Carlo Petersen
THERE was not enough “data” yesterday to confirm whether an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) was hovering above the city at the weekend.
The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) will view photographs taken with its Karoo Array Telescope (KAT-7) today to find an explanation for the green light in the sky on Saturday night.
City revellers took to social media at the weekend, posting photographs to report a “UFO” high in the night sky.
The hashtag #UFOSA trended on Twitter yesterday after numerous people reported seeing “green orbs floating in the sky”. However, no videos have surfaced.
SAAO spokesperson Lorenzo Raynard said it was impossible for SAAO to comment on the sightings.
“Our scientists have taken a look at the photographs that people have taken and there is no indication of speed, duration in the sky and movement. We will view the images captured by our KAT-7 instrument to make a conclusive statement,” Raynard said.
The KAT-7 is located in Klerefontein outside Carnarvon in the Northern Cape and is the world’s first “superior” radio telescope capable of viewing and identifying images millions of kilometres into space.
Rondebosch resident Muammar Slamdien took to UFO Research of SA’s (UFORSA) yesterday to report the sighting. “My three friends and I were playing soccer on a field in Rondebosch. At about 7pm I heard something in the sky and and we all saw a UFO with lights flickering in a circular motion and moving at quite a rapid pace.
“We weren’t really sure about what we saw and just ignored it as it disappeared into the sky until I read online news articles about others also sighting it,” Slamdien wrote.
UFORSA has documented dozens of UFO sightings in SA this year.
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