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Cryptid

Atmospheric Beasts

Strange creatures float in our atmosphere—translucent, jellyfish-like beings that drift on air currents. Pilots report them. UFOs might actually be living organisms. Could life exist in our skies?

Ancient - Present
Worldwide
500+ witnesses

Atmospheric beasts are a theoretical class of organisms hypothesized to live in Earth’s atmosphere—never landing, feeding on atmospheric particles, essentially living sky creatures.

The Theory

According to various sources:

Some researchers suggest:

  • Life could evolve to live entirely in the atmosphere
  • Such creatures would be lighter than air
  • They might feed on dust, pollen, or microorganisms
  • They could explain some UFO sightings

Historical Sightings

Strange aerial creatures have been reported for centuries:

  • “Sky serpents” in medieval accounts
  • “Cloud fish” in various cultures
  • Modern UFO reports that describe organic-looking objects
  • Pilot reports of translucent objects

Famous Cases

Trevor James Constable: Claimed to photograph atmospheric beasts using infrared film in the 1950s-60s. His images showed blob-like shapes he called “critters.”

Ivan T. Sanderson: The naturalist proposed that some UFOs might be atmospheric lifeforms.

Various Pilots: Have reported hitting or seeing translucent, gelatinous objects at high altitude.

The Rods Phenomenon

In the 1990s, “rods” appeared in videos:

  • Long, rod-shaped objects with membranous wings
  • Captured on video worldwide
  • Later explained as motion blur of insects
  • But some maintain they’re atmospheric creatures

Star Jelly

“Star jelly” or “pwdre ser”:

  • Gelatinous substances found after meteor showers
  • Some suggest they’re atmospheric creatures fallen to earth
  • Most likely biological in origin (frog spawn, slime molds)
  • The connection to meteors may be coincidental

Scientific Perspective

Mainstream science is skeptical:

  • No specimens have been captured
  • The atmosphere lacks sufficient nutrients
  • No ecosystem could support such life
  • Known photographs have mundane explanations

The UFO Connection

Some UFO researchers suggest:

  • Some UFOs behave more like organisms than craft
  • They change shape
  • They pulse or breathe
  • They move erratically
  • Perhaps we’re looking at life, not technology

What Would They Be?

Hypothetical atmospheric beasts might:

  • Be filled with lighter-than-air gas
  • Have transparent or reflective bodies
  • Feed on microorganisms
  • Reproduce in the upper atmosphere
  • Rarely descend to observable altitudes

Carl Sagan’s Hunters and Floaters

Carl Sagan proposed atmospheric life could exist on Jupiter:

  • “Floaters” would be balloon-like organisms
  • “Hunters” would prey on them
  • Similar life might exist in dense atmospheres
  • Could Earth harbor such life?

Modern Interest

The theory persists because:

  • Unexplained aerial phenomena continue
  • Pilot reports remain
  • Some UFO behavior seems biological
  • The possibility can’t be entirely dismissed

Sources

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