( NON-PROFIT
)
ESPAÑOL
Mexican
Air Force
FLIR's
video lights are not UFO's
they
are oil well gas flames!
PART
II
(updated
may 2008)
Mexican
Air Force C-26 Merlin aircraft
Burning gas flares at NOHOCH-A oil platform located in the CANTARELL OIL COMPLEX |
![]() CAMERA WAS AIMING TOWARD CANTARELL OIL COMPLEX |
Mexican Air Force
specialists were incapable to discover that the FLIR lights source was
the Cantarell oil
well flames that burn off on daily basis in the Gulf of México and
wrongly
released to Jaime
Maussan, a well-known Mexican broadcaster and UFOlogist who has
made a career out
of the sensationalist promotion of supposedly "unexplained mysteries.
" Maussan's pronouncements
range from the sensational to the absurd.
We are very glad
to present here all the evidence and the material that was very hard to
get in some part
and we hope you can understand all the examples, charts and graphics.
If you have any
comments or questions including critics we appreciate your interest
Please don't hesitate writing to us at any time and we will be glad to answer your posts
Cap. Alejandro Franz
director@alcione.org
webmaster@alcione.org
ALCIONE.ORG
non-profit
|
Mexican Airforce UFO Encounter http://ufo-media.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&id=1240 05/11/04 - Associated Press -- AP -- MEXICO CITY - Mexican Air Force pilots filmed 11 unidentified flying objects in the skies over southern Campeche state, a Defense Department spokesman confirmed Tuesday. A videotape made widely available
to the news media on Tuesday shows the bright objects, some sharp
The lights were filmed on
March 5 (2004) by pilots using infrared equipment. They appeared to be
flying
'Was I afraid? Yes. A little
afraid because we were facing something that had never happened before,'
'I couldn't say what it was
... but I think they're completely real,' added Lt. Mario Adrian Vazquez,
The plane's captain, Maj.
Magdaleno Castanon, said the military jets chased the lights 'and I believe
they
When the jets stopped following the objects, they disappeared, he said. A Defense Department spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the videotape was filmed by members of the Mexican Air Force. The spokesman declined to comment further and spoke on customary condition of anonymity. The video was first aired
on national television Monday night then again at a news conference Tuesday
by
'This is historic news,'
Maussan told reporters. 'Hundreds of videos (of UFOs) exist, but none had
the
Maussan said Secretary of
Defense Gen. Ricardo Vega Garcia gave him the video on April 22. --
|
There
is still a controversy about how and why the FLIR's video lights recorded
by
Mexican
Air Force C26A crew on march 05, 2004 seem to be at the same altitude
as
the C26A was at 11,500ft heading East and the camera pointing toward the
oil rigs
IMAGE SHOWING A PANORAMIC
VIEW OF THE CANTARELL OIL COMPLEX AREA TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE WHOLE
PICTURE OF THE VIDEO
EXPERIMENT CONDITIONS AND THE COINCIDENCES BETWEEN THE C-26A FLIR LIGHTS
RECORDED AT 11,500 FT
ON A HEADING OF 081º AND CAPT. FRANZ'S VIDEO AT 35,000 FT ON A HEADING
OF 252º
YOU CAN SEE THE SIMILARITY
OF THE LIGHTS AND THE SCREEN CAPTURES IN THIS COMPOSED IMAGE
SHOWING AKAL-J AND AKAL-C
OIL RIGS WITH GOOGLE
EARTH SATELLITE PICTURES FROM 2006. GOOGLE OIL RIGS COORDINATES AND PICTURES
ARE NOT AVAILABLE
ANYMORE DUE TO INTERNATIONAL
LAWS AGAINST TERRORISM BECAUSE THEIR POSITION WAS VERY ACCURATE
WE
HOPE THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE COULD HELP YOU TO GET A CLEAR IDEA OF HOW
DISTANT
OBJECTS OR LIGHTS ARE SEEN AT THE SAME LEVEL OVER THE EARTH'S HORIZON
FROM
AN AIRPLANE'S COCKPIT AT ANY ALTITUDE OR ANY GIVEN FLIGHT LEVEL
SEE
THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE
Real non edited picture where the horizon is seen at the same flight level |
We draw 11 points or lights at the horizon trying to simulate the FLIR recorded image |
We simulated that there is less day light and the lights are still showing in the horizon with no change in their position but letting the clouds and part of the pilot's note board in the cockpit |
We added some "infrared filter" (that really should be in gray color and not green). Later we are going to change it to gray trying to get a better match of the pictures |
We simulated less daylight letting the distant lights in sight as much as posible. |
We simulated that the daylight is almost gone and let the distant lights still in sight over the horizon |
We attached the FLIR's screen images to make a comparison of the image's similarity Objects located over the earth's surface at a great distance and closer to the horizon are seen from the cockpit or windows at the same height or altitude in a leveled flight |
We used contrast and changed the picture to a gray scale color to see the similarity or match. The lights or objects are seen at the same level or altitude from the natural horizon from the airplane's cockpit or windows
|
Objects
located over the earth's surface at a great distance and closer to the
horizon are seen
from
the airplane's cockpit or windows at the same height or altitude
in a leveled flight.
