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By Keiran Southern
www.chroniclelive.co.uk
1-15-15
An Newcastle astrophysicist claims he can explain the mystery object that was seen hovering over Tynemouth
A star watcher claims to have solved the mystery of the Tyneside UFO.
Since it was spotted over Tynemouth on Monday night, social media has been rife with people trying to explain what the object was.
Alex O’Neil is originally from Newcastle but is now studying for a Masters in Astrophysics at Sheffield University.
After viewing the UFO video on the Chronicle’s website, he got in touch.
He said: “The brightest star in the night sky is called Sirius and it is often mistaken for a UFO because of how bright it is and how low in the sky it is.
“It appears to be twinkling or pulsating because when light passes through the atmosphere, it becomes distorted.
“Viewing Sirius through a telescope can be very confusing because it appears to move and change colour. It is all just a trick of the eye.” . . .
