Published: Less than 10 min ago
One Saturday evening in January, Sandra and Robin from Mockfjärd discovered that it was flashing in the sky.
In binoculars, it looked like a “floating spider’s web” that changed color.
– People have read about spy balloons and the like, but I think it was a UFO, says Sandra Åhlén.
The couple Sandra Åhlén, 34, and Robin Sahlander, 34, had just parked the car outside their home in Mockfjärd in Dalarna when they saw a flashing object in the sky through the windshield.
The couple fetched binoculars and were then able to confirm that a mysterious object was floating in the air.
– It looked like a floating spider’s web that flashed in blue, green, yellow and purple, says Robin Sahlander.
Suspect it’s a UFO
The pair decided to film the object which appeared shortly before midnight on January 21.
– We looked at it for a long time and thought about what it could be. You’ve read about spy balloons and the like, but I think it was a UFO, says Sandra Åhlén.
After an hour or so, the couple got tired of the flashing object and went to bed. The next day the object had moved a bit in the sky.
– We saw it again, but then it was a little further away. But I am sure that it is the same object or UFO, if it is now a UFO, says Sandra Åhlén.
The Expert: Looks like a balloon
Recently, several flying objects have been observed in airspace around the world. The US has shot down at least three “spy balloons” since the beginning of the year, while Canada shot down one balloon as recently as this weekend.
Exactly what Sandra Åhlén and Robin Sahlander witnessed in Mockfjärd is unclear. That’s what Mattias Abrahamsson, business developer and expert at the Esrange space base says.
– It undeniably looks like a balloon, but it is difficult to answer whether it is a spy balloon. It appears to be lit, but whether it’s a light itself causing it to blink or whether it’s a refresh rate of a camera filming is difficult to answer.
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Can be balloon or plane
At the same time, Mattias Abrahamsson believes that it is precisely the lighting that indicates that the object is not a spy balloon.
– It does not appear to be secret because it flashes. If I had had a spy balloon, I wouldn’t have put a light on it and let it flash.
However, Mattias Abrahamsson is not completely convinced that it is precisely a balloon that applies.
– At the time the video was taken, two strong astronomical objects must have been visible in that area, Mars and Sirius. Depending on how they behaved, and the direction, what is seen in the video could be any of these.
Aftonbladet has applied to the Swedish Armed Forces.