An astronomer and the writer behind the Bad Astronomy column. In the archive he appears as a sceptic, weighing in on viral footage after the fact. On the El Bosque Air Show UFO of 2010, he dismissed the object as a tiny thing in a low-res video. The Jerusalem Dome of the Rock videos of 2011 he called pretty cool, but an obvious hoax. December 22, 2017. A glowing teardrop hung over Los Angeles. Plait explained the physics: a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched at twilight, its exhaust spreading wide in thin air and lit by the sun high above darkened ground.
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Jerusalem Dome of the Rock UFO Videos
9Thinly documented
Bad Astronomy blogger who called it an obvious hoax
The Los Angeles "UFO" of December 22, 2017 (SpaceX Falcon 9 Iridium-4 launch)
45Partially documented
Bad Astronomy writer (SYFY Wire) who explained the plume's physics