4th batch of Pentagon UAP files: ‘Floating brain’ goes viral

Posted by Paul Scott Anderson

Clipped version of the jellyfish or “floating brain” video from over the Atlantic on January 1, 2020. It’s part of the 4th batch of Pentagon UAP files, released on July 10, 2026. Observers said the object didn’t maneuver or change direction and traveled with the wind. So it might be an unusually shaped balloon or clump of deflated balloons squashed together. Or it might be something else. An AI-enhanced version of this video went viral on the internet this weekend. Read more about the latest Pentagon UAP files below. Video via DoD/ Forbes.

• The Pentagon released the 4th batch of its UAP files on July 10, 2026.
• It contains a mix of video, image, document and audio files. There are 40 new files in all, and 19 are videos, including the now-viral “floating brain” video.
• The release is part of a continuing rollout of files every couple or few weeks.

AI-enhanced ‘floating brain’ UAP video goes viral

The Pentagon released a 4th batch of UAP/UFO files on July 10, 2026. The release includes 19 videos, 14 documents, three images and four audio files. One video – dubbed the “floating brain” – was immediately altered with AI and re-released to the internet, where it went viral this weekend. Forbes reported:

An X user applied AI to enhance the Pentagon’s previously released UFO footage designated DOW-UAP-PR030, also called the ‘floating brain’ UAP. The enhanced image depicts an image that shape-shifts and performs a sharp high-speed maneuver before it accelerates away …

The AI-enhanced image took the internet by storm, sparking a fresh wave of speculation, with viewers drawing very different conclusions about what they’re seeing.

One user wrote, ‘It’s just a bunch of Mylar balloons tied together. Probably escaped a fair. They can ascend for thousands of feet without popping like latex balloons.’

Another one also presented its own theory, stating, ‘Yeah, that thing flew here from Alpha Centauri, or from the Andromeda Galaxy. Makes perfect sense. Look at its mystifyingly perfect symmetry. It can’t possibly be a distorted balloon or a random piece of garbage. Our lives are changed forever.’

Meanwhile, the non-AI-enhanced videos – like the ones found on this page – are also being widely distributed online. The recent batch of UAP files includes the data coming from various agencies, including FBI, NASA, CIA, Energy Department and Pentagon.

The AI-enhanced ‘floating brain’ UFO video went viral, sparking conspiracy theories.  See a video of this AI-enhanced image at X. Image via Forbes.

Pentagon UAP files: Part 4

The Pentagon had released its 1st batch of declassified UAP/UFO materials on May 8, 2026. It released a 2nd batch on May 22, and a 3rd batch on June 12.

And as usual, Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, said in a statement:

Today, the Department of War is publishing the fourth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The collection continues to be housed on WAR.GOV/UFO, and the Department will release additional files on a rolling basis.

And again, many of these files have been known about already, both historically and more recently, by researchers and others who follow the subject. But these centralized releases will help more of the general public to see them as well.

 well.

The full video of the jellyfish or “floating brain” video from over the Atlantic on January 1, 2020. Video via DoD.

UAP video from the Middle East on January 1, 2023. A dark squarish object comes into view at the bottom of the video. Just as it reaches the top of the frame, a long, dark, skinny object suddenly enters the frame at the same spot, and crosses very fast toward the lower left corner. Video via DoD.

‘Floating brain’ and other odd videos

One of the most unusual-looking videos is from January 1, 2020, over the Atlantic Ocean. It was taken by a “U.S. military platform.”

The witnesses described the object as a “darker, maroonish color, approximately 12-15 feet [3.6-4.5 m] in height.” It had an odd, kind of layered look, with smaller pieces extending sideways and from the bottom. Indeed, some people have likened it to a jellyfish or “floating brain.”

Unfortunately, as is often the case, the release provides no other details. The accompanying Range Fouler Debrief stated that the object didn’t maneuver or change direction and traveled with the wind. So a good possibility is that this was an unusually shaped balloon or clump of deflated balloons squashed together.

A Range Fouler Debrief is a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training.

Also, another interesting military video from somewhere in the Middle East on January 1, 2023, shows a dark squarish object coming into view at the bottom of the video. Just as it reaches the top of the frame, a long, dark, skinny object suddenly enters the frame at the same spot, and crosses very fast toward the lower left corner.

It looks like the square object suddenly changed shape and direction extremely quickly. But is it two different objects as the description suggests?

More historical and other documents

The documents in this release include more historical documents, as well as some more recent ones.

One of these is a document from 1948, from Project Sign. It includes 100 reports from between 1947 and 1948. This was also the time when World War II pilots reported sightings of foo fighters, glowing orbs that followed their aircraft. And the infamous Roswell incident occurred in July 1947.

In addition, a review file from Project Blue Book is also included. It documents the 1966 and 1967 Scientific Advisory Board review. The board recommended that the Air Force contract a university-affiliated scientific team to investigate selected UAP sightings.

Plus, a more recent document records details of a UAP reported near the Pantex nuclear plant in Texas on September 1, 2015. The object was diamond-shaped and rounded on the top, about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide (1.2-.6 m). It was silent and moved slowly, about 10-15 mph (16-24 kph), sometimes increasing speed.

Parts of this document had originally been released in the 2nd batch of files released on May 22, 2026.

There is also an Air Force assessment from 1949 called “Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States.” It includes details and sketches from the famous Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP case from July 24, 1948.

And while it is not known what the object was, there has been a long history of UAP near or right over nuclear installations in the U.S.

Other documents from the DoD, CIA and FGI are also here.

View larger. | Sketch 1 from the Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP report on July 24, 1948. Image via DoD. View larger. | Sketch 2 from the Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP report on July 24, 1948. Image via DoD.

Los Alamos conference and green fireballs

There is also a complete transcript of the February 1949 Los Alamos conference. Edward Teller, the Hungarian-American theoretical physicist known as the father of the hydrogen bomb, organized the conference. It discussed “green fireballs” seen near Los Alamos and other nuclear sites.

‘Characteristics they had never seen in 28 years of service’

And in another Range Fouler Debrief report from 2019, five military pilots reported an unauthorized intrusion into their airspace during active military operations or training. They described a small rectangular object that was caught on the camera of a surveillance plane. The witnesses described it as having flight characteristics they had never seen in 28 years of service for the Navy and Air Force. In addition, they reported that it moved fast enough to outrun the aircraft’s tracking system.

Official policy of debunking

Another document, the “1966-1967 deliberations and recommendations of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Scientific Advisory Board’s Ad Hoc Committee to Review Project Blue Book,” includes the CIA’s official position at the time to deliberately “debunk” the UAP issue in the minds of the public. It says:

… the Panel recommends … That the national security agencies take immediate steps to strip the Unidentified Flying Objects of the special status they have been given and the aura of mystery they have unfortunately acquired.

The CIA did this to “reassure the public” that there was no threat or “inimical forces behind the phenomena.” Plus there was also new training for military personnel to focus on “true indications of hostile measures” from adversaries.

View larger. | 1st of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance. Image via NASA/ DoD. View larger. | 2nd of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance. Image via NASA/ DoD. View larger. | 3rd of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance, but now it’s in front of Earth and more difficult to see (near center of image). Image via NASA/ DoD.

More NASA images and audio

As with the previous releases, there are also some new NASA files. This includes three images and four audio files.

The images are from the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-80 mission in 1996. They show a long, narrow triangular object in the distance. The object has changed orientation between the first two images, and in the third Earth is behind it.

These images had been known about before, and in 2016, one of the astronauts on STS-80, Tom Jones, said that he thought the object was an ice particle or other debris.

The audio files are debriefings from the Apollo 14 and Apollo 17 missions. They discuss the “flashes of light” seen outside the astronauts’ capsules. This might have been a biological effect caused by high energy cosmic-rays passing through the astronauts’ eyes and striking the retina.

New Science Advisory Council and Governance Board

In related news, Avi Loeb at Harvard University said last month that the White House tasked him to lead a new UAP Science Advisory Council.

The council is part of a larger new UAP Governance Board. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) stated:

To support the President’s directive on UAP transparency, ODNI – alongside FBI and DOW [Department of War] – established a UAP Governance Board to provide guidance, recommendations and coordination at the interagency level, bringing together military, law enforcement, the intelligence community and other civilian agencies.

The 4th installment of the Pentagon’s UAP files has provided more videos, documents, images and audio to be examined and debated, but still no “smoking gun” hard evidence for any particular theory. What will the 5th release reveal? We’ll just have to wait to find out.

Bottom line: The 4th batch of the Pentagon UAP files has just been released. The files range from a “floating brain” video to more historical documents, including from NASA.

