Report on sighting in Cornwall on 10th January 2024 Celestial objects/Night sky

The report notes the date as 9th January 2024 at 2am with the report made on 10th January 2024.  I have made the assumption that the sighting was the early hours of 10th January 2024.

The witness does not specify the direction in which the lights were viewed but notes that they were over the sea.  Using satellite images of the address I can see that it is likely that the window would have been looking directly West out towards the coast.

Directly West from that location in the night sky at 2am would have been the Orion Star cluster which contains three of the brighter stars in the sky which would have been viewed as horizontal and at an altitude of around 45 degrees.  The witness notes that the lights were mid-sky. The star Rigel would also have been visible slightly below the three stars and would have been brighter than the three.

The witness notes that they saw the same lights on 10th December 2023 and on another unrecorded occasion.  A review of the night sky on 10th December also indicates that Orion would have been visible at the same time in the morning, although slightly higher in the sky.  The witness does seem to indicate that the lights were higher in the sky on previous occasions.

The witness says that the lights do flicker/twinkle which would support the conclusion that the lights are stars.  Even during a very clear night the lights would be seen to brighten and dim.

The evening was very clear, bright and cold, which can make the stars appear particularly bright as the air is colder and so holds less moisture. 

The lights were seen through the closed window which may have distorted the view of the lights.

Other possible sources of lights

The lights were seen over the coastline but it is not possible to identify from the report or from images online whether the sea or horizon can be seen from the window (I have not been able to attend the site in-person).  A review of satellite images indicates that it is unlikely.  If the horizon could be seen, it is possible that the lights could be ships waiting at sea.  This is made less likely by the repeated nature of the sighting.

Recommendation

The length of time the lights are seen unmoving (at least 20-30 minutes) and the repeated sighting over a period of time makes the constellation of Orion the most likely source of the sighting.

To check this the witness could view some images of the stars online to see whether they reflect the general positioning of the lights they saw. 

The witness could also continue to look for the lights in the early hours of the morning.  If they continue to be visible on consecutive mornings it is almost certainly the stars.  If the witness notices any significant changes to the lights or sees them moving significantly (they will gradually move across the sky and disappear as we move into the summer months) then they should report again so that we can investigate further.

By Carolyn Bruce, BUFORA Accredited Investigator