Dictionary of Paranormal Terms - R

Rods
'Rods' are an anomaly that crop up on rare occasions in a photograph, usually taking the form of a long object with small bulges along one or both sides. Some people believe that Rods are a type of new life form, or are Alien in origin. Another common, though somewhat more plausible explanation, is that a 'Rod' is actually the product of an insect being caught in the photograph during mid flight. The wing beats of the insect account for the numerous bulges along the length of the rod, and the rod itself is created by the blurred insect as it moves across the picture.