Sutro Tower mistaken for UFO in viral video – SFGATE
Whether it’s flying disk-shaped clouds or weather balloons from China, unidentified flying objects are a source of continuous fascination for the general public. A 2021 TikTok video filmed from a plane window is going viral yet again, this time on Twitter. It shows a three-pronged metal object peeking out of the clouds and claims to be from a Delta flight cruising at 38,000 feet over California.
“Does anyone knows any building with 38000 ft height and has three steel bars pointing towards sky ?? Because i dont …,” the account @IHuntUFOs wrote March 14. The tweet with the 2021 video has been viewed 17.3 million times since it was posted and features a variety of responses either supporting or debunking the claim.
UFO enthusiasts might be disappointed that the thing in the video isn’t even flying. It’s the tip of Sutro Tower in San Francisco.
In the caption on the video, TikTok user @harrygrammer claims he took the footage at 38,000 feet in the sky, but that’s impossible, considering the tower is only 977 feet tall. Commenters on the original TikTok video who are familiar with San Francisco were quick to spot the fog bank and mountains.
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“‘Cruising at 38,000 feet’ meanwhile in the background there is some hills and mountains… tallest Cali mountain is 14,000 ft…,” user Jabez Gill commented.
Another commenter joked the object was a router that stored user information — a literal iCloud, if you will. Sutro Tower does use transmission signals for “10 television stations, three FM radio stations, satellite and cable providers and nearly two dozen public and commercial wireless communication services,” according to its website.
Sutro Tower is a large communications antenna overlooking San Francisco and Golden Gate Park.
Steve Proehl/Getty Images
Overcast, foggy days are common in the Bay Area, with fog often low enough to engulf views of the Golden Gate Bridge. This fog bank is known as advection fog, formed when moist, warm air passes over a colder surface, cooling it down as it moves horizontally.