Here is the evidence.
Examples

![]()
The
Horizon seems to be at the same level
The Horizon seems to be at the same level

![]()
The
Horizon seems to be at the same level
The Horizon seems to be at the same level

![]()
The
Horizon seems to be at the same level
The Horizon seems to be at the same level
The
Horizon seems to be at the same level
WE
HOPE THAT THE ABOVE EXAMPLE COULD HELP YOU TO GET A CLEAR IDEA OF HOW
DISTANT
OBJECTS OR LIGHTS ARE SEEN AT THE SAME LEVEL OVER THE EARTH'S HORIZON
FROM
AN AIRPLANE'S COCKPIT OR WINDOWS AT ANY ALTITUDE OR FLIGHT LEVEL
See
the latest video
of Cantarell oil rigs area recorded on april 14, 2005.
The
gas flame lights match and proof the real lights source of the march
05,
2004 FLIR video and is the
most convincing evidence till today.
To
see the video you need windows media player download
here
DOWNLOAD
HERE
FREE
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
MEDIA PLAYER 10
FLIR frame from video recorded april 14, 2005 |
Aerial view recorded with a SONY Handycam |
SEE
A LIST OF PICTURES FROM
THE
VIDEO EXPERIMENT
see
HERE
the list of still frames from video experiment
of april 14,
2005 . You can also see the oil rig's structures
CAMERA USED:
SONY ® HANDYCAM -
DCR-TRV18- MINI-DV - DIGITAL ZOOM 120X
LENS: CARL-ZEISS-VARIO-SONNAR
BURNING GAS AT NOHOCH-A OIL PLATFORM LOCATED IN THE CANTARELL OIL COMPLEX |
![]()
Video caption from FLIR STAR SAFIRE II video lights
|
THE FLIR STAR
SAFIREII FORM FLIR SYSTEMS WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY
HERE
YOU CAN SEE, HEAR AND READ THE 32 MIN ON BOARD COMMUNICATIONS TRANSCRIPTION
FLIR
STAR SAFIREII
WE
FOUND SEVERAL SCREEN INDICATIONS OF THE FLIR MALFUNCTION
HERE
WE SHOW SOME DISCREPANCIES
The antenna elevation shows 1° above horizon |
Antenna elevation shows -3° below the horizon |
Antenna elevation shows -4°below the horizon |
Antenna elevation shows -6° below the horizon |
IF
THE MOON WAS VISIBLE THEN THE OIL WELL INFRERED LIGHTS AT
141.
NM WERE IN RANGE TO BE CAPTURED BY THE FLIR'S SENSORS
(USE
A HORIZON'S DISTANCE CALCULATOR HERE)
LIGHTS
HEIGHT +/- 200ft
Airplane
altitude 11500ft
National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
THE MOON THAT DAY AT SAME TIME WAS 1° 44.526' ABOVE THE HORIZON
STARRY NIGHT
PROGRAM SCREEN CAPTURE WITH MOON'S POSITION DATA
THE
MOON RISED THAT DAY AT 05:02PM (17:02) SO AT 17:19PM WAS AT 1° 44.526'
ABOVE THE HORIZON
WITH
THIS INDICATION THE MOON SHOULD HAVE BEEN BELOW THE HORIZON
APS-143B(V)3
Console
RADAR INSTALLED ON BOARD
THE MEXICAN AIR FORCE C-26A
LANDSAT-7
SATELLITE COMPOSITE PHOTO
OF
THE OIL WELLS AT CANTARELL
LANDSAT-7 SATELLITE
PHOTO OF THE OIL WELLS AT CANTARELL
WITH
THREE FLIR'S SCREEN CAPTIONS SO WE CAN SEE THEY MATCH CORRECTLY
|
Calculating the C-26A flight path with the FLIR's screen coordinates
The
data at the point where two highly luminous lights appeared we can calculate
the
distance between the C-26A airplane and the NOHOCH-A oil platform
FLIR COORDINATES AT DIFFERENT INTERVALS:
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| 16:53:04 | 18 deg 22.03 min | 91 deg 21.43 min |
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CALCULATING
THE C-26A FLIGHT PATH
NOHOCH - A OIL
PLATFORM COORDINATES
FLIR SCREEN CAPTION
AT 17:03:49 LOCAL TIME (CAMPECHE)
![]()
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NOHOCH-A oil platform coordinates A B FLIR
coordinates at 17:03:49 Lcl
