No, just kidding. This is a photograph I have taken for the purpose a while ago from my front porch. I will tell you how I made it and what it represents but first I would like you all to leave a comment.

I can't see the photo ....

Does it work now?
Works fine for me...

Did you spill something on the lens? Or is it just dusty?



One thing I don't understand is the whole phenomenon of "orbs". It's too easy to get pictures tarnished by them, why do people kick up a fuss when they get them in a cemetery when they wouldn't bat an eyelid otherwise? As a keen amateur (very!!) photographer of 4-6 legged beasties (that includes feathery wings too!) this frustrating incident is all too well known.




I dunno, perhaps a new hatching of midges would give a similar result?

Im assuming you mean the hexagonal grey bits and not the line of what appear to be house lights near the bottom ? Whatever you created them from they are all pointing in the same direction and some catch the light better than others. No idea....

Still can't see the photo - any chance of a link instead? Thanks.

Funny you should post this picture Mauro, I've just a minute ago finished reading a short article about the physicist Klaus Heinemann who researches orbs in digital photography, and he's very convinced that there's more to them than just dust on the lens. I went to Bunratty in Ireland last year and took two identical photos inside a cottage, just seconds apart. One of them had a few orbs in it, I took lots of photos that day and only had orbs in the one photo so that did make me wonder. I'm gonna have a look later tonight, maybe I can still find it and post it on here.

Inghinn

They look like the crystals that form when you do science experiments with salt

I would guess at something on the lens, they look more distinct than the usual orb pics though.

I can see the photo now - it was a problem with my ISP (now fixed - I hope!).

The photo appears to show a city or town night taken from above - a hill perhaps. There appears to be a stone parapet bottom right with foliage (trees and a hedge?) just beyond. All the larger orbs are hexagonal which means the smaller ones probably are as well even though it can't be seen.

Given the even distribution of the orbs, their most likely source is raindrops. What I assume to be the 'UFO' doesn't appear to be hexagonal but it is so small it is difficult to tell. Assuming it isn't hexagonal then that means it is in focus, unlike the orbs. It is difficult to say, from the photo, what it is. If it is within a few metres then it may be reflecting the flash and could be some small object dangling on a thread (a spider) or flying (a moth). If it is further away then it is shining by itself. It might therefore be a light on a hill opposite or aircraft lights.

Even if orbs weren't all down to depth of field etc, why on earth should we assume them to be paranormal? Let's face it, the links between what amount to some vaguely ethereal blobs and the existence of spirit are hardly conclusive!

I have seen balls of light in my own home for which there was no good explanation, so I suppose orbs to be possible... but I think they've been over-used (fictionally) by ghost tours, etc. to try to make people think they have seen something supernatural.

The word 'orb' started with digital photography. It describes circles (not spheres as the name implies) of light in certain photos. They have been discovered to be out of focus bits of dust, insects, etc caught in camera flash.

People have reported 'balls of light' in haunted locations long before orbs were invented. Such balls of light do not require a flash to show up in photos. Indeed, they don't require a camera at all!

Unfortunately 'orbs' are now sometimes confsed with balls of light. Orbs are mere photographic artefacts. Balls of light, by contrast, may be some kind of genuine phenomenon though, sadly, they are now swamped by reports of dreaded orbs.

Mystery - how interesting, I had no idea. What is it about digital cameras that creates orbs? (Please forgive my technological ignorance.)