Beam Me Up: “Pixel Blooming” and alleged UFO Tractor Beams

We’re all fairly familiar with the notion of a “UFO Tractor Beam”, typically depicted as a bright beam of light that extends downward from presumed UFO craft in many abductee experiences, capable of lifting large objects upward and into the belly of the craft by utilizing some bizarre form of anti-gravity. This phenomenon, most famously reported in accounts like that of Travis Walton, have made their way into Hollywood with popular depictions ranging from mere force fields, to the destructive “death rays” emitted by UFOs like those in the film Independence Day.

Over the course of 2008, there were a few instances where beam-like projections were allegedly recorded using various media, particularly cell phones enabled with video functions. A handful of the most notable incidents, occurring in Argentina, Germany and more recently in the UK, included very convincing video which depicted something, and even in previous Gralien Report articles I had mentioned that the videos, though questionable as to whether they depicted any kind of UFO phenomenon, may still be indicative of a variety of infrared effects imperceptible to the naked eye.

Though easily discerned when viewed using various digital media, these light emissions are otherwise invisible unless granted the limited perception of near-infrared invisible light made available through the use of digital cameras and “night shot” functions on certain video cameras. That being said, the astute Forgetomori site has recently delved into their own explanation of the phenomenon in-depth, providing new clues and perhaps the best explanation to-date as to what causes the unusual “beam-like” phenomenon witnessed over the past year.

To view the entire article, click here.

According to the Forgetomori article, “We ranted about the case at the time, suggesting that the beams were simply pixel blooming or bleeding. It occurs when sources of light exceed the full well capacity (the electron-holding capacity) of the pixels on which they are being recorded. As a light-gathering pixel exceeds its capacity to hold captured photons, the excess energy spills over into the adjacent pixel (or pixels, if the second pixel also fills to its capacity). This spillover, called ‘blooming,’ produces a spike of light.” Does this indeed provide a detailed explanation, at least for what causes the “beam-like” effects seen in the various videos depicted on the Forgetomori site?

Thanks to Larry Lesh for contributing to this report.

by