Read more:

• Video files can be seen and downloaded here
• Document files can be seen and downloaded here
• Image files can be seen and downloaded here
• Audio files can be seen and downloaded here
• Department of War Publishes Fourth Release of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Files on WAR.GOV/UFO
• Pentagon releases fourth batch of UFO files
• Fourth Release of UAP Encounter Documents
• Pentagon releases new batch of UFO files: “Unlike anything I had seen”
• Pentagon releases fourth batch of UFO files
• Highlights from the Fourth UAP Data Release by the U.S. Government

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The Vatican fired me after I claimed a word used 2,570 times in the Bible refers to alien beings

By ROB WAUGH

An Italian translator who says he was 'fired by the Vatican' for his interpretation of the original Hebrew Bible has revealed a radical reinterpretation of what God in scripture really is.

Mauro Biglino pointed to the word 'Elohim,' found 2,570 times in the Holy Book, which translates to 'God' or, in his opinion, 'Gods.'

Biglino, an Italian scholar who worked as a biblical translator for Edizioni San Paolo, a major Catholic publishing house linked to the Vatican, suggested that instead of detailing encounters with one God, the Bible describes encounters with a group of mortal, alien beings armed with high technology.

In a podcast interview with Project Unity, he said: 'When I started to write what I really read in the Hebrew Bible, I was fired in one minute.'

According to Biglino, his conclusions stem from translating the original Hebrew text literally rather than through centuries of theological interpretation. 

He argued that many of the Bible's best-known passages have been reshaped by later religious tradition, masking what the ancient authors actually intended to convey.

Pointing out that Elohim is often treated as a singular name for God despite its plural form, he argued that the Bible describes multiple divine figures rather than one supreme being.

'There are multiple divine figures, with different names of God,' he said. 'If Elohim are not God, the Bible is another Book.' 

Mauro Biglino pointed to the word 'Elohim,' found 2,570 times in the Holy Book, which translates to 'God' or, in his opinion, 'Gods'

Rather than viewing the Elohim as supernatural spirits, Biglino believes they were advanced beings of flesh and blood.

'The Elohim were flesh and blood, but with a longer lifespan, but still mortal, with higher technology and higher powers,' he told podcast host Jay Anderson.

His theory builds on the controversial ancient astronaut hypothesis popularized by Swiss author Erich von Däniken, who argued in his 1968 bestseller Chariots of the Gods that extraterrestrials visited ancient civilizations and shared advanced technology with humanity. 

Before his death earlier this year, von Däniken collaborated with Biglino on the book Skies Aflame.

Unlike von Däniken, whose work centered on monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids and other archaeological mysteries, Biglino bases his conclusions on his own translations of the Hebrew Bible, arguing that key words have been misunderstood for centuries.

In his book Gods of the Bible, he notes that 'Elohim' is routinely translated simply as 'God' in modern Bibles, even though specialist editions often leave the Hebrew word untranslated because its meaning remains disputed.

'Where people read "God" and were led to believe that the biblical authors had written the word "God," scholars read the untranslated term "Elohim" and were made aware that this term is problematic,' he wrote.

Hebrew dictionaries, he argues, offer a far broader range of meanings for Elohim, including 'gods,' 'judges,' 'rulers,' 'superhuman beings,' 'angels,' 'children of God,' and 'those from above.' 

Biglino, an Italian scholar who worked as a biblical translator for Edizioni San Paolo, a major Catholic publishing house linked to the Vatican, suggested that instead of detailing encounters with one God, the Bible describes encounters with a group of mortal, alien beings armed with high technology

The word also appears throughout the Old Testament with both singular and plural verbs, which he says suggests it cannot always refer to a single deity.

One passage central to his theory is Psalm 82, where God appears to stand among other divine beings before declaring: 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.'

To Biglino, the passage describes an assembly of the Elohim rather than a lone, all-powerful God. 

He argued it reflects a council of powerful beings, not a single divine ruler. Biblical scholar Michael S Heiser also interpreted Psalm 82 as describing a divine council, although he viewed its members as spiritual beings rather than extraterrestrials.

The Italian author extended that interpretation beyond the Psalms, arguing that several biblical passages traditionally viewed as supernatural visions are better understood as eyewitness descriptions of advanced technology.

Among the most famous examples, he says, is the Book of Ezekiel, which describes 'wheels one inside the other' that 'moved in every direction without moving.' 

While mainstream biblical scholars regard the passage as a symbolic vision of God's glory, Biglino believes the prophet was describing a craft using the limited language available more than 2,500 years ago.

'The ancient Hebrew term "ruah" had a very concrete meaning, as it stood for "wind," "breath," "moving air," "storm wind," and thus, in a broader sense, for "that which moves swiftly through the air space,"' he said.

In his view, later theological interpretation transformed the word into 'spirit,' obscuring what was originally intended as a literal description of something moving rapidly through the sky.

Rather than recording a mystical experience, Biglino insists Ezekiel was documenting a real historical encounter.

'We have a description of a very close encounter with an unidentified object that was undoubtedly in the air,' he wrote. 

'It looked like a thundercloud coming from the north; in its center, the prophet saw a fire (a propulsion system?) rotating around itself, like luminous radiation.'

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Prehistoric discovery in the Oregon mountains older than Egypt's Great Pyramid could rewrite human history

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By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A prehistoric discovery in the Oregon mountains could rewrite the story of the first people to live in North America. 

Archaeologists said a remote rock shelter, known as Rimrock Draw, may have been occupied by humans about 18,250 years ago, thousands of years earlier than scientists once believed the first Americans arrived.

If confirmed, the site would rank among the oldest known places of human occupation in North America and date back to roughly four times the age of Egypt's Great Pyramid.

Instead, it suggests Ice Age humans reached North America thousands of years ago by following a coastal 'kelp highway,' using boats to move along the Pacific shoreline and settle places like the Channel Islands. 

The islands have also yielded the bones of pygmy mammoths and remarkably preserved archaeological sites that offer an unprecedented glimpse into Ice Age life.  Scientists have described the chain of islands as a place where ancient landscapes and human history have been frozen in time. 

Researchers said the evidence points to a forgotten maritime migration that could fundamentally change our understanding of America's earliest people. And they believe many of the answers may still be waiting to be uncovered. 

The Channel Islands have been studied by scientists and archaeologists for more than a century, with some of their most important discoveries, including the remains of Arlington Springs Man, emerging during excavations in the mid-20th century. 

Now, a new documentary released on June 30 on the YouTube channel Timeline is bringing fresh attention to these discoveries and the mysteries that still lie beneath the islands and surrounding waters.

The eight California Channel Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California, stretching from Point Conception near Santa Barbara to south of Los Angeles. Pictured is Santa Cruz, one of the islands

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Not all archaeologists agree that the Channel Islands provide definitive proof of a maritime migration. 

While many researchers now accept that people were present in the Americas before the Clovis culture, experts continue to debate exactly when the first settlers arrived and whether they traveled by sea, by land, or through a combination of routes. 

The eight California Channel Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California, stretching from Point Conception near Santa Barbara to south of Los Angeles.

Author Frederic Caire Chiles, who has a PhD in history from the University of California at Santa Barbara, said in the film: 'They are the trace of a vanished world.'

The four northern islands – San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Anacapa – were not always where they are today.

Geologists say they were once located much farther south, near present-day San Diego, before tectonic forces slowly carried them north and rotated them by around 110 degrees.

The islands have become a treasure trove for archaeologists because their ancient deposits have remained remarkably undisturbed, preserving evidence erased elsewhere by rising seas and thousands of years of human activity.

Among the most significant discoveries is Arlington Springs Man, human remains found on Santa Rosa Island and eventually dated to at least 13,000 years old. 

Pictured is the site where the Arlington Springs Man was discovered 

Bones of a man were uncovered 37 feet below waterlaid sand, mud and gravel sediments in 1959.

Dr Thomas Stafford, a geologist and radiocarbon dating expert, said that after testing the remains in 2001, the bones were the oldest dated human skeletal remains in North America.

The discovery was particularly important because the remains are roughly the same age as the Clovis culture, long considered the first people to inhabit the Americas. 

But unlike the Clovis sites found inland, Arlington Springs Man was discovered on an offshore island, suggesting some of North America's earliest inhabitants may already have been skilled seafarers. 

The Clovis people, known for their distinctive fluted spear points, were once thought to have entered North America through an ice-free corridor in Canada.

The Channel Islands discovery raised the possibility that another group may have reached the continent by boat, following the Pacific coastline instead. 

The islands have also yielded the bones of pygmy mammoths and remarkably preserved archaeological sites that offer an unprecedented glimpse into Ice Age life

Five of the islands have been established as a national park

But the Channel Islands presented a puzzle. People living on an offshore island 13,000 years ago would have needed boats to get there, suggesting seafaring technology existed much earlier than previously believed. 

