True Science Fiction Tales - The Plasma Lights

A photograph of the Fornax galaxy. (Previously posted about here.)

"Plasmas may have been photographed in the 1940s by WWII pilots (identified as 'Foo fighters'); repeatedly observed and filmed by astronauts and military pilots and classified as Unidentified Aerial-Anomalous Phenomenon. Plasmas are not biological but may represent a form of pre-life that via the incorporation of elements common in space, could result in the synthesis of RNA. Plasmas constitute a fourth state of matter, are attracted to electromagnetic activity, and when observed in the lower atmosphere likely account for many of the UFO-UAP sightings over the centuries."

- Via the abstract of a Research Gate publication (.pdf): Extraterrestrial Life in Space Plasmas in the Thermosphere.

"Plasma-like entities have been filmed congregating in their hundreds, particularly around satellite tethers which generate electromagnetic activity.

They have numerous shapes, travel in different directions, with some moving quickly while others hover in place. They even appear to target or follow each other and sometimes collide, leaving what resembles a plasma-dust trail in their wake.

Co-author Dr Christopher Impey, of the department of astronomy at the University of Arizona, said: “This does not mean these plasmas are alive, or engaging in intelligent purposeful behaviour.

Rather, as documented experimentally, these upper atmospheric electromagnetic plasmas may be engaging in ‘energy cannibalism’ and behaviours referred to as ‘collisionality’ in which they turn, follow, collide, intersect, and, possibly exchange energy.”

- Via a Telegraph article found today: We know what ‘foo fighters’ that buzzed Second World War pilots really were, say scientists. Oddly enough, while we're told earlier in the article that the plasmas are not "alive", later on we find:

"Some of the authors believe that the plasmas may even represent an alternate form of life that is not carbon-based, although others are skeptical.

The team has called for more research studying the plasmas, including sending up satellites which generate electromagnetic pulses equipped with infrared and X-ray cameras to capture the phenomena."

***

When I came upon the Telegraph article (cited above) this morning, I found myself completely astounded. It brought me back to my early days as a Traveler - the summer of 2017 specifically - after I had spent a full year living in my Nissan sedan, the "black turtle" (or tortoise); photographing mountains, following the ravens, and sleeping (literally) beneath the stars. All things considered it was not a bad life.  Nowadays, I see it as a kind of privileged life. But, then, I merely felt like "the (wo)man who fell to earth": an anomaly; dazed & confused, subversive, unwanted and essentially invisible.

I used to blog from libraries in those days. Great places, libraries - the best places in the world if you're a traveler - they accommodate you regardless of who or what you are.

Watching people coming in and out of a library is good practice for a writer. You'll note a number of diverse and fascinating faces drifting through its halls. Some faces radiate intelligence, some don't. But, it doesn't matter. Every one has a story. Every one is like a closed book (but some of them have more intriguing jackets than others).

The best part of my days were either spent at the library, or lying on my car's front seat late at night, watching the stars through my windshield (which I distinctly remember had a small hole in it). New Mexico has great sky views in places... even parking lots. I slept in vacant parking lots off and on throughout that period.

Strangely enough, it was not entirely surprising to me when - for three consecutive midsummer nights - while watching the sky above Bernalillo, I saw weird little lights moving in the distance, seemingly weaving through the many stars like bioluminescent microorganisms. My first thought was: "Wow, my eyes must be really tired!" My second was: "Satellites?" By the second night, after noticing them again - this time, in larger numbers - I knew that what I was seeing was some kind of phenomenon... possibly extraterrestrial... in the sense that the lights didn't "live" on planet earth, they operated in the atmosphere only...

Did they seem intelligent? Not exactly... Did they seem alive? Well, yes, they did; very much like the microorganisms in the video below... where you can see how the lights seemed to move (in my perception). I'm not referring to the larger entities in the video, but the smaller, brighter ones darting around and in between the paramecia. The only difference being that "my" lights were navigating more slowly and "carefully," although I use that word loosely. While there were many of them, I wouldn't call it a swarm. Also, they didn't seem aware of or concerned with each other... it was a "business as usual" kind of thing.

By the third night, I'd already grown resigned to their presence. They were too far away to represent an immediate threat, and, if I was being honest I'd have to say, I felt safer - almost cozy - knowing that they were flying around, keeping an "alien" eye on things.

After that last night I moved on. I've never seen them again.

Were they a species of "Foo Fighter" plasma? While I realize my "lights" were viewed more distantly - more cosmically - than is plausible for this kind of phenomena, and that there were no "satellite tethers" around that I was aware of, my lasting impression was that they were some kind of plasma-like, pseudo life-form.

***

What you have just read is a true story I've never really tried to explain before. It's the sort of thing that just doesn't come up in the conversations I tend to have in recent years. Ten years from now, I might refer to my "Plasmalites" as a mere dream.

This post, then, is just for the record.

For more information about Plasma phenomena, see here and here.