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An archival photograph depicting the lunar landscape as observed from the Apollo 12 landing site. Crew members reported observing an unidentified luminous source beyond the lunar horizon, indicated within the highlighted box.(Image credit: NASA)Share this article 1Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleSubscribe to our newsletter
Unidentified flying objects have once again surfaced in Washington — this time, through a recently unveiled collection of over 150 previously confidential documents that span nearly 80 years of alleged encounters.
Accessible for review today (May 8) on the Department of Defense’s website, the 162 newly declassified documents, images, and videos encompass accounts of UFOs and UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena, the contemporary term preferred by the government for such observations) dating back to 1947.
“The records compiled here represent unresolved incidents, signifying that the government is unable to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the nature of the phenomena observed,” stated DOD representatives on the department’s website. “This situation can arise from numerous factors, including an insufficiency of data.”
Are there any aliens?
Given the substandard quality of the available data, the reports do not present any persuasive evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence.
While NASA has refrained from commenting directly on the recently unsealed files — apart from a statement of endorsement from Administrator Jared Isaacman — the agency’s established stance is that UAP are genuine phenomena but are unrelated to alien origins.
“Is there any evidence that supports the notion that UAP represent manifestations of alien technology?
“No,” asserts NASA’s official UAP webpage. “The majority of UAP observations are accompanied by very limited data, which complicates the ability to derive scientific conclusions.”
Indeed, NASA undertook its own independent inquiry into UAP sightings in 2022 and 2023, finding no indications of alien activity, again attributing this to the inadequate quality of data associated with the reported incidents.
A composite visual depicting a field where an alleged UAP sighting occurred in 2023, involving an “ellipsoid bronze metallic object materializing from a bright aerial light.” The FBI has provided a sketch illustrating the potential appearance of this ellipsoid.
(Image credit: NASA)What did the NASA astronauts observe?
From a historical perspective, some of the most intriguing documents pertain to UFO sightings reported by NASA astronauts during the 1960s. These include a transcript and an audio recording detailing two NASA crew members reporting an unidentified object in Earth’s orbit during the 1965 Gemini VII mission.
Merely four hours into their journey on December 5, 1965, astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell reported observing a “bogey” (a military term for an unidentified aircraft) outside their spacecraft’s viewport, which Borman described as “hundreds of little particles drifting by.”
When NASA’s ground control inquired if it could be debris from the recently jettisoned rocket booster, the astronauts indicated it was not, asserting that they could see the booster in a different orbital path. The Gemini spacecraft soon moved away from the object, never to encounter it again.
A photograph captured by Apollo 12 astronauts of the moon reveals unexplained lights in five distinct areas of the sky.
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The documentation also includes photographs and transcripts from the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 17 expeditions, wherein astronauts described encountering various unidentified “flashes” and “particles of light” on the moon. These incidents, similar to the others, remain unresolved owing to a lack of adequate data.
The underlying records have been accessible in public repositories for many years. However, some recently published images from the Apollo 12 mission feature magnified sections to draw attention to anomalous phenomena observed on the lunar surface.
What are UAP?
Therefore, if they are not extraterrestrial, what exactly are UAP? According to a 2022 investigation by the DOD, most UAP sightings can be attributed to factors such as avian presence, optical illusions, low-quality photographic evidence, and sophisticated foreign surveillance technology.
Numerous UAP files continue to be classified not because of the observed objects themselves, but due to the sensitive military technology employed in their recording, according to NASA.
The DOD intends to release further declassified UAP documents periodically in the coming weeks and months.
Editor’s note: This article was revised at 6:00 p.m. ET on May 8 to clarify that all Apollo-related materials have been available in public archives for decades.
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