Some researchers have argued that the ice-free corridor may not have been fully open or ecologically viable when the first people reached the islands, raising the possibility that they arrived by sea instead.

Researchers call this the 'kelp highway' hypothesis. Dr John Johnson, curator of anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, said: 'All the way from Japan to Baja California, there are kelp forest ecosystems that have very similar suites of animals.

'This connects with the whole idea of a coastal migration, an ancient coastal migration where people would have been using watercraft and going around glaciers when they encountered them and working their way down until they came to California.'

'People showed up on this island 13,000 years ago or thereabouts and evolved through time into the group we know as the Chumash.'

The Chumash ancestral homeland spans California's central and southern coast and includes the four northern Channel Islands.

During the Ice Age, mammoths roamed what was once a single larger island made up of today's northern Channel Islands before evolving into dwarf versions known as pygmy mammoths.

Pictured is a view from across Santa Rosa Island

The species vanished around the same period humans appeared on the islands, fueling speculation that some of North America's earliest inhabitants may have encountered, and perhaps hunted, the miniature elephants.

For thousands of years, the islands became the homeland of the ancestors of the Chumash people, who developed sophisticated maritime communities and traded shell bead money with mainland groups.

The islands were forever changed after Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo became the first European to reach California in 1542.

'This was the furthest projection of Europe into a world that they knew nothing about,' one historian explained.

Disease, colonization and social upheaval eventually devastated Indigenous communities and led to the abandonment of the islands.

One of the most remarkable stories to emerge from this period is that of the 'Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island,' later immortalized in the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins. She survived alone on the island for about 18 years before being rescued in 1853.

Today, scientists believe the islands still hold countless secrets beneath their rugged landscapes and surrounding waters.

During the Ice Age, sea levels were hundreds of feet lower, meaning areas that are now underwater were once dry land that may have been inhabited by some of America's earliest people.

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Mapped: US UFO Sightings by State and the 15 Most Famous UAP Cases — After the Pentagon’s May 2026 File Release

AARO has stated that the public files do not contain proof of extraterrestrial origin for any case. The releases are described as a transparency exercise rather than a disclosure event.

Six canonical shapes US witnesses most commonly describe in UAP/UFO sightings — top-left to bottom: classic flying disc (Roswell, Travis Walton), tic-tac capsule (USS Nimitz 2004), V-formation of lights (Phoenix Lights 1997, Lubbock 1951), rotating object with motion blur (USS Roosevelt Gimbal 2015), dark silent triangular craft (Stephenville 2008, Hudson Valley 1983), and the most-reported simple bright orb. Illustration: Mappr.

15 most-cited US UAP/UFO cases — mapped

These are the cases that show up most often in the official declassified record and in academic UAP literature. The map below plots 13 of them across the lower 48 in chronological order (pin 1 = Battle of Los Angeles, 1942 → pin 13 = USS Roosevelt’s Gimbal, 2015), with the full case list in the legend. Two cases — JAL 1628 over Alaska (1986) and the Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, naval-radar incident (2013) — sit outside the contiguous frame and are described in the section below.

Three geographic clusters stand out: the Southwest desert corridor (Roswell, Phoenix, Lubbock, Stephenville, Travis Walton), the Atlantic naval training ranges (USS Roosevelt’s Gimbal off Virginia, scattered East-Coast carrier-strike-group incidents), and the California coast (Battle of Los Angeles 1942, USS Nimitz Tic Tac 2004). The clusters track airbases, naval ranges, and aviation flight paths more closely than they track population.

Where Americans report the most sightings

NUFORC has collected civilian UFO/UAP reports since 1974. Its public database is the most-cited counterpart to the official military record, and unlike the AARO archive it does include a clean state-by-state index. The top 15 states by cumulative report count:

NUFORC · Cumulative

Top 15 US states by UFO reports filed with NUFORC

Cumulative reports filed with the National UFO Reporting Center since 1974. Rankings reflect both population and reporting-culture density, not just sighting frequency.

State	Reports	Notes
California	17,158	Aerospace + dense coastline + Tic Tac (2004)
Florida	8,880	Cape Canaveral, NAS Key West, Atlantic warning areas
Washington	7,633	Maury Island birthplace; Boeing aviation density
Texas	6,719	Lubbock Lights, Stephenville, military airspace
New York	6,346	Hudson Valley wave (1983); flight-path density
Pennsylvania	5,395	Kecksburg incident (1965)
Arizona	5,347	Phoenix Lights, Travis Walton, dark-sky observatories
Ohio	4,728	Wright-Patterson AFB region — Project Blue Book HQ
Illinois	4,513	O'Hare 2006 incident; large radar coverage
North Carolina	3,913	Atlantic test ranges; Fort Liberty proximity
Michigan	3,902	Great Lakes air-traffic corridors
Oregon	3,812	Pacific Northwest reporting culture
Colorado	3,576	NORAD Cheyenne Mountain; high-altitude visibility
New Jersey	3,092	Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Missouri	2,966	Whiteman AFB, central-corridor flight paths

Why California leads — and why Washington over-indexes

California’s 17,158 reports — twice Florida’s count and more than double third-place Washington’s — track three structural drivers. The state has the largest population of any in the union, the longest stretch of densely-populated coastline (which provides clear horizons and high airline-flight density), and the country’s deepest concentration of military aerospace infrastructure (Edwards AFB, NAS Lemoore, Vandenberg, Twentynine Palms, Camp Pendleton, Naval Base San Diego). It also produced one of the most-cited modern UAP encounters — the USS Nimitz “Tic Tac” event in 2004, declassified pilot testimony and FLIR footage included.

The more interesting story is which states over-index. Washington at 7,633 reports is more than triple what its population alone would predict — driven by both the Maury Island case (1947, one of the earliest postwar UFO incidents) and a regional reporting culture that includes the Mount Rainier sighting that same year. Arizona’s 5,347 reports reflect a triple effect: Phoenix Lights (1997), Travis Walton’s claimed abduction (1975), and the state’s role as the home of major dark-sky observatories that make Americans more atmospherically literate. Ohio’s 4,728 owe partly to Wright-Patterson AFB — the institutional home of the U.S. Air Force’s UFO investigations from Project Blue Book (1952–1969).

At the other end, the smallest states (Wyoming, North Dakota, the Dakotas generally) record the fewest — a function of population density rather than skyscape. Per-capita rates flatten the curve: small-population states like Vermont, Maine, and Montana over-index relative to size, while California and Florida normalise toward the middle.

Where to read the official files

The primary government source is the Pentagon’s AARO portal:

• AARO PURSUE archive — war.gov/UFO (all declassified DoD records, organised by release tranche).
• AARO main site — aaro.mil (reports, public hearings, current investigation status).
• NUFORC civilian database — nuforc.org (civilian-reported sightings, state and date-range indexes).
• Project Blue Book historical archive — National Archives (1952–1969 USAF investigations, 12,618 cases).

AARO has signalled the rolling declassification will continue, with further batches likely through 2026 and into 2027. None of the files released so far indicate proof of non-human origin for any incident, but several remain officially classified as “unresolved.”

🚨 BREAKING! Pentagon Releases New 4th Batch Of UAP Files | Shocking UFO Footages Revealed

Top 10 Craziest UFO Files Released in 2026 So Far

Declassified intelligence map reveals where America's largest UFO waves unfolded

• MORE: Trump's bombshell UFO files expose eerie eight-point object and silent craft that breached US nuclear base

By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR

Dozens of newly declassified UFO records were released by the Pentagon on Friday, including a shocking map revealing where hundreds of UFOs were seen flying near major cities throughout the US.

Acting like a roadmap for extraterrestrial encounters, the US military created the top-secret document in 1948, marking off where pilots, scientists, police officers and ordinary civilians saw strange objects in the sky during World War II.

Between 1947 and 1948, the joint study by the Air Force and the Office of Naval Intelligence found that Americans had seen an entire fleet of UFOs, including 'disks,' 'cigar-shaped' craft, 'balls of fire' and 'cones of fire.'

In total, 210 sightings were reported to the military, with the largest number of encounters coming near Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Louisville in the east, and Los Angeles, Portland and Boise in the west.

Flying saucers were the most commonly reported UFO, with 'cones of fire' being regularly seen in Ohio and Kentucky.

Meanwhile, cigar-shaped UFOs were reported throughout the country, with some witnesses even seeing them clearly enough to sketch what had just passed overhead.

'There were no wings or fins,' one pilot wrote on a drawing they made after seeing a cigar-like rocket that was approximately 100 feet in length and flying past them over the US.