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| Great Circle Sailing |
| Note: Enter degrees, minutes and decimal minutes or degrees, minutes, seconds and decimal seconds |
| Origin (Initial Position) | |||
| Latitude: |
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| Longitude: |
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| Destination (Final Position) | |||
| Latitude: |
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| Longitude: |
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| Results: | ||
| Initial Course : | degrees true | |
| Great Circle Distance : | nautical miles |
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) http://www.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/Calculators/range.html |
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| From: Dr. Julio Herrera
-herrera@nuclecu.unam.mx-
Date: September 28, 2004 9:05 am To: Cap. Alejandro Franz -director@alcione.org- Dear Cap. Franz, I saw your page on the "oil
flare hypothesis". I'm thankful that you gave me the
Best regards,
P.S.: I'm writing this in English so you may quote me if you wish. Dr. Julio Herrera
|
Click on image
to view full size
OFFICIAL DATA GATHERED FROM
DIFFERENT U.S. GOVERNMENT SOURCES AND
BY THE HARD WORK RESULTS
OF OPEN MINDED INVESTIGATORS WHO KINDLY
SUPPORTED MY THEORY CLEARLY
DEMONSTRATES THAT THE OIL FLARES FROM
THE CANTARELL OIL WELL FIELD
MATCH THE LIGHTS OF THE FLIR VIDEO AND THE
GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES
FROM THE THE "SONDA DE CAMPECHE" LOCATED
IN THE GULF OF MEXICO IN
FRONT OF CIUDAD DEL CARMEN CITY.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO BELIEVED
IN ME AS I BELIEVE THAT IN THE
VAST UNIVERSE INTELLIGENT
EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE COULD EXIST
SADLY THERE IS A MAJORITY
OF UFO PSEUDO INVESTIGATORS WHO
ARE MAKING BUSINESS AND
A CIRCUS WITH NO RESPECT TO HUMANITY
Capt. Alejandro Franz
director@alcione.org
Mexican
Air Force C-26 Merlin aircraft
FUERZA AÉREA MEXICANA
MEXICAN AIR FORCE
( CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
)
FIRST IMAGE GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY JAMES
SMITH ( Tue., 08 Jun 2004)
IMAGE SOURCE: http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ebigvideo1/mexicoufo.jpg
THE PATH IS REPRESENTING A 22 MINUTES INTERVAL
THE IMAGE WAS CREATED FROM DATA AVAILABLE
AT:
DMSP
(Defense Meteorological Satellite
Program)
DOWNLOAD SITE: http://dmsp.ngdc.noaa.gov/html/download_world_change_pair.html
Stable lights:
ARCHIVE USED TO EXTRACT DATA OF STABLE
LIGHTS
http://dmsp.ngdc.noaa.gov/data/2000_change_pair/2000_stable_lights_version1_TIF.tar
TIFF FORMAT 13 MB COMPRESSED
700 MB UNCOMPRESSED
Stable lights have DN values from 0-63.
These numbers are the average DN values for the year.
Stable lights are the human settlements and gas flares combined.
DN value of 63 = saturated lights
DN value of 0 = no lights.
PCI
Geomatica FreeView V9.1
http://www.pcigeomatics.com/product_ind/geomatica_9.html
Geomatica FreeView
9 is a flexible data viewing tool supporting over 100
raster and vector
formats for loading, viewing, selection, and enhancement.
FreeView is useful
for any geospatial data viewing
application, and
it is freely distributable.
FreeView includes
a modern interface with many useful display tools,
including fast roam
and zoom, image enhancements, numeric values
display, and attribute
table display.
