Within May Pang
Why Two Witnesses Still Could Not Measure the UFO
Without separated viewpoints, Pang and Lennon could not triangulate the object's altitude, size or speed from appearance alone.
On this page
- What Triangulation Requires
- The Size Distance Problem From One Terrace
- Why Perceived Closeness Is Not a Measurement
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
May Pang’s presence on the terrace is important because it confirms that John Lennon was not the only person who saw an unusual aerial object. However, having two witnesses did not mean they could accurately determine how far away the object was, how large it really was, or how fast it was travelling. Both observers stood together on the same terrace and viewed the object from essentially the same position. That gave them confirmation that they shared the same visual experience, but it did not provide the separate viewing angles needed to calculate distance through triangulation. Their descriptions therefore strengthen the historical record of the sighting while leaving its physical characteristics fundamentally unresolved.[The Beatles Story Museum, Liverpool]beatlesstory.comThe Beatles Story Museum, LiverpoolJune 30, 2023…
What Triangulation Requires
Triangulation is a geometric method used to estimate the position of an object by comparing simultaneous observations from two or more locations separated by a known distance. Each observer records the direction to the object, and where those sight lines intersect provides an estimate of its location. Once distance is known, apparent size can be converted into actual size, and observed motion can be translated into true speed.[UFO*BC]ufobc.caUFO*BCCase 22: Calculation of UFO SizeUFO*BCCase 22: Calculation of UFO Size
The crucial requirement is that the observers occupy meaningfully different positions. A measurable baseline between observers creates slightly different viewing angles, producing the parallax needed for calculation. Professional investigations of aerial phenomena have occasionally been able to estimate distance when witnesses were separated by hundreds of metres or many kilometres, allowing investigators to compare independent lines of sight.[project1947.com]project1947.comPROJECT 1947: A Study of the Lockheed Sightings Dec 16, 1953 - Martin Shough…
Lennon and Pang did not have this advantage. They watched the object together from the same terrace after Lennon called Pang outside. Even though they were two independent observers, they effectively shared one viewpoint.[The Beatles Story Museum, Liverpool]beatlesstory.comThe Beatles Story Museum, LiverpoolJune 30, 2023…
The Size-Distance Problem From One Terrace
Without an independently measured distance, every estimate of the object’s size depended on assumptions.
Pang later recalled that the object seemed close enough that, in her words, it felt as though a well-thrown object might have reached it. Lennon similarly described it as appearing relatively near. These statements describe perceived proximity rather than measured distance. Human vision alone cannot determine whether an unfamiliar object is:
- small and nearby,
- medium-sized at an intermediate distance, or
- very large but much farther away.
Each possibility can produce a remarkably similar image on the retina because observers primarily perceive angular size—the angle an object occupies in the field of view—rather than its true dimensions. Investigators of unusual aerial sightings routinely distinguish between angular appearance and physical size for precisely this reason.[NCAS Files]files.ncas.orgFiles Condon Report, Case 52: Traffic Investigator PhotographsNCAS FilesCondon Report, Case 52: Traffic Investigator PhotographsAugust 3, 1965…
The problem becomes even greater at night. Darkness removes many familiar visual references such as surface detail, texture, shadows and atmospheric perspective. Bright lights against a dark sky can also distort an observer’s impression of both size and distance.
Why Perceived Closeness Is Not a Measurement
People naturally estimate distance using a collection of visual cues rather than a single measurement. These include:
- comparison with familiar objects such as buildings or trees,
- overlapping foreground and background objects,
- visible surface detail,
- changes in focus,
- stereo vision from the separation between the eyes, and
- motion relative to nearby landmarks.
Several of these cues become weak or disappear entirely when viewing a brightly lit object in the night sky.
Even if Pang and Lennon believed the object was only a few storeys above nearby rooftops, that impression could not establish its actual range. Unless the object could be shown to pass in front of or behind a known structure, or unless its position could be measured independently, the observation remained a visual estimate rather than a geometric measurement. Studies of reported UFO encounters have long recognised that witness estimates of distance become increasingly uncertain when reliable reference points are absent.[NICAP]nicap.orgEffects of position & distance in UFO ignition interference casesEffects of position & distance in UFO ignition interference cases…
Why Two Witnesses Improve Reliability but Not Geometry
Having two witnesses is still valuable. Pang’s account broadly matched Lennon’s description of the object’s shape, lighting pattern, apparent silence and slow movement, making it less likely that the event resulted from an entirely private perception or later invention. Their agreement strengthens confidence that both observed the same phenomenon.[The Beatles Story Museum, Liverpool]beatlesstory.comThe Beatles Story Museum, LiverpoolJune 30, 2023…
What it does not do is solve the geometric problem. Because both observers shared essentially the same line of sight, they also shared the same uncertainty. If the object appeared close to Lennon, it would appear similarly close to Pang. Their agreement confirms a common perception but cannot independently determine altitude, distance or physical dimensions.
This distinction is important in evaluating the case. Multiple witnesses can increase confidence that an event occurred, yet still leave key physical questions unanswered if they all observed it from nearly the same location.
The Limits This Places on Later Interpretations
Many later discussions of Lennon’s UFO sighting attempt to infer how large, fast or extraordinary the object must have been. Those conclusions depend on assigning a specific distance to the object.
Because no reliable distance measurement exists, none of those quantities can be calculated with confidence:
- True size cannot be derived from apparent size alone.