Although the military could not confirm that these were real alien spacecraft, they deemed the reports added to the map credible enough to investigate and feared the UFOs may have been technology recovered by the Soviet Union during the war.

The US Air Force and Navy created a top-secret map showing over 200 UFO contacts between 1947 and 1948

Witnesses revealed detailed drawings of the craft they saw, including cigar-shaped rockets flying over the US

Many of these sightings came before UFO hysteria would grip the nation after the alleged events in Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947.

These include two trained US Weather Bureau observers spotting a metallic disk three times while tracking weather balloons in Richmond, Virginia in April 1947.

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'The disk appeared metallic, shaped something like an ellipse with a flat bottom and a round top,' the report revealed. 

In May 1947, Byron Savage, a field engineer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma reported seeing another flying disk roughly 10,000 to 12,000 feet overhead, moving north at high speed with no trail from an engine - similar to many modern-day UFO sightings.

One month later, on June 28, 1947, a US Air Force pilot flying at 10,000 feet saw five or six white circular objects in close formation traveling at about 285 mph near Lake Mead in Nevada.

Just days later, military officials would officially report that a flying disc had crashed and been recovered on a ranch near Roswell - only to retract the claim the very next day and say it was just a weather balloon.

These incidents would continue throughout 1947 and 1948, with civilian pilots, military airmen and law enforcement officials all saying they spotted groups of flying saucers and other strangely shaped objects flying around 10,000 feet over the US.

 'If it is firmly indicated that there is no domestic explanation, the objects are a threat and warrant more active efforts of identification and interception,' the military concluded in their report.

Images taken in the late 1940s revealed strange craft spotted throughout the US, which were declassified on July 10, 2026

  

A top-secret military map shows the location of UFO sightings over the US, with larges clusters over the East and West Coasts

Military officials concluded that the number of reports, the similarity in the descriptions of these UFOs and the quality of many witnesses coming forward made it unlikely that all of these sightings were hoaxes or publicity stunts.

The Air Force and Navy grouped these UFOs into three distinct categories: disk-shaped, cigar- or pencil-shaped, and balls of fire.

Even after 80 years, witnesses who claim to see UFOs often mention these same shapes, while adding other shapes such as triangles and rectangles to the list as well.

The military believed these sightings followed a clear geographic pattern, with the heaviest clusters coming along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and additional concentrations in Ohio and Kentucky.

Multiple sightings of UFOs in the 1940s reported seeing large formations of flying saucers flying roughly 10,000 feet over the US (Stock Image) 

Military officials believed one possible explanation was that these were 'flying wing' aircraft being tested by a foreign power

With no way of telling where these craft came from, intelligence officials settled on two possibilities: the first being that the UFOs were some type of US-made balloons, test rockets or experimental aircraft - especially 'flying wing' designs.

The other possibility that the military feared was that the UFOs were foreign-made technology, likely using experimental German technology from World War II that had fallen into Soviet hands.

If the objects were foreign aircraft, the military believed these sightings over US soil were being carried out to destroy US confidence in the newly created atomic bomb, being the 'most advanced and decisive weapon in warfare.'

Moreover, intelligence officials feared these UFOs were doing reconnaissance of the US, testing American air defenses and familiarizing themselves with the routes to major cities.

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Waar worden UFO's het vaakst gesignaleerd?

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Waar worden UFO's het vaakst gesignaleerd?
UFO’s worden al lang geassocieerd met buitenaards leven. Elk jaar melden duizenden mensen over de hele wereld dat ze vreemde objecten door de lucht hebben zien vliegen, en recente trends laten zien dat dit aantal zelfs toeneemt door de groeiende belangstelling van het publiek.

Maar sommige landen spannen echt de kroon wat betreft het aantal gemelde waarnemingen. Terwijl de meeste landen wereldwijd slechts een paar UFO-meldingen hebben, zijn er andere waar hele databases ermee overspoeld worden. Beniewd in welke landen de meeste UFO's worden gesignaleerd? Klik dan verder.

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Wat zijn UFO's?
De afkorting UFO staat voor ‘ongeïdentificeerd vliegend object’, terwijl UAP staat voor ‘ongeïdentificeerde abnormale verschijnselen’. Beide termen verwijzen in feite naar iets dat iemand in de lucht, op zee of in de nabije ruimte waarneemt en dat nog niet is geïdentificeerd.

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Waarom de naam is veranderd
De term UFO was ooit alomtegenwoordig, maar veel instanties geven tegenwoordig de voorkeur aan ‘UAP’, omdat die term breder klinkt en minder beladen is. De term omvat niet alleen objecten in de lucht, maar ook vreemde waarnemingen op verschillende gebieden.

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Onbekend betekent niet buitenaards
Het sleutelwoord is ‘niet-geïdentificeerd’. Dat betekent niet automatisch dat er buitenaardse wezens in het spel zijn. Het All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) zegt dat het geen bewijs heeft gevonden voor buitenaardse technologie, en veel gevallen blijven onopgelost.

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Het land dat bovenaan staat
Er worden in de Verenigde Staten de meeste UFO’s gemeld. In de wereldwijde database van Enigma Labs, een onderzoeksgemeenschap die zich bezighoudt met UAP’s, staan de VS met een enorme voorsprong op de eerste plaats, gevolgd door Canada, het Verenigd Koninkrijk, Australië en Frankrijk.

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Het huidige wereldwijde klassement
In de Verenigde Staten zijn er ongeveer 252.100 meldingen van UFO’s geweest, terwijl dat aantal in Canada 15.300 bedraagt, in het Verenigd Koninkrijk 14.638, in Australië 5.531 en in Frankrijk 5.010.

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Waarom Amerika de statistieken domineert

De Verenigde Staten staan waarschijnlijk bovenaan, deels omdat het een groot land is met een hoge bevolkingsdichtheid, een levendige luchtvaartindustrie, een uitgebreide internetverbinding en de bakermat van enkele van ’s werelds beroemdste UFO-verhalen. Meer mensen die omhoog kijken en meer plekken om waarnemingen te melden, betekent doorgaans ook meer waarnemingen.

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De belangrijkste staat van de VS
Binnen de Verenigde Staten is Californië veruit koploper wat betreft het totale aantal meldingen in de belangrijkste openbare databases. Volgens het National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) zijn er in Californië ongeveer 17.100 waarnemingen gemeld.

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Andere staten
Na Californië zijn de Amerikaanse staten met de meeste meldingen van UAP’s Florida (met 8.800 meldingen), Washington (7.600 meldingen), Texas (6.700) en New York (met 6.600 meldingen).

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Het halve verhaal
Het is ook belangrijk om te bedenken dat een staat met een grote bevolking veel waarnemingen oplevert zonder dat dit per se opvallend is. Daarom zijn kaarten per hoofd van de bevolking van belang: die laten namelijk zien waar meldingen vaak voorkomen in verhouding tot het aantal inwoners.

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Washington en Vermont
Uit een voor de bevolkingsomvang gecorrigeerd overzicht op basis van NUFORC-gegevens blijkt dat Washington en Vermont bovenaan staan, met elk bijna 1.000 waarnemingen per miljoen inwoners. Dat wijkt sterk af van de ranglijst op basis van de ruwe totalen.

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Wat onderzoekers op nationaal niveau hebben vastgesteld
Uit een in de VS gepubliceerd, door vakgenoten beoordeeld onderzoek, waarbij meer dan 98.000 openbare meldingen werden geanalyseerd, bleek dat er in het westen van de Verenigde Staten en in het uiterste noordoosten veel meer waarnemingen werden gedaan, gecorrigeerd voor de bevolkingsomvang, dan in het grootste deel van de rest van het land.

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Washington, D.C.
Uit het onderzoek bleek ook dat er verspreide concentraties te zien waren rond Washington D.C. en in het drielandengebied van Illinois, Indiana en Kentucky, in de buurt van Evansville. Uiteindelijk bevinden niet alle significante concentraties zich in het verre westen.

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Waarom er in het Westen wellicht meer wordt gemeld
Onderzoekers hebben vastgesteld dat het aantal meldingen toeneemt op plaatsen waar mensen beter zicht op de lucht hebben en waar zich boven hun hoofd meer objecten kunnen bevinden, zoals vliegtuigen en militaire installaties.

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Lichtvervuiling
Uit het onderzoek bleek dat er een verband bestaat tussen meer lichtvervuiling en minder meldingen. Een helderdere hemel kan sterren, satellieten, meteoren en andere vreemd uitziende verschijnselen doen vervagen voordat mensen ze opmerken.