To download de installation
program archive (25 MB) click here
http://www.pcigeomatics.com/freeware/FreeViewV91.exe
Freeview 9.1
Screen
( CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
)
IMAGE CREATED BY JAMES
SMITH WHO KINDLY PROVIDED TO ME
AND HELPED DEFINITELY
TO COMPLETE THIS INVESTIGATION
![]()
![]() |
| IMAGE SOURCE: http://www.ufocom.org/pages/v_fr/m_articles/video_mexique/Image24.jpg
Chart showing the trajectory
followed by Merlin C-26A (black line) since the moment of the first
|

This graphic shows the Mexican Air Force C26A trajectory from 16:42:20 to 17:28:06 LOCAL TIME
The composite image was created by myself over imposing three images to make this overlay and it shows:a.-) Primarily (background) the image provided by James Smith.
b.-) The image from Laurent Léger (red vectors) and
c.-) Two of the FLIR's video images vectors that match almost exactly pointing
to Cantarell Oil Field flares and Campeche City.
|
Because of an involuntary mistake, I omitted the image bellow from Laurent Léger received on May 28, 2004 who wrote to me supporting the Cantarell Oil Well theory and providing some interesting information that I lost because an inappropriate use of my Netscape email box. Alejandro Franz
Indexed message received on june 16, 2004 from Laurent Leger ----- Original Message -----
Dear all, I used coordinates given
for IXTOC I on Alejandro Franz page :
Not so bad match, except
the misinterpretation of the Az number
El(evation) figures biased
by plane incidence or bad calibration ?
LL |
| Subject:
Re: UFOs Or Simply Oil Well Flames?
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 13:16:42 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: j smith <zeus001002@earthlink.net> To: "Cap. Alejandro Franz" <alfafox@prodigy.net.mx> Hello, I am sending you my latest
work. I thought I would tinker with generating
I extracted the circa 1997
locations of the oil rigs -from your chart image-
I then placed them in the 3D modeller with the aircraft location at 17:07:00. I adjusted the azimuth and elevation until something came into view. It turns out to be about
-140 deg azimuth and -2 deg elevation (down)
My modeller doesn't have fine enough resolution to give any better angles. I then adjusted the FOV of
the camera from the aircraft location to match
According to Bruce Maccabee,
the values are .4 by .3 degree (which he
The match for the oil rigs
at 92 by 19.37 degrees, 92.04 by 19.4 deg,
One has to wonder how well the FOV adjustment is calibrated. Also, it is clear that this is a pretty extreme zoom mode. I also wonder whether they usually use it in their normal operations. http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ezeus001002/3d_oil.jpg Regards,
IMAGE PROVIDED BY JAMES
SMITH
IMAGE SHOWING A CLOSE
MATCH OF THE FLIR's SCREEN AND THE OIL WELLS
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CANTARELL OIL WELLS LUMINOSITY COMPARED TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS
OIL WELLS
NOTE: COORDINATES SHOWN BELLOW ARE FROM NDB'S (NAVAIDS) LOCATED AT MOST OF THE OIL
WELLS WHICH ARE INSTALLED TO GUIDE HELICOPTERS AND ANY SHIP WHEN APPROACHING
ANY PARTICULAR OIL RIG.
![]()
COORDINATES FROM (NDB 'Navaids') LOCATED AT EACH OIL WELL:
SOURCE: http://www.wapf.com/world/n.PO1.html ( LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE)
OIL WELL NAMES LATITUDE LONGITUDE AKAL J (PA2) 19 deg 25min 41 sec N 92 deg 04 min 31 sec W NEPTUNO (PO1) 19 deg 26min 00 sec N 92 deg 02 min 00 sec W AKAL C (PA1) 19 deg 23min 57 sec N 92 deg 02 min 20 sec W NOHOCH-A (PN1) 19 deg 22min 06 sec N 92 deg 00 min 14 sec W
( CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
)
Image provided by JAMES
SMITH
LANDSAT-7 PHOTO
OF THE OIL WELLS AT CANTARELL
AKAL-J,
AKAL-C AND NOHOCH-A OIL WELLS IMAGE SHOWING NDB'S (NAVAIDS) COORDINATES
SATELLITE
IMAGE OF CANTARELL OIL COMPLEX IN THE GULF OF MEXICO
Image from Google
Earth captured in 2006 ( now in 2007 is not available anymore)
DISTANCE BETWEEN
MAIN GAS BURNERS IN NOHOCH-A COMPLEX
IMAGE GATHERED FROM
GOOGLE EARTH IN 2006 ( NOW IN 2007 IS NOT AVAILABLE)
GEOGRAPHICAL
COORDINATES FROM AKAL-C AND NOHOCH-A GAS BURNERS OF
CANTARELL
OIL COMPLEX IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. IMAGE WAS GATHERED FROM
GOOGLE
EARTH IN 2006 ( NOW IN 2007 IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE)
NDB'S
(NON DIRECTIONAL BEACONS) AT CANTARELL OIL FIELD
IMAGE
FROM 1998 NAVIGATION CHART
ONC
J-25 SCALE 1:1,000,000
You could find this link useful.http://mirage-mex.acd.ucar.edu/Literature/2003Villasenor.pdf
Page 4 has a nice diagram of all the platforms in the area.
