The Impossible Shadow: The Baffling Case of the 2015 Orange UFO Over Tokyo

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In the world of UFOlogy, compelling evidence often comes down to analyzing blurry photos and ambiguous eyewitness accounts. But in 2015, a specialized robotic observatory in Tokyo captured something different: a clear, daylight sighting of a bizarre orange craft that seemed to defy the very laws of physics. This is the detailed analysis of an object that left experts baffled, primarily due to one physically impossible detail—its shadow was on the wrong side.

A Robotic Witness to the Unexplained

The sighting occurred on January 9, 2015, at 11:24 AM. The witness was not a person, but SID-1 (Space Intrusion Detection System-1), an automated observation robot operated by Japan’s Space Phenomena Observatory Center (SPOC). Designed to detect and record any unusual movement in the sky, SID-1 captured a smooth, orange, cocoon-like object flying at high speed from south to north over Tokyo.

The object itself was strange enough—a seamless, gummy-like shape with no visible wings, propellers, or means of propulsion. But it was the scientific data surrounding the event that elevated this sighting from a curiosity to a profound mystery.

Defying the Laws of Nature: The Analysis

When researchers at SPOC analyzed the footage, they uncovered several facts that ruled out any conventional explanation:

1.
It Flew Against a Gale-Force Wind: Meteorological data from that day shows a strong northwesterly wind blowing at 7.5 m/s (about 17 mph). The object, however, was traveling in a straight line from south to north. This immediately dismisses any possibility of it being a balloon, plastic bag, drone, or any other light object being carried by the wind.

2.
The Impossible Shadow: This is the most baffling piece of evidence. Grayscale image analysis revealed a clear shadow on the object’s left side. However, the sun’s position at that exact time and location was also on the left. For an object reflecting sunlight, the shadow should have been on the right. This is a physical impossibility. The object was either self-illuminated in a highly unusual way, or it was interacting with light in a manner that is currently unknown to science.

3.
A Solid, Unidentifiable Object: Further 3D analysis confirmed that the footage captured a distinct, solid, shaped object in the sky. It was not a natural phenomenon like ball lightning, a lens flare (the camera was fixed), or a reflection.

A Wave of Sightings and Historical Precedent

While no other photos or videos from that exact moment have surfaced, a wave of similar sightings was reported across Japan throughout January and February of 2015. Witnesses from Fukuoka to Tokyo described orange, circular, or oval-shaped lights moving at incredible speeds.

This specific type of orange, cocoon-shaped UFO also has historical precedent. Similar objects were famously photographed by a French scientific team from a Concorde jet over Africa during a solar eclipse in 1973, and again by a doctor in France in 1974.

The conclusion reached by the SPOC researchers was stark: the object was not man-made and did not adhere to the known laws of nature. Based on the objective data—its flight path against the wind, its seamless structure, and, most damningly, its physically impossible shadow—the orange craft was certified as a genuine Unidentified Flying Object. The 2015 Tokyo sighting remains one of the most compelling and scientifically perplexing cases of the modern era, a silent testament to the deep mysteries that may still be hiding in plain sight, even above one of the world’s busiest cities.

文＝Hiroshi Kitajima

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