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Bomen en zichtbaarheid
In het nationale onderzoek bleek er ook een verband te bestaan tussen een dichter bladerdak en een lager aantal meldingen. Een belemmerd uitzicht betekent dat er minder dingen aan de hemel worden opgemerkt, dat er minder mysteries ontstaan en dat er minder gelegenheid is voor mensen om een officiële UFO-melding in te dienen.

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Luchtverkeer
Er werd een verband gelegd tussen meer vliegverkeer en meer meldingen, aangezien een druk luchtruim meer kansen biedt dat vliegende objecten verkeerd worden geïdentificeerd. In een druk luchtruim krijgen mensen te maken met meer onbekende lichtverschijnselen en bewegingen die ze moeten interpreteren.

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Militaire gebieden
In datzelfde onderzoek werden militaire installaties als een van de factoren genoemd. In de publieke opinie wordt al lang gewezen op strategische militaire locaties (zoals Area 51) als plekken waar het aantal UFO-waarnemingen sterk toeneemt. Dit bewijst echter niet dat er in militaire gebieden iets vreemds aan de hand is.

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Wat de regering vaak besluit
Van alle door AARO geregistreerde UFO-meldingen werd ongeveer 75% van de afgesloten zaken toegeschreven aan ballonnen, 16% aan drones, 6% aan vogels en telkens 1% aan vliegtuigen, satellieten en andere oorzaken.

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Wat mensen het vaakst zeggen te zien
Volgens AARO meldden mensen in ongeveer 46% van de gevallen dat ze 'lichtjes' hadden gezien, terwijl er in ongeveer 31% van de gevallen sprake zou zijn geweest van lichtbollen, ronde vormen of bollen.

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Waarom eenvoudige dingen er vreemd kunnen uitzien
De waarheid is dat vogels, puin, ballonnen, vliegtuigen, drones, satellieten, raketlanceringen, Venus, Jupiter en meteoren allemaal vaak als UAP’s worden gemeld. Onder vreemde hoeken of bij slechte zichtomstandigheden kunnen gewone dingen er buitengewoon uitzien.

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Beweging kan het oog bedriegen
Een andere reden waarom mensen in de war kunnen raken, is bewegingsparallax: een stilstaand of langzaam bewegend object kan snel lijken te bewegen omdat de waarnemer zelf snel beweegt. Dat verklaart mede waarom sommige spectaculaire waarnemingen vanaf de grond uiteindelijk heel alledaags blijken te zijn.

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Satellieten
De toename van satellietverkeer, met inbegrip van felle lichtflitsen en schitteringen, draagt waarschijnlijk bij aan het huidige aantal UFO-meldingen. Onderzoekers hebben inderdaad herhaaldelijk vastgesteld dat satellieten vaak voor verwarring zorgen.

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Ballonnen
Ballonnen (met name die welke door meteorologen worden gebruikt) verdienen een speciale vermelding omdat ze op onvoorspelbare wijze kunnen afdrijven, op grote hoogte blijven hangen, zonlicht weerkaatsen en geen duidelijke markeringen hebben.

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Rapportage versus voorval
De plekken waar de meeste UFO’s worden gemeld, zijn niet per se de plekken waar de meeste vreemde gebeurtenissen plaatsvinden. Het kan gewoon zijn dat mensen daar vaker omhoog kijken, dat de lucht daar helderder is, of dat ze weten waar ze een melding kunnen doen.

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Canada
Canada is veruit de belangrijkste speler buiten de VS als het gaat om meldingen van UAP’s, wat waarschijnlijk te danken is aan een combinatie van het uitgestrekte grondgebied van het land, de weidse lucht, een actieve cultuur van burgermeldingen en een goede zichtbaarheid in minder dichtbebouwde gebieden.

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Verenigd Koninkrijk
Het Verenigd Koninkrijk onderscheidt zich niet alleen door de omvang, maar ook door zijn buitengewoon rijke officiële archief. Het Nationaal Archief bewaart tientallen jaren aan UFO-documenten, correspondentie en beleidsdossiers die verband houden met de manier waarop de overheid met meldingen omgaat.

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Frankrijk
Frankrijk valt vooral op omdat het binnen het Franse ruimteagentschap een officiële, aan de staat gelieerde instantie heeft, genaamd GEIPAN (Groep voor Onderzoek en Informatie over Onbekende Lucht- en Ruimteverschijnselen). GEIPAN verzamelt, analyseert en archiveert casusmateriaal en maakt dit openbaar, waarbij de anonimiteit van getuigen wordt gewaarborgd.

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Australië
Australië komt veelvuldig voor in internationale databases en beschikt bovendien over een omvangrijke gedocumenteerde geschiedenis. Uit openbaar archiefmateriaal en latere berichtgeving blijkt dat waarnemingen soms zo serieus werden genomen dat ze in de nationale archieven werden opgenomen.

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Uitgebreide aardrijkskunde
De enorme omvang van Australië, de relatief donkere hemel in veel regio’s en de grote afstanden tussen bevolkingscentra kunnen helpen verklaren waarom er daar steeds weer meldingen van UFO’s worden gedaan. Omstandigheden die het zicht verbeteren, kunnen het mysterie ook vergroten.

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Andere brandhaarden wereldwijd
Maar afgezien van deze landen zijn er ook diverse gebieden in andere delen van Noord-Amerika, het oostelijke Middellandse Zeegebied tot Zuid-Azië en Oost-Azië waar veel UFO-waarnemingen worden gemeld. Het lijkt erop dat het zien van UFO’s een wereldwijd verschijnsel is.

Bronnen:

• (AARO)
• (Enigma Labs)
• (NASA)
• (National Institutes of Health)
• (National UFO Reporting Center)

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AI analyzes recent UAP data releases

 {  https://usubjects.com/  }

“Today, the Department of War is publishing the fourth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE),” said Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement.

“The collection continues to be housed on WAR.GOV/UFO, and the Department will release additional files on a rolling basis,” Parnell said.

As with previous releases, most of the new videos leave much to the imagination, in most cases showing small blurry objects captured with multi-sensor electro-optical targeting capabilities from fighter aircraft or UAVs, and in some cases, imaging systems on board civilian aircraft.

In addition to the new imagery, several historical documents from as early as the 1940s were included with the release, the majority of which were previously made available in past releases by various U.S. government agencies.

A Deeper Look at the Latest PURSUE UAP File Release

One series of historical NASA images included with the new PURSUE release originates from the 1996 STS-80 mission. The entry on the DOW’s site, “NASA-UAP-D030, STS-80 Unidentified Object Image 1, 1996,” features photographs obtained by astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia at the time, which convey a small triangular or cone-shaped object.

“During STS-80, between November 19 and December 7, 1996, astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia captured a series of three images of an unidentified object in low-Earth orbit. In the first photograph, the object is visible near the center of the frame, to the right of the limb of the Earth,” a caption accompanying one of the images states at the DOW website.

It is unclear what the object in the photograph may be, although it is worth noting that several observations of allegedly unusual phenomena occurred during STS-80, which included the imagery captured of grainy luminous shapes from the spacecraft’s backward-facing cameras. The most common interpretation of these objects is that they were ice particles outgassed from the spacecraft, whose highly reflective surfaces could produce the optical effects captured from the space shuttle’s cameras, especially in such low-light conditions.

DOW-UAP-PR030, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2023: In this video, “Two areas of contrast transit the sensor field-of-view. The first enters the field-of-view from the bottom right and exits from the top edge of the frame. The second, relatively smaller area of contrast enters from the top and exits the bottom of the frame.”

The unusual shape of the object first seen entering the frame from the bottom of the screen could potentially be the result of a sensor artifact, similar to past videos released by the DOW, where the starlike appearance of refraction spikes emanating from an object (as also seen in this example from the most recent release) had been misinterpreted by some as being the literal shape of the alleged UAP.

DOW-UAP-PR108, Unresolved UAP Report, Western United States, 2020: This footage, reportedly collected over the Western United States in 2020, is notable (if for no other reason) due to its similarity to the famous “Tic Tac” imagery from 2004, captured by F/A-18 pilot Chad Underwood off the Baja California coast. Apart from that superficial similarity in appearance, the footage—like others from recent PURSUE releases—provides little additional context, and it is unclear what the object (seen below) may be.

• 

See Also

‘Fast Movers’ and Transmedium Vehicles – The Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force

Still frame from the DOW’s “DOW-UAP-PR108, Unresolved UAP Report, Western United States, 2020” video, included in the most recent PURSUE release number four (Image Credit: DOW).

Several other examples of imagery included with the fourth PURSUE release depict objects apparently engaging in flight at high speeds, such as an object appearing in “DOW-UAP-PR112, Unresolved UAP Report, Eastern United States, 2019” where the observer reportedly described the object in question as exhibiting “flight characteristics unlike anything [the observer] had seen in 28 years for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.”