I guess they did a lot of work gathering location data for all
platforms and flare types.Diagram
Page 6 has the following:"The three types of offshore flaring operations used either elevated,boom or ground level flares.
Each of the seven major oil and gas producing platform complexes mentioned above may have
one or more elevated flares.Some vertically pointing flares operate at either high flow (4.2x10^6 m^3/day) or low flow
(9.1 to 24x10^5 m^3/ day).Several platforms have "boom" flares rated at 2.3x10^5 m^3/day. The designed flows to boom
flaring are generally much higher than the average flows (0.85 to 25x10^5 m^3/day)."
![]()
![]()
![]()
OIL WELL AKAL-C FLARES AT CANTARELL, CAMPECHE.![]()
IMAGE SHOWING THE LIGHT (HEAT) INTENSITY OF CANTARELL OIL FIELD AREA
INPUT data in the following chart:CALCULATION CHART in the "Height of the light above Sea Level" WINDOW INPUT 200 ft (average elevation of oil rigs booms)
in the "Height above the eye of the observer above sea level" WINDOW INPUT 11500 ft ( C26A Merlin altitude)
RESULT = 141.89344043992807 NM
Nautical Miles (1nm = 1.852km)
IMAGE
COMPOSITE BY L.D.G KURT FRANZ RUÍZ
PICTURE
SHOWING THE FLIR DIRECTION VECTORS THAT MATCH EXACTLY TO THE CANTARELL
OIL FIELD
(CLICK
ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE )
MAGE
PROPERTY OF:
UNAM
- INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS DEL MAR Y LIMNOLOGÍA
http://biblioweb.dgsca.unam.mx/cienciasdelmar/instituto/1983-1/articulo156.html
Infrared Imagery in Flight
With
the aid of advanced imaging sensors, pilots of both rotor craft and fixed
wing aircraft
can
now conduct missions that were not possible just a few years ago. In general,
these
sensors
can be viewed as extensions to a pilot's own visual system. They allow
the pilot
to
safely fly and complete missions at times when environmental conditions
(e.g., darkness,
dust,
smoke) would preclude flight or mission completion with unaided vision.
One class of
imaging
sensors that has been used extensively by pilots for targeting, navigation,
and flight
control
purposes are thermal imaging (infrared imagery) systems. In general, thermal
imaging
sensors
are sensitive to thermal radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic
spectrum
(3-5
microns or 8-14 microns). (Visible light, to which the human eye is sensitive,
is in the
range
of 0.4 to 0.7 microns.)
A thermal
sensor creates a visual scene on a cathode-ray tube (CRT) that can be mounted
either
on
the cockpit panel or the pilot's helmet. The visual scene provided by the
sensor is monochrome
and
appears to be similar to black and white television (TV) or reversed-video
(i.e., phase inverted)
black
and white TV. However, despite the overall appearance of similarity to
TV images, there are
important
differences. An important qualitative difference between thermal imagery
(TI) and TV or
unaided
vision occurs as a direct result of the image's source: The distribution
of gray shades in
TI
represents relative temperature differences, rather than brightness and
reflectance differences.
Compared
to TV images or directly-viewed visual scenes,
TI
has the following properties:
(1)
Heat-emitting objects generally have higher contrast with the background;
(2)
Shadowing/shading information may be absent;
(3)
Sensor polarity settings (i.e., the assignment of white or black to hot)
may
lead to perceptual errors; and
(4)
A given object may appear quite different when viewed under different
environmental conditions (e.g., time of day, yearly season, humidity,
ambient
temperature).
These
characteristics of thermal imagery directly impact flight
control
and navigation, particularly at very low altitudes:
(1)
Pilot workload is generally higher (Hart & Brickner, 1989);
(2)
Object distances may be inaccurately estimated (Hart & Brickner, 1989),
(Hale & Piccione, 1989);
(3)
The horizon line may be indistinct (Bohm, 1985); and
(4)
Specific objects in the environment may change luminance levels
drastically as a function of time of day (Berry, Dyer, Park, Sellers &
Telton, 1984).
Infrared Imagery in Flight
Dr. David C. Foyle
MS 262-3
Aerospace Human Factors
Research Division
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/ihi/papers/publications/foyle/visualissues91/visualissues91.html
INFRARED AND/OR THERMAL IMAGING
A thermal image is black
and white. On a relative scale, it shows hot items as white and
cold items as black. Temperatures
between the two extremes are shown as gradients of gray.
