled out”. Dr. Jung, who had started his research on UFOs in 1944, issued his statement through the UFO-Filter Centre of the Aerial Phenomena Research Association (A.P.R.O.) here.

The letter being auctioned off this week perfectly summarizes Jung’s views on UFOs. Swann estimates that the letter will be sold for between $2000 and $3000, so if you are a big Jung and UFO fan, like I am, grab your wallet and start bidding.

The Star Trek cast and crew included writer/producer Damon Lindelof and stars Chris Pine, John Cho, and Alice Eve. They talked to astronauts Michael Fincke and Kjell Lindgren at the Johnson Space Center, and Chris Cassidy aboard the International Space Station.

Abrams was not able to participate in the live event, but he started off the questions with a video that was recorded earlier. He asked:

I wish I could be there, but I couldn’t attend, so I am doing this very important question on video, which is the following. I talked to an astronaut once who told me on one of his missions he actually did see something really strange that he couldn’t explain that made him believe in extraterrestrial life, and my question to you is. Have either of you ever seen anything that made you believe that, or something you couldn’t explain or couldn’t understand, that you didn’t really necessarily share with the public, but that you want to share with us now? Thanks.

Astronauts Michael Fincke (left) and Kjell Lindgren. (Credit: NASA)

Fincke replied:

That was a great question from J.J., we get that question a lot. We all want to know, ‘are we the only ones out there?’And Star Trek helps us imagine what it could be like if there were other creatures, other people, other species. I spent a whole year in space, 381 days, but it is only 240 miles up, so that’s not very far in cosmic terms. So we think as we go farther out, and into the universe, we might find something out there that we don’t know about. I have never seen anything, maybe Kjell will on his mission, but I think as we go farther out, with the inspiration we get from you guys making these great feats of imagination and excitement, the movies that you make,  inspire us to be our best as human beings on planet earth.

Everyone laughed and got a kick out of the question and the answer, Lindelof commented, “What a great answer. Mike, can you confirm you have not been taken over by aliens? It felt a little too polished.”

Fincke said, “No, I have done this before and I am an American human being who loves being part of our space program, and we all look up to you guys to inspire us.”

To which Lindelof replied, “Now we know something is seriously wrong.”

Star Trek Into Darkness cast and crew (from left): Actor John Cho, Writer/Producer Damon Lindelof, Actress Alice Eve, Actor Chris Pine. (Credit: NASA)

The spirit of the conversation was light and fun. The Star Trek members repeatedly commented on what a thrill it as to be talking to the astronauts, especially one in space.

Alice Eve

On an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Eve told Kimmel:

That was definitely the coolest thing we’ve done. I mean, we’ve shared the movie with countries around the world, but we got to Skype… with the guy in a space station. And he was turning around in the air when we were talking to him and when he would talk, he would suddenly let go of his mic and it would just stay there. It was a very weird experience.

However, Eve also says she found Fincke’s answer to Abrams’ question unconvincing. She told Kimmel:

J.J. asked this question, ‘So have you seen alien life?’… and the response that the guys at the NASA base gave us… was so rehearsed and so clear that they had seen (aliens).

She then nervously said she thought she might get abducted for saying this. Kimmel respond  “Interesting, so you believe there is a party line that they are given, and they kind of have to regurgitate it.”

Kimmel, obviously enamored by the beautiful actress, asked if she believed in aliens, she said she did and he quickly responded, “then I do too.”

While Eve is not convinced the astronauts are telling the truth, another interesting question would be who Abrams spoke to, and what did the astronaut see to convince him of extraterrestrial life? If any of you happen to bump into him, be sure to ask.

Open Minds recently featured other UFO and alien photos that were taken with this app and purported to be real. We were even approached at the UFO Congress by a young woman who said she had caught an alien in a photograph, but it turned out to be a joke she was playing on us and her parents using the Camera360 app.

Camera360 is a smartphone app that allows the user to manipulate photos taken on their phones. Among other effects, it lets the user add aliens and UFOs to their images. Unfortunately, it makes hoaxing a convincing picture very simple. However, WMFD should not feel too bad. News agencies across the world have been fooled by these pictures recently, including as far a Thailand and Indonesia.

Many of the hoaxers can be very convincing. Such is the case of Tom Young from Mansfield, Ohio. He told news reporters that he was visiting friends in San Carlos, California, and decided to take a picture of the beautiful view from their balcony. When he looked at the picture later, he says he was surprised to find a classically shaped flying saucer.

He told WMFD News that he doesn’t believe in extraterrestrials. He thinks the disc shaped object is advanced technology built right here on Earth. He told WMFD News:

“NASA has some technology that they are messin’ with, and I don’t believe that these things are from Mars. I don’t support that kind of thinking, and there is too much technology in this whole area here that would substantiate somebody has got some technology that they are playing with.”

Young said he is happy with his picture and he will proudly hold onto it forever. It is possible a trick is being played on him as well, but this is another example that when a picture looks too good to be true, it often is.

A similar image taken in Palmerah, Subdistrict of West Jakarta, Indonesia. This one also made it into local news reports. (Credit: oik yusuf/ kompas.com)

Camara360 UFO photo that fooled Thai news. (Credit: http://www.thairath.co.th/)

UPDATE:

We informed WMFD of Camera360, so they did a follow up story and confronted the UFO “witness.” Watch the video below.

A green UFO was recorded on video in the sky above the city of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia by resident Arthur Sollitt on the night of February 24.

Sollitt described his UFO sighting to the Queensland Times stating,

The UFO recorded by Sollitt. (Credit: Arthur Sollitt/YouTube)

From some angles it is like a green rectangle, and then it has a white object above it almost in a T shape in some angles. At times the white image is above it and at times it is below it. It is almost as though it is turning upside down. It is real hard to explain.

Others have reportedly seen the same, or a similar, UFO in the area.

According to the Queensland Times, Sollitt’s son sent the video to UFO Research Queensland president Sheryl Gottschall who concluded, “I’ve seen a lot of things, but I haven’t seen anything like that . . . not even on the internet. It remains unidentified.”

Sollitt told the Queensland Times, “As far as I am concerned it is an unidentified flying object, but whether it is earth-made or something from outer space . . . you just wouldn’t know.” But he opined, “It may be a remote-controlled object. But it is something in the sky and it is flying like a plane.”

The strange-looking object could very well be exactly what he described–a remote-controlled object flying like a plane. The online zine Who Forted? recently pointed out that glowing wings are sold for model airplane enthusiasts who want to fly their planes at night. And owners of remote-controlled gliders have been adorning their craft with LED lights to enable night flying for years.

Although an illuminated, remote-controlled glider is a likely identification for this mysterious object, no positive identification has been made, and therefore the object remains unidentified.

Watch the video below of an illuminated glider to see the similarities between it and the UFO recorded by Sollitt. And share your thoughts with us in the comments below, or on the Open Minds Facebook page.