No, this is not a picture of a UFO. It is a picture taken in 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, by Michael Yon. The ghostlike image is a result of the Kopp-Etchells Effect. The picture is from an article at Michael Yon's website.
According to the article:
"Basically it is a result of static electricity created by friction as materials of dissimilar material strike against each other. In this case titanium/nickel blades moving through the air and dust. It occurs on the ground as well, but you don't usually see it as much unless the aircraft is landing or taking off. The most common time is when fuel is being pumped. When large tankers are being fueled they must be grounded to prevent static electricity from discharging and creating explosions."
The phenomenon is named after two soldiers who died in Afghanistan--one British and one American. Please follow the link above for more pictures and to read about the heroism of these men.
Please pray for all of our troops who are deployed overseas.
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