Cranbrook Institute of Science officials have solved a mystery presented to The Oakland Press Nov. 15 by a Clarkston man.
William Butler spotted a pulsating light in the sky in mid-November and filmed it with his camcorder. The light seemed to move and change colors. Butler wondered if it might be a UFO.
“That was, indeed, Venus,” said Ray Bullock, program presenter in astronomy at Cranbrook, based in Bloomfield Hills.
“Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky after the moon and is quite a sight. It’s a planet and often reported as a UFO.”
Butler, 40, owns Woodgrain Powerwashing, saw the light near Sashabaw and Waldon roads around the Clarkston area, and on a second night saw the light in West Bloomfield.
Bullock said when Venus or any celestial object is near the horizon, people are viewing it through the thickest layers of Earth’s atmosphere.
“Refraction of the light causes the object to appear to move about or jiggle,” he said.
“That’s what causes stars to twinkle. Atmospheric refraction also causes an object to change colors. It’s the same reason that our sky changes color at sunset and sunrise. Venus is so bright, the color changes are impressive.”
When Butler found his strange light was Venus, he said, “At least I know what it is.”
Cranbrook offers a newsletter to people interested in learning what will be happening in the heavens. Visit science.cranbrook.edu and click on contact and fill out the information. Let officials know you want to receive the monthly newsletter. http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20131115/what-was-it-man-sees-strange-light-in-sky-twice-in-one-week