Other objects appearing in videos included with the newest release, such as the UAP in “DOW-UAP-PR116, Unresolved UAP Report, Atlantic Ocean, 2020,” include descriptions from the observer that note an object with a “darker, maroonish color, approximately 12-15 feet in height” that was “travel[ing] with the wind,” did not “maneuver or change direction,” and appearing similar to a “large, somewhat deformed balloon.”

We would have to agree with the witnesses’ assessment in the case: the flight dynamics of the object in the accompanying video (seen above) are indeed very consistent with an inflatable object, albeit possessing an odd shape (it is also possible this object may be a cluster of smaller balloons). The same can be said of other examples in the new releases, where, in some instances, dangling payloads beneath what are obviously balloons are clearly discernible in the purported “UAP” videos.

To date, none of the videos or other documentation made available at the DOW website as part of its PURSUE releases provides clear examples of any objects attributable to unknown aircraft, or objects exhibiting unusual or advanced technologies.

In his statement on Friday, Parnell said the DOW and its agency partners “are actively working on the next release of UAP files,” which can be expected to appear on the DOW website in the coming weeks. In the meantime, all of the existing four releases of UAP imagery and documentation can be found on the DOW’s PURSUE page.

• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

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Mountains are present not only on Earth but also on other planets within our Solar System, their moons, and even on large asteroids. Presented herein are the twelve highest peaks accessible for ascent, should unrestricted travel across these celestial bodies be possible.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. Source: Wikipedia

The highest mountains

Have you ever aspired to ascend to great heights and observe the world from an elevated vantage point? Mountain climbing provides that opportunity. Additionally, mountains are present on other celestial bodies within the Solar System.

Ultimately, the majority of the highest peaks within the Solar System are not situated on our planet. It is pertinent to acknowledge, however, that the concept of “height” in geographical terms can be interpreted in various manners. A distinction is recognized between the absolute height of a mountain — defined as the difference between its base and its summit — and the relative height, which is measured from a designated zero level established for that particular celestial body.

Let us discuss the twelve most prominent mountains within the Solar System.

1. Olympus Mons

Undoubtedly, Olympus Mons on Mars is the tallest mountain in the Solar System. Its relative height measures 26 kilometers, while its absolute height reaches 21.4 kilometers. This indicates that this monumental peak is nearly three times taller than Mount Everest.

Olympus Mons on Mars. Source: Wikipedia

The volcano is situated on the Tharsis Plateau and appears to have been inactive for an extended period. Its prominence is not limited to its height alone. The diameter of the Olympus crater measures 85 km, with a depth of 3 km. The mountain itself spans a diameter of 300 km. Furthermore, the slope at the upper section is sufficiently gentle to give the impression of standing on a plain. Nonetheless, there are cliffs along the perimeter that ascend to several thousand meters in height.

2. Rheasilvia

Astronomers continue to deliberate whether to categorize Vesta as a dwarf planet or an asteroid. One certainty is that the Rheasilvia crater, named after the mythological mother of the god Jupiter, is truly stunning. With a diameter exceeding 500 km, it is comparable to the overall size of the celestial body. This crater was formed by an ancient collision with a significantly large object.

At the core of Rheasilvia, akin to numerous other comparable formations, lies an impact-origin mountain. Its relative elevation measures approximately 22 km, while its absolute elevation is 9 km, and its diameter extends to roughly 180 km.

Rheasilvia Peak. Source: Wikipedia

3. Equatorial ridge on Iapetus

The third-highest peak in the Solar System is situated on Saturn’s moon Iapetus. However, it cannot be classified as a single mountain; rather, it is an extensive mountain range extending along the equator of this comparatively small celestial body. Its approximate height measures 20 km.

For scientists, the equatorial ridge on Iapetus persists as an enigma, with no consensus on its formation. Presently, at least four hypotheses exist to elucidate its origin. According to the initial hypothesis, Iapetus formed in its early stages and remained in a molten state for a prolonged period. The ridge itself is postulated to comprise solidified deposits of material that ascended from its interior and gradually hardened.

According to the second hypothesis, the equatorial ridge on Iapetus originated from material derived from the ring that previously encircled the moon, subsequently falling onto its surface. The third hypothesis also associates its formation with the ring but proposes that the ring developed after Iapetus had already experienced a collision with a substantial celestial body. The fourth hypothesis attributes the formation of this geological feature to the instability of subsurface layers in the region, which led to the overturning of the crust and its near-vertical orientation.

Equatorial ridge on Iapetus. Source: www.newscientist.com

4. Boösaule Montes

Another prominent mountain is situated on Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. Its relative elevation measures 18.2 km, while its absolute elevation is 17.5 km. This mountain is part of the Boösaule Montes range, which comprises several large, fractured segments of the crust.

Indeed, Boösaule Montes is the most prominent among them, having solidified at an angle relative to the surrounding surface and forming a colossal peak along with a cliff. The cliff reaches a height of 15 km.

5. Ascraeus Mons

To observe the subsequent peak, a return to Mars is necessary. Ascraeus Mons is another dormant volcano situated in the Tharsis region. It closely resembles a smaller version of Olympus Mons and is positioned southeast of it.

What renders this feature particularly intriguing is that, unlike all preceding instances, its absolute height is less than its relative height. The absolute elevation measures 14.9 km, whereas the relative elevation is 18 km. This phenomenon occurs because the volcano is situated on a substantial plateau, along with two other volcanoes.

Ascraeus Mons. Source: Wikipedia

6. Pavonis Mons

Another Martian volcano, situated on the Tharsis Plateau in close proximity to Ascraeus Mons, is designated as Pavonis Mons. The summit’s elevation above the surface of Mars is precisely 14 kilometers. This mountain is noteworthy for its nearly equatorial position on Mars. This geographical attribute, together with its considerable height, renders it a suitable site for the construction of a space elevator.

7. Ionian Mons

Ionian Mons on Jupiter’s moon Io has an absolute elevation of 12.7 kilometers. It represents another feature resulting from tectonic activity. The formation comprises two warped ridges running parallel to one another.

8. Elysium

Elysium is another extinct volcano on Mars. However, it is situated in a different hemisphere of the planet compared to the Tharsis Plateau. Its relative height is 12.6 km, and its absolute height is 16 km.

9. Arsia Mons

The third volcano in this Martian region, situated near Ascraeus Mons and Pavonis Mons, is designated as Arsia Mons. Its absolute elevation measures 19 km, with a relative height of 11.7 km.

Euboea Montes on Io. Source: Wikipedia

10. Euboea

Another mountain on Io is Euboea. It has an absolute height of 10.5 km and a diameter of 275 km. The leading theory regarding its formation is that it is the largest landslide in the entire Solar System.

11. Mauna Kea

The sole mountain on Earth to be included in the list is not Everest. It is only considered the tallest when measured from sea level. However, if measuring from the base, the tallest mountain is Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Its height is 10.2 kilometers, although nearly 6 kilometers of that height are submerged underwater.

12. Verona Rupes

Completing the list is Verona Rupes on Uranus’s moon Miranda. This diminutive celestial body appears as an irregular ice sphere. Its surface exhibits numerous landforms that appear disproportionately large relative to the size of the Moon.

Nevertheless, Verona Rupes exceeds all other formations in scale. It stands approximately 10–15 km in height. Coupled with its exceedingly weak gravitational attraction, this renders it the location where an individual could experience the longest fall among all known celestial objects within the Solar System.

• Posted in Articles

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

Venus is our closest neighbor in space, located just one step closer to the Sun than Earth. At certain points in its orbit, it approaches us to within only about 40 million kilometers. For modern spacecraft, that is a short journey lasting only a few months. It would seem that humanity has an ideal opportunity to study a world almost identical to our own in size. On paper, Venus and Earth look almost like planetary twins: they formed 4.5 billion years ago in the same region, have nearly the same diameter, and similar gravity. But reality turned out to be radically different. Venus is the true embodiment of hell — a world that does not merely frighten, but physically annihilates any attempt at contact.

A spacesuit for Venus would have to withstand some of the most extreme conditions in the Solar System. It would have to function like a miniature space station, designed so that a human could take the first steps on a planet where even metal melts directly on the surface.

The main nightmare begins during the approach. At an altitude of about 50 km above the surface, visibility drops almost to zero. A spacecraft enters a foggy atmospheric layer cake. This impenetrable veil consists mostly of carbon dioxide and functions like a gigantic greenhouse. Sunlight can barely penetrate this darkness, yet its heat is reliably trapped inside, creating an uncontrolled greenhouse effect. Conditions here change from harsh to deadly within just minutes of descent.