Some thermal imagers have
color images. The color is artificially generated by the camera’s
video enhancement electronics,
based upon the thermal attributes seen by the camera.
What is a pixel?
A pixel is the smallest single individual image element of detection on the thermal imaging sensor.
What is a focal plane array (FPA)?
A focal plane array is a
group of pixels organized into a rectangular grid. The size of the array
is
measured by multiplying
the horizontal number of pixels by the vertical number of pixels. Most
fire
service thermal imaging
cameras on the market today contain 160 x 120 or 320 x 240 FPAs.
What frequency range does the thermal imaging sensor detect?
Thermal imaging sensors are
designed to detect long-wave infrared radiation between 8 to 14 microns.
This energy, unlike visible
light, can pass through smoke and is undetected by the naked eye.
What is a BST detector?
BST stands for "barium
strontium titanate," and this type of detector was developed
by Raytheon Corporation.
Ceramic-like thermal-energy-sensing
material is used to make BST focal plane arrays,
which measure heat by storing
it as a fixed value (similar to a capacitor) at each pixel.
When the grid of pixels,
or focal plane array, is monitored simultaneously, a thermal
image is generated.
Because of their fixed-image
properties, BST pixels must be refreshed regularly in order
to maintain the perception
of real-time imaging.
The device used to refresh
the image is called a "chopper." The "blade" of the chopper
wheel passes in front of
the detector to effectively change the scene temperatures "sensed"
with each pass. The speed
of the chopper determines the "refresh rate" (see definition)
and is typically 30 Hz.
What is a microbolometer?
A microbolometer is the latest
type of thermal imaging FPA, which consists of materials that measure
heat by changing resistance
at each pixel. The most common microbolometer material is vanadium oxide
(VOx). Amorphous
silicon is another relatively new microbolometer material.
Although microbolometers
do not require a chopper to refresh the image, they must occasionally be
recalibrated for the pixels
to provide a consistent output and to avoid oversaturation. The device
that
occasionally (every 30 seconds
to 5 minutes) and automatically recalibrates the FPA is called a
"shutter" (see definition).
What does ferroelectric mean?
A TIC’s detectors that are
ferroelectric in nature detect heat by storing it as a value on each individual
pixel. BST and pyroelectric
vidicon tubes are examples of ferroelectric detectors.
What does thermoelectric mean?
TIC’s detectors that are
thermoelectric in nature detect heat by changing each pixel’s resistance.
Microbolometers are examples
of thermoelectric detectors.
What is MRTD?
MRTD stands for Minimum
Resolvable Termal Difference. This is a relatively inaccurate
measurement of the smallest
temperature difference that a thermal imaging camera can detect.
What is NETD?
NETD stands for Noise-Equivalent
Temperature Difference. This is a measurement of the smallest
temperature difference that
a thermal imaging camera can detect in the presence of electronic
circuit noise for a particular
lens f-number.
What is dynamic range?
Dynamic range is the range
of temperature variance that a TIC can see without saturating.
A microbolometer has a much
larger dynamic range (e.g., 360º F or 200º C) when compared to
a
BST which has a much
smaller dynamic range (e.g., 45º F or 25º C). This allows the
microbolometer
to demonstrate gradients
of gray in environments (generally at higher temperatures) where BST
sensors become saturated
and appear as a black and white image.
To further enhance the image,
the Evolution 4000 microbolometer automatically extends the dynamic
range even farther to 1080º
F (600º C) in high temperatures (indicated by the ‘EI' indicator on
display).
What is meant by field of view (FOV)?
The field of view describes
the area visible by the thermal imaging camera. FOV is measured
in
degrees and can be specified
in horizontal, vertical, or diagonal measurement. The lens and its
position generally determine
the camera’s FOV.
What is standby mode?
The standby mode turns all
major components in a TIC off except for the sensor core. This feature
allows the camera to be
in ready mode so that the camera can power up without the standard
15 - to 30-second sensor
core warm-up time.
What is the purpose of an iris?
Generally used on ferroelectric
(pyroelectric vidicon tubes and BST) sensors, the iris is a mechanical
aperture that operates much
like the iris of the human eye. It opens and closes to control the amount
of infrared energy that
enters the camera and strikes the sensor.
The iris also manages the
"dynamic range" (see definition) of ferroelectric sensors. The iris can
be
either manual or automatic
and may also be called a "throttle" or "gain adjust." All MSA TICs
have
an automatic iris so that
operation is completely seamless to the user and requires no manual
intervention.
