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SUBJECT:                                                  USA/Colorado:
           An Airborne Object Over Cheyenne Mountain in February 2022 was
           Possible Backscattering of Sunlight



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              An airborne object over Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
/was observed by five U.S. Army service members at Fort Carson,

/backscattering of sunlight.
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/Colorado at 0935 MNT on 15 February 2022, was possibly
                                  has low confidence in this
/assessment based on uncertainty in the field of view of each
/witness, amount of snow cover, and exact elevation and amount of
/cloud cover. No anomalous data or characteristics were recorded or
/assessed, and the event did not represent an unknown adversarial




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/capability.
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/          According to the accounts of five U.S. Army service
/members On 15 February 2022, an airborne object was observed
/approximately 6 miles to the west over and slightly behind the
/Cheyenne Mountain silhouette for approximately 30 - 180 seconds.
/The witnesses describe the object as roughly the size of a large
/jet and resembling an angular, non-symmetrical potato made of
/uneven panels, which was completely stationary about 300-500 feet
/above Cheyanne Mountain while slowly changing shape. It had a
/slightly translucent, shimmering white appearance, with defined
/edges and a milky shimmer that reflected sunlight. The witnesses
/noted that the sky was clear, and despite keeping their eyes on the




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/object, it suddenly disappeared.
/
/          At 0945 MST on February 15, 2022, in Colorado Springs,
/the sun was positioned at an altitude of about 27.5 over the
/horizon in the southeast sky and roughly at an azimuth of 125,
/casting shadows toward the northwest and providing soft, angled
/light. According historical the National Water and Climate Center
/reporting, snow depth on Cheyenne Mountain likely ranged from 6 to
/12 inches. Although witnesses reported clear, blue skies, multiple
/weather reports, including those from AFWA and Weather Underground,
/indicated the presence of clouds, suggesting that the skies were
/partly to mostly cloudy that morning.



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/          Analysis possibly indicates that the positioning of the
/sun in relation to Cheyenne Mountain would allow for backscattering
/of sunlight reflecting off snow-covered ground. This reflection
/could illuminate low-level clouds in the vicinity, which might
/account for the visibility of the object followed by its sudden

/shifted slightly, causing the reflection to vanish.
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/disappearance. It is possible that either the clouds or the sun
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/confidence in this assessment based on uncertainty in the field of




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/view of each witness, and exact level of cloud cover.
/
/    Analyst Note: Altostratus clouds are a kind of mid-level cloud
/known for their consistent gray or blue-gray appearance. These
/clouds usually develop at altitudes ranging from 6,500 to 23,000


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/feet (about 2,000 to 7,000 meters) and can create a dense, uniform
/layer across the sky or thin and wispy. While they often appear
/opaque, altostratus clouds can permit some sunlight to pass
/through, resulting in a luminous effect. Typically, the presence of
/altostratus clouds suggests that precipitation is imminent, as they




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/may bring light rain or snow.
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/    Analyst Note: Backscattering is the phenomenon where sunlight
/reflects off the snow-covered ground and reflects upwards,




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/scattering through the atmosphere and illuminate low-level clouds.
/This is especially noticeable when the sun is low over the horizon.
/          No aircraft or balloons were noted active in or around
/Cheyenne Mountain during the time the witnesses saw the airborne
/object.
/




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