Illustration of the planet Venus. Source: Unsplash

Gloomy Landscapes and Eternal Dawn

Closer to the surface, the atmosphere becomes somewhat clearer, revealing a harsh landscape: a scorched rocky desert covered with vast plains and numerous volcanoes. Most of these volcanoes are still active and constantly reshape the planet’s terrain.

Volcanic eruption on Venus in an artist’s impression. Source: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Peter Rubin

Landing here is a separate challenge: dust and debris kicked up by a spacecraft remain suspended in the dense air for a long time, almost as if underwater. The solar disk cannot be seen from the surface. Barely 10% of sunlight reaches the ground, so the surroundings are filled with a harsh, dim glow resembling an endless gloomy dawn.

Two Hours of Triumph on a Powder Keg

The history of Venus exploration is a chronicle of the rapid deaths of engineering creations. One of humanity’s most impressive achievements was the Soviet Venera 13 mission in 1981. This ultra-durable probe managed to survive on the surface for just over two hours. It transmitted unique color panoramas and soil analysis before the colossal heat and pressure literally crushed and burned out its electronics. Venera 13 still holds the endurance record for this extreme environment.

A Chronicle of Instant Catastrophe

Reconstruction of the landscape at the Venera 13 landing site. Source: Don Mitchell

If an astronaut attempted to land on Venus, any time outside the spacecraft would turn into an instant execution. The surface temperature reaches 475°C, enough to melt lead and zinc. At the same time, atmospheric pressure is 90 times greater than on Earth. This is equivalent to being submerged at a depth of one kilometer in Earth’s ocean.

A special spacesuit would be the only thin boundary between life and death. If even the smallest micro-tear occurred in the protection system, the consequences would be immediate: the violent pressure would crush the body in a second, while the scorching, highly corrosive mixture of gases instead of air would burn the lungs with the first breath. This inhospitable world is not made for humans — it is a true hell for all living things.

Still, scientists have proposed hypotheses that even in such an extreme world, life could exist, though only in the form of microorganisms adapted to living in the planet’s dense atmosphere.

Earlier, we discussed which exoplanets humans should consider traveling to.

• According to MSN 

• Posted in News, Science

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A nuclear explosion could serve as the most reliable shield for our planet in the event of a large-scale space threat. Researchers from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology not only endorsed this idea but also developed an optimal strategy for its implementation. The results of their modeling have been published in the scientific journal Space: Science & Technology. 

How can we save Earth from dangerous asteroids? Illustration: Unsplash

A team led by Wang Xiaowei proposes abandoning surface explosions in favor of a clever tactical maneuver: first, “carve out” a cavity in the asteroid, place a nuclear warhead inside it, and only then detonate it. This method would effectively shatter or deflect space objects with a diameter of about 100 m, thereby averting a global catastrophe.

Potential threat

Asteroids are rocky remnants of the Solar System’s building material that have been orbiting our sun for 4.6 billion years. According to NASA, astronomers are currently aware of more than 16,000 objects approaching Earth. Nearly 1,800 of them are classified as “potentially hazardous”—these are bodies with a diameter of more than 140 meters whose orbits pass within 7.5 million kilometers of our planet. 

Being on this list does not mean a collision is certain, but it does prompt scientists to stay alert. For example, the recently discovered asteroid 2024 YR4 caused astronomers some concern due to an initial 3.1 percent probability of a collision in 2032. Subsequent calculations, however, reduced this risk to zero. Nevertheless, this case has once again demonstrated that humanity needs a clear plan of action.

Why doesn’t the ram-body method always work?

In 2022, NASA successfully tested kinetic impactor technology: the DART spacecraft collided with an asteroid and altered its course. However, Chinese experts claim that if the threat is larger than 100 meters and there is little time before impact, a conventional kinetic impact will prove ineffective.

This is where the immense energy of the atom comes into play. The authors of the study considered two scenarios:

1. A direct strike, which creates a small crater upon impact.
2. The use of a special penetration module that drills a deep shaft to cause maximum internal destruction.

Detonation from within

Blowing up an asteroid from the inside. Illustration: NASA

After testing both options on models of real virtual asteroids using charges of varying strengths, the scientists reached a clear conclusion. The method involving an explosion preceded by the creation of a deep crater is the clear favorite.

Thanks to the autonomous selection of the optimal point of impact and the warhead’s deep penetration, the explosive energy is absorbed by the celestial body as completely as possible. This literally tears the threat into tiny pieces from the inside. And although the Earth’s horizon is clear today, astrophysicists are convinced that space weapons must be prepared in advance to avoid finding ourselves in a situation where it’s already too late.

Earlier, we discussed how an asteroid could destroy Moscow.

• According to Gizmodo 

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

Pentagon releases new batch of UFO files: "Unlike anything I had seen"

By Stefan Becket

Updated on: July 10, 2026 / 9:54 AM CDT / CBS News

Washington — The Pentagon on Friday released a new batch of files related to UFOs, also known as unidentified anomalous phenomena, including one report from a military aviator who said a mysterious object was "unlike anything I had seen" in 28 years of service.

Friday's release includes a total of 40 files — 14 documents, 19 videos, four audio files and three images. The files come from a variety of agencies: the Pentagon, NASA, CIA, FBI and Energy Department.

The Pentagon posted the new files on its UFO website, which houses the material that has been released under an executive order that President Trump signed earlier this year. 

What's in the new UFO files?

The disclosure is similar to past releases — a mix of mostly unredacted historical documents and videos with other files detailing more recent events. 

One notable file from the Energy Department details an intrusion by an unidentified object into the airspace over a nuclear weapons facility known as Pantex near Amarillo, Texas, in September 2015. The document includes the account of two officers who chased the object as the nuclear facility was placed on lockdown.

"Although they were unable to catch up to the object, they stopped their vehicle and got out. Once outside, they noted that the object did not make any sound. Furthermore, the [officers] stated that they were unable to identify any type of propulsion system on the object while using binoculars to assess the object," the report said. "After viewing it for 1-2 minutes, the object then continued north offsite."

About half the files are dated from 2010 or later, with videos showing infrared footage captured by military cameras. The grainy images show unexplained objects and encounters from around the world, including over the western Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic and the Middle East.

One of those incidents occurred over the Atlantic in 2020. The files include footage of an object that "was a darker, maroonish color, approximately 12-15ft in height," according to an accompanying report by a Navy crew member, which is heavily redacted. 

"Structurally, it appeared as a large, somewhat deformed balloon, but we were unable to verify that as we passed at the merge," the weapons systems officer wrote, followed by two redacted lines. "We then proceeded back to the ship, landing uneventfully."

A screenshot of footage from the U.S. military in 2020 showing a balloon-like object. Department of Defense

The report is known as a "range fouler debrief," which the Pentagon described as "a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training."

Another debrief documented an object that an aviator saw in 2019 over the Eastern U.S., along with four other personnel. 

"I noticed an object with flight characteristics unlike anything I had seen in my 28 years of performing for the [Air Force] and Navy," the aviator wrote. "A small object was below us and appeared to be traveling in a straight line opposite our direction at high speed. I tracked it for ~10-15 seconds before we turned on the recorder to provide the attached video. When I zoomed in to try and achieve more resolution, the object's speed took out of my FOV and I was unable to reacquire, even at a lower zoom. Upon analysis after the flight, the object appeared to be rectangular. Others with equal or more experience were also unsure as to what this object might be."

The video of the incident shows what appears to be an object traveling at high speed:

The 2019 object spotted over the Eastern U.S. Pentagon

The most recent events described in the fourth batch of files came in 2025 near China, under the military's Indo-Pacific Command. One video shows a military sensor tracking "an area of contrast resembling a six-pointed star" over the Yellow Sea. Another seems to track an object over the East China Sea for several minutes. 

The "six-pointed star" seen in military footage. Pentagon

The historical records include the transcript of a 1949 conference in Los Alamos, New Mexico, of top physicists and scientists, including those who worked on the Manhattan Project. The conference attendees tried and failed to explain "green fireballs" that had been spotted over the nuclear lab. One theory held that they were meteors entering the atmosphere, but a prominent astronomer noted that "nothing like this … has ever been observed in the case of meteorite drops."

The Pentagon said Friday's release is not the last disclosure under the president's executive order. "The Department of War and our agency partners are actively working on the next release of UAP files," spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

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WATCH: Here are all the UFO videos released today in the Pentagon's fourth batch of UAP files

BREAKING: Star figure spotted near U.S. base revealed in Pentagon's latest UFO FILE drop | RISING

{ https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/politics/ }

On July 7, 2026, a crew member aboard UPS Flight 62, a commercial cargo flight operating from Louisville to Anchorage and onward to Hong Kong, captured video footage of three bright, luminous orbs that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. According to the recording, the objects paced the aircraft, changing speed and maintaining what appeared to be a coordinated formation. 