What thermal imaging cameras currently available on the market are rated as intrinsically safe?
To date, no TICs available
on the market have an intrinsic safety rating. Products that are rated
as
intrinsically safe do not
generate enough heat or spark which could serve as the ignition source
for
an explosion.
TICs require too much
power and produce too much energy to qualify as intrinsically safe products.
Technology is rapidly evolving
to provide lower power components for TICs, so an intrinsically
safe
camera is not far away.
What is a shutter?
A shutter is a mechanical
device, generally shaped like a flag, which closes in front of the detector
to activate the calibration
for a uniform temperature (or black body).
This automatic, periodic
calibration is necessary because pixels in microbolometers drift and
cause image degradation.
What is "refresh rate"?
Refresh rate (or frame update
rate) is the number of times per second that a new image is "created"
by the sensor. The refresh
rate is determined by mechanical attributes (e.g., chopper wheel),
where applicable, and the
speed of the electronics.
What is white-out or oversaturation?
White-out or oversaturation
occurs when a thermal imaging detector is subjected to too much
thermal energy, and the
image, which appears as a white cloud, no longer identifies fine details
in the scene.
Most thermal imaging cameras
have an automatic iris or appropriate software to adjust system
controls to avoid white-out
immediately after intense thermal energy hits the detector.
Pointing the TIC
directly at superheated sources, such as the sun, is not recommended
and may damage the detector.
What makes a quality high-resolution thermal imaging picture?
Thermal imaging picture quality is determined by a number of factors:
1. The quality of the lens
that focuses the thermal image onto the FPA. One measurement of
lens
speed is the f-number. The smaller the f-number, the wider the lens, and
the better the
image
quality. Generally, the main constraints to lens quality include weight
and size
(the
better the lens, the bigger and heavier it will be).
2. The number of pixels on
the FPA. With all other thermal system components being equal,
the more
pixels on the FPA, the finer the image details that can be resolved.
3. Whether it’s microbolometer
or BST. BST pixels are mechanically interconnected, whereas
microbolometer
pixels are mechanically isolated. The thermal energy seen by an individual
BST
pixel can therefore "bleed" onto nearby pixels, but isolated microbolometer
pixels sense
independently
and provide clearer, crisper image lines.
4. The electronic signal
processing (video enhancement electronics). Most fire service thermal
imaging
cameras are controlled by microprocessors, which not only monitor the system
but
also
"enhance" the thermal image. For example, some cameras are able to generate
near
320 x
240 FPA performance by using a 160 x 120 array and "averaging" to
generate the
remaining
image points. Others are able to determine if a pixel is not functioning
properly
and approximate
its correct output using surrounding pixels to generate a smoothed image.
5. The MRTD. ( Minimum Resolvable Termal Difference )
6. The NETD. ( Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference )
7. The Dynamic Range.
In a transmission system, the ratio of the overload level
( the
maximum signal power that the system can tolerate without distortion of
the signal )
8. The amount of system signal
noise. Signal processing and components may add noise
(or "snow")
to the image. The cleaner the system, the better the image (difficult to
measure
but easy to see).
9. The display used to interface with the user. The better quality display provides a better image.
Source: http://www.msanet.com/MSANorthAmerica/MSAUnitedStates/frequentlyaskedquestions/EvolutionFAQ.html
LOOMING MIRAGE
Mexico's FLIR video screen
shot showing two lights with a lower anomaly.
It looks like a
LOOMING
MIRAGE

A second effect, called refraction,
also affects the path the electromagnetic energy will take
as it propagates through
the atmosphere. Normally, because the atmosphere's density
decreases rapidly with height,
the radar beam will be deflected downward, much like light
passing through a glass
prism. In extreme cases, where temperature increases with height
and dry air overlays warm
air, (a condition often found along coastlines), the beam can bend
down dramatically and even
strike the ground. Meteorologists call this effect "anomalous
propagation". Both
the curvature of the earth and normal atmospheric refraction must be
accounted for when determining
the position of a target.
Refraction : The bending of light
The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another is called refraction.
The angle and wavelength
at which the light enters a substance and the density of that
substance determine how
much the light is refracted. The refraction of light by atmospheric
particles can result in
a number of beautiful optical effects like halos, which are produced
when sunlight (or moonlight)
is refracted by the pencil shaped ice crystals of cirrostratus clouds.
A mirage is an optical phenomenon
which often occurs naturally. The kind most commonly
seen is produced by the
refraction of light when it passes into a layer of warm air lying close
to a heated ground surface.