- Altitude cannot be determined from visual impression alone.
- Speed cannot be calculated because the distance travelled is unknown.
- Acceleration likewise remains indeterminate.
Consequently, Pang’s testimony is strongest as corroboration that Lennon was not the sole observer, rather than as evidence that resolves the object’s physical characteristics. The absence of separated viewpoints means the sighting remains constrained by one of the most common limitations in visual reports of unusual aerial phenomena: without triangulation, appearance alone cannot reveal true scale or distance.[UFO*BC]ufobc.caUFO*BCCase 22: Calculation of UFO SizeUFO*BCCase 22: Calculation of UFO Size
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Why Two Witnesses Still Could Not Measure the UFO. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Our minds don’t work the way we think they do. Two renowned psychologists explain how and why our intuitions...
Eyewitness Testimony
Every year hundreds of defendants are convicted on little more than the say-so of a fellow citizen. Although psychologists have suspected...
The Seven Sins of Memory
Rating: 3.5/5 from 5 Google Books ratings
A New York Times Notable Book: A psychologist's "gripping and thought-provoking" look at how and why our brains sometimes fail us (Steven...
Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life
An engrossing guide to seeing--and communicating--more clearly, from the groundbreaking course that helps FBI agents, cops, CEOs, ER doct...
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.
Selected fromUFO wall art oneBay.co.uk.
Current eBay listing
UFO ABDUCTION OVER THE OCEAN -DEEP FRAMED CANVAS WALL ART PRINT
Current eBay listing
UFO ABDUCTION OVER THE OCEAN -FRAMED WALL ART PAPER PRINT POSTER
Endnotes
1.
Source: project1947.com
Link:https://www.project1947.com/fig/lockufo53.htm
Source snippet
PROJECT 1947: A Study of the Lockheed Sightings Dec 16, 1953 - Martin Shough...
2.
Source: ufobc.ca
Title: UFO*BCCase 22: Calculation of UFO Size
Link:https://ufobc.ca/yukon/22ufosize.htm
3.
Source: files.ncas.org
Title: Files Condon Report, Case 52: Traffic Investigator Photographs
Link:https://files.ncas.org/condon/text/case52.htm
Source snippet
NCAS FilesCondon Report, Case 52: Traffic Investigator PhotographsAugust 3, 1965...
Published: August 3, 1965
4.
Source: nicap.org
Title: Effects of position & distance in UFO ignition interference cases
Link:https://nicap.org/papers/effectsposition.htm
Source snippet
Effects of position & distance in UFO ignition interference cases...
5.
Source: files.ncas.org
Link:https://files.ncas.org/condon/text/case57.htm
Source snippet
Report, Case 57: Ranger Station PhotographJuly 3, 1967 — (The Salem case, for example, was classified as containing fatal internal incons...
Published: July 3, 1967
6.
Source: beatlesstory.com
Link:https://www.beatlesstory.com/blog/john-lennon-ufo-sighting/
Source snippet
The Beatles Story Museum, LiverpoolJune 30, 2023...
Published: June 30, 2023
8.
Source: ufobc.ca
Title: Case 22: Event
Link:https://ufobc.ca/yukon/22eventsum.htm
Source snippet
A beam of light emanating from the bottom of the UFO swooped the ground once directly underneath the object. Was it a search beam? Lookin...
Additional References
9.
Source: ufoinsight.com
Title: The Strange But Compelling John Lennon UFO Sighting
Link:https://www.ufoinsight.com/ufos/sightings/the-strange-but-compelling-john-lennon-ufo-sighting
Source snippet
UFO InsightJanuary 9, 2024 — THE STRANGE BUT COMPELLING JOHN LENNON UFO SIGHTING By Marcus Lowth Image: Published Date January 9, 2024 Im...
Published: January 9, 2024
10.
Source: ghosttheory.com
Title: the day john lennon saw a ufo
Link:https://www.ghosttheory.com/2016/03/10/the-day-john-lennon-saw-a-ufo
Source snippet
Ghost TheoryMarch 10, 2016 — THE DAY JOHN LENNON SAW A UFO * In Headline, UFOs, Videos, Weird news * March 10, 2016 * Xavier * 11833 View...
Published: March 10, 2016
11.
Source: skepticalinquirer.org
Title: ufo identification process
Link:https://skepticalinquirer.org/2018/11/ufo-identification-process/
Source snippet
So, the widespread attitude that because they are unidentified they are therefore probably extraterrestrial craft is a logical fallacy ca...
12.
Source: youtube.com
Title: How Do We Calculate Parallax Angle in the First Place?
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ocBMOJmW0
Source snippet
The Mystery of Perception: Depth, Optical Illusions, and Movement...
13.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Understanding Distances in Astronomy Through Parallax
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZoYYTglSNY
Source snippet
How Do We Calculate Parallax Angle in the First Place?...
14.
Source: midimagic.sgc-hosting.com
Link:https://midimagic.sgc-hosting.com/ufofaq.htm
Source snippet
FAQWhen anything unknown is farther away than 30 feet (9 meters) and is seen against the sky, the human vision system cannot estimate any...
15.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2axtgni0qmQ
Source snippet
The Night John Lennon Saw a UFO - Need to Know...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Night John Lennon Saw a UFO
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWACOycqTmc
Source snippet
Understanding Distances in Astronomy Through Parallax...
17.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Mystery of Perception: Depth, Optical Illusions, and Movement
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuvSrNfI9Ug