BS: Two shadows

Subject: BS: Two shadows
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 02:56 AM

I was driving south to Shropshire yesterday morning, following a container lorry (reddy brown colour), and noticed 2 shadows, the usual black one, thrown across the road, and on the other side a rust coloured one (reflection I suppose), thrown across the verge,staining the grass as it passed.

It was a bright sunny day.

Odd.
I've never noticed anything like that before, have you?

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 09:17 AM

Yes. I think it presages the end of the world.

The other one, the rust-colored one, was probably not a shadow but a reflection off the side of the truck.

Stand in a dark room and turn a directed light (like a spotlight) on yourself. Then turn on another one 90 degrees to the first. You'll cast two shadows. Keep adding lights and you'll cast more shadows. You can do this with a mug and some flashlights, or just watch a stage performance.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Mr Red
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 03:46 PM

Whatever you do - beware the area of Mortimers Cross.

Some king or other saw three sunsets at once - took it as an ill omen and lost a battle thereafter. One of the Henrys I believe.

It is not uncommon there apparently - something to do with the terrain and flora. I did try to explain it to Ms Lemon - a bit like looking over the rim of yer glasses - get it it right and you can see two of some things, if they wus bifocals - that could be three I guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 04:02 PM

If I saw three sunsets I'd probably be as cross as Mortimer was.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: John Hardly
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 05:11 PM

One is a shadow. The other is an aura. Lorry's are notorius for their rust-colored auras. Wikipedia has this to say:

"Rust-colored auras signify jaunty rigs".

I'm not sure what that means.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 06:46 PM

The rust coloured shadow wasn't created by the lorry at all. Had you looked overhead, you would have noticed a medium-sized spaceship from the planet Yee-Yowzah* closely following your car and the lorry the entire trip. It was the spaceship's shadow you were seeing.

Later that same night the Yee-Yowzahnis abducted you and took you to their mothership where... well, we won't speak of that. Just be thankful they erased all memory of the encounter other than that "rust coloured shadow" from your mind before returning you home.


*
"Yee-Yowzah" is not the real name of the planet from which the aliens come. It's actually the sound made by roughly 50% of abductees upon their first encounter with the aliens' "special probe". The sound made by the other 50% is "What the fuck!", but "the planet Yee-Yowzah" has a much nicer ring than "the planet What-the-Fuck".

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 09:53 PM

So the aliens left you a rust-colored aura to remember them by.

How nice!

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 10:33 PM

I have seen 3 suns before. They are called sun dogs and are refracted images of the central light source.

Can they cause seperate shadows? I would think yes since they can be almost 10% as bright as the sun.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Morticia
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 06:40 AM

It was one of the Edwards, 3rd I think, he saw three suns rather than sunsets, he saw it as a good omen, went on to win the battle and was known forever after as Sun in Splendour in token of his vision, but you were close, Mr Red *G*

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 12:08 PM

When Custer's 7th Cavalry were leaving Ft Abraham Lincoln to seek the Sioux at the Little Big Horn, atmospheric conditions produced a weird anomaly: The entire troop was seen reflected upside-down in an overhanging cloud. Many took this as a bad omen. Turns out they were right.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Peace
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 12:17 PM

I saw lots of stuff like that in the 1960s, Mo. It goes away after a few decades.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 06:45 PM

None of you believe me, do you?
I couldn't find the Wiki reference John, do you have a link?

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Peace
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 06:48 PM

I believe you. I've seen double shadows. There were some in the shots of the moon landing. Caused by two light sources.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 06:52 PM

Three sunsets? That's nothing special. I have been known to see five crescent moons. Caused by astigmatism.

I've often wondered how the ancients reacted to people like me who saw things like that. (I hope my fellow astigmatics had the sense to keep mum.)

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Peace
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 06:54 PM

Of course they kept mum. The old age home wouldn't have her . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Peace
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 07:06 PM

And yes, I DO believe you, Mo.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Oct 07 - 08:10 AM

Morticia

So I was close - now why did they call it Mortimers Cross and not Edward's 3-way? Had to be the third I would guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Morticia
Date: 03 Oct 07 - 11:32 AM

No, I checked, it was Edward the Fourth, and I think it was already called Mortimers Cross but I'm not a right little know-it-all, honest! I just came across the story in a book I was reading recently.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Oct 07 - 01:22 PM

Gee Mo I believed right up to the point when you said "none of you belive me do you"

I have also had the pleasure of seeing moon dogs. The atmospheric ice will refract the moon light very well and make moon dogs fairly common.

Most likely the reddish shadow was from the red truck casting its reflected light.

Subject: RE: BS: Two shadows
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 01:26 AM

It was better than that Lonesome EJ, before the battle Crazy Horse dreamed himself into the real world and said he had seen soldiers falling from the sky, this was taken as a sign that they would win the battle.

eric