( Like the sea waters in the Gulf of Mexico before down )
A mirage effect produced
by greater-than-normal refraction in the lower atmosphere,
thus permitting objects
to be seen that are usually below the horizon. This occurs when
the air density decreases
more rapidly with height than in the normal atmosphere.
If the rate of decrease
of density with height is greater in the region followed by the ray
from the top of the object
than for the ray from the bottom of the object, the image will
be stretched vertically.
This stretching is often called looming but is more properly
termed towering. The antonym
of looming is sinking and that of towering is stooping.
Some mirages have specific names:
1. Looming - appearance
of objects usually hidden below the horizon. Normally occur over
water
surfaces when normal rate of air thickness decreases and altitude is heightened.
2. Sinking - reverse
effect of the above phenomenon. Occurs when the opposite conditions
at sea
take place. In sinking, the vessels, boats and shorelines which are seen
on the
horizon,
seem to sink below and become invisible.
3. Towering - occurs
due to irregular refraction. Light rays curve downward, with the top
of the object curving more than the lower ones. The observer will see objects
which seem
to be lifted up more then they need to be and will be enlarged in the vertical
direction.
4. Stooping - when
the light rays of the distant object curve downward less than the rays
at
the bottom.
This vertical contraction gives it this name. It results in objects on
the horizon
being
observed with the rising or setting of the sun and the moon. One may often
see a
distortion
caused by irregular layer effects of the lower atmosphere strata. One of
the most
famous
of these occurs between Calabria and Sicily and is known as Fata Morgana.
Normal atmospheric conditions
Usually, within the lower
atmosphere (the troposphere) the air near the surface of the Earth
is warmer than the air above
it, largely because the atmosphere is heated from below by
solar radiation absorbed
at the surface.
Hot air, however, rises.
This is convection in which the warmer air rises up, to be replaced
with cooler air which is
then heated. It is this process that leads to cloud building, thermals,
and other convection related
atmospheric behavior.
Inversion layer
How inversions occur
Sometimes the gradient is
inverted, so that the air gets colder nearer the surface of the Earth:
this is a temperature inversion.
It can be created by the
movement of air masses of different temperature moving over each
other. A warm air mass moving
over a colder one can "shut off" the convection effects,
keeping the cooler air mass
trapped below.
It commonly occurs at night:
when solar heating ceases, the surface cools by radiation,
and cools the immediately
overlying atmosphere. Over most of Antarctica there is a near
permanent inversion.
Consequences of an Inversion
With the disruption of normal
convection, a number of phenomena are associated
with a temperature inversion.
One common effect is the general "stillness" of the air,
as is dirty or foggy air
which can no longer be pulled away from the surface.
The Index Refraction of air
decreases as the air temperature increases, a side effect
of hotter air being less
dense. Normally this results in distant objects being shortened
vertically, an effect that
is easy to see at sunset (where the sun is "squished" into an orb).
In an inversion the normal
pattern is reversed, and distant objects are instead stretched
out or appear to be above
the horizon. This leads to the interesting optical effects of
Fata Morgana or mirage.
Inferior mirage
What is a mirage? A mirage
is a misleading appearance. Most mirages occur on
the seas or in the deserts.
What will cause a mirage? A reflection. What causes
reflection? Light. We seldom
consider light as anything magical or wonderful,
but light allows us the
ability to see many good things and, often, many bad things.
Mirages, also called illusions,
are caused by a reflection of some distance object
which allows you to think
that it is close by. In physics, it is known as an optical
illusion. The more common
type of mirage is called inferior mirage. It happens
when a refraction of light
passes through the atmosphere layers with varying
qualities. Distance objects
may seem to be raised above or below their normal
locality. These objects
may be seen as irregular and fantastic shapes.
In warmer climates, such
as deserts and sandy plains, mirages frequently occur.
It normally comes in the
appearance of the desert resembling a sheet of water,
especially if you are somewhat
higher than the mirage you experience. If you've
been driving down the interstate
in the heat of summer, you probably have
noticed this same effect.
With this case, the image is really of the sky.
How does it occur? If you
are below eye level of this surface, all objects will
appear inverted, or upside-down.
Over a hot surface, air will stand in layers
that are of a different
element or part. The layers below or near the ground
are the hottest. These air
layers cause a distortion of wave fronts, due to the
speed of light varying as
the element or parts change.
Superior mirages are spectacular
events, but much less common than the
inferior mirage. These occur
mainly over the horizon of the sea when distant
objects are sketched, or
drawn, upside down in the sky. Sometimes there is
an erect image of the same
object which will be above the upside-down image.
This is characteristic of
cold areas and conditions with a strong change of