The sighting bears an eerie resemblance to the famous Japan Airlines Flight 1628 UFO incident of November 17, 1986. During that event, the crew of a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft flying over Alaska reported being shadowed for nearly 50 minutes by three glowing objects. Captain Kenju Terauchi, a highly experienced pilot, described two smaller luminous orbs accompanied by a much larger walnut-shaped orb. Civilian and military radar facilities, including Anchorage Air Traffic Control and regional U.S. Air Force stations, reportedly detected anomalous targets at various points during the encounter. 

Given the growing number of AI-generated videos circulating online, it is important to verify the underlying facts whenever possible. Flight records confirm that UPS Flight 62 did indeed operate on July 7, 2026, matching the date associated with the reported footage. 

While this does not verify the nature of the objects seen in the video, it does confirm that the flight itself took place as claimed. 

The larger question remains: What exactly are these luminous spherical objects displaying seemingly intelligent movements, and who or what might be controlling them?

Verified Flight Data:

UPS Flight 62 is a regularly scheduled international cargo service operated by United Parcel Service (UPS). The route typically connects Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Alaska with Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) at Chek Lap Kok. 

On July 7, 2026, UPS Flight 62 completed its journey using a Boeing 747-8F cargo aircraft (Registration: N615UP) across two flight segments: 

Leg 1: Louisville (SDF) to Anchorage (ANC) 

Status: Landed Actual Departure: 4:32 AM EDT (Scheduled: 3:39 AM EDT) Actual Arrival: 6:42 AM AKDT (Scheduled: 6:11 AM AKDT) Flight Time: 6 hours 10 minutes 

Leg 2: Anchorage (ANC) to Hong Kong (HKG) 

Status: Landed Actual Departure: 10:10 AM AKDT (Scheduled: 9:53 AM AKDT) Actual Arrival: 12:04 PM HKT (Scheduled: 12:37 PM HKT) Flight Time: 9 hours 54 minutes  

Detailed playback data and flight logs for this specific operation can be reviewed through the FlightRadar24 history records for UPS Flight 62.

{ https://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

NASA reveals it has captured UFO imagery as space agency chief admits 'there's life everywhere'

• MORE: NASA accused of erasing UFOs from photographs before public release
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By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR

NASA's chief administrator confirmed that the space agency has taken images of objects which can only be described as UFOs. 

Jared Isaacman, who took the helm in December, said real imagery captured from space could not be explained away as a comet or other natural phenomenon.

While he stopped short of calling it proof of alien life, he was confident that the ultimate conclusion would be that the universe is full of extraterrestrial life, which humans have not yet discovered.

The NASA administrator told podcast host Jack Gordon: 'We have captured imagery, and this is what President Trump is very forward-leaning about, that based on the data that we have within that imagery, we don't know what it is.'

'I think there's a very real possibility we're going to arrive at a conclusion in our lifetime that perhaps there's life everywhere out there and that it isn't as infrequent as we might think it to possibly be,' he continued.

While Isaacman admitted the space agency was in possession of photos that appear to show unexplainable things near Earth, he added that he has never seen evidence of crashed UFOs or alien bodies recovered by the US government.

NASA has long maintained that it does not possess or maintain evidence of any alien life or bodies, just as the White House and Pentagon have continuously stated that there is no physical proof.

However, Isaacman noted that NASA may already have the proof in its possession, but that evidence is currently stuck on Mars - roughly 200 million miles away right now.

This archival photograph depicts the lunar surface as viewed from the landing site of Apollo 12. This image features a highlighted area of interest slightly to the right of the vertical axis of the frame, above the horizon, in which unidentified phenomena are visible

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said some of the real imagery captured from space could not be explained away as a comet or other natural phenomenon

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman testifies before a U.S. Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing.

(Reuters)

'We got samples on Mars right now. If we bring them back, there is a very high probability that they will point to, at some point, microbial life at least on Mars,' he said during the June 30 interview with Gordon.

NASA had previously announced the discovery of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet last September, but the mission to collect those samples from the Perseverance rover was dropped from NASA's Mars plans over funding issues.

The comments follow President Donald Trump's order to disclose all files related to UFOs.

An FBI photo containing two black dots that appear to be UAPs 

(Federal Bureau of Investigations)

Thousands of pages of NASA records, audio interviews and photos have been released as part of the Pentagon's disclosure rollout this year, but nothing to this point has provided definitive proof of life on other worlds. 

Isaacman was appointed to run NASA just before Congress approved a new budget, supported by President Donald Trump, which focused on sending a manned mission to Mars by the end of the decade.

The NASA administrator, who is a self-made billionaire entrepreneur, accomplished pilot and civilian astronaut who went into orbit with SpaceX, added that UFOs have been a key focus behind NASA's renewed push to explore the solar system.

'I can't hate the subject. In fact, I'm incredibly fascinated about it because that is at the heart of what we're trying to do at NASA - answer the question, are we alone?'

Despite saying that the universe is likely teeming with life, Isaacman pushed back when asked if humans would therefore be 'invading' other worlds by continuing to explore space now and in the distant future.

This archival photograph depicts the lunar surface as viewed from the landing site of Apollo 12. This image features highlighted areas above the horizon in which unidentified phenomena are visible

'These [questions] will be revealed by generations long after we are gone, but, simply put, I do not believe it is our destiny to remain on one planet,' Isaacman declared.

The Daily Mail has reached out to NASA for comment on Administrator Isaacman's revelations.

The space agency has remained silent about multiple claims by former NASA employees, astronauts, and scientists who have all alleged that proof of extraterrestrial life was already found and then covered up by NASA.

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• Trump's inner circle have shown me the real UFO disclosure: The president has his speech written 

This includes astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, who publicly claimed NASA missions saw unidentified craft that displayed speed and abilities far beyond anything humans had created.

In 2001, former NASA contractor Donna Hare alleged that photos containing what appeared to be legitimate UFOs were airbrushed to remove the craft before being released to the public.

The agency has also come under fire over the last year for its images of a mysterious interstellar object, known as 3i/ATLAS, which passed by Earth and several other planets.

Despite having satellites within close range of the object, which Harvard Professor Avi Loeb said showed clear signs of intelligent design, NASA only released a series of blurry images and declared they found no signs of life on the supposed comet. 

Isaacman's interview did not address these decades-old claims, but it did address the conspiracy theory claiming the moon landing was fake.

The NASA boss said he understood why so many people remain skeptical, noting that the footage from 50 years ago looks old and low-quality, and younger generations are used to perfect high-definition video.

To fix this for good, he said the upcoming Artemis lunar missions will have high-definition cameras attached to every landing module and rover, sending back clear proof that humans have left the Earth.

NASA's Hidden UFO Files: Unexplained Anomalies Caught on Camera in Space

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

EXCLUSIVE -  Trump's bombshell UFO files expose eerie eight-point object and silent craft that breached US nuclear base

Dozens of newly declassified UFO records have been released by the Trump administration, shedding new light on unexplained sightings investigated by the US military and other government agencies. 

The fourth tranche, published Friday on the Department of War's website, says 'it is time the American people see for themselves' as it adds dozens of documents, videos and photographs to the government's growing public archive.

Among the most striking additions are videos showing a mysterious eight-pointed object hovering over East Asia, a jellyfish-like UFO over the Atlantic Ocean and an unresolved case involving an oddly shaped craft zig-zagging across the western US.

The release also includes a Department of Energy report detailing how security teams at the Pantex nuclear weapons plant in Texas scrambled after radar detected a silent, diamond-shaped object drifting over the highly secured facility in 2015.

Officers said the craft flew just 100 to 200 feet above the ground with no visible means of propulsion before disappearing, prompting surveillance footage to be analyzed by Sandia National Laboratories and all evidence to be turned over to the FBI.

Also included is the influential COMETA Report, a study by retired French generals and defense experts that concludes the extraterrestrial hypothesis is the most plausible explanation for some of the world's most baffling UFO encounters.

The authors warned that the phenomenon should be treated as a national security issue and urged governments to prepare for the possibility that humanity is not alone.

The newly released records span decades of unexplained encounters, from military sightings and radar detections to cases that remain unresolved despite extensive investigations. 

Above is a still from a video taken in 2020 over the Atlantic Ocean. Witnesses described it as 'darker, maroonish color, approximately 12-15 feet in height.' Some have likened it to the jellyfish UFO previously seen in Iraq

The fourth tranche, published Friday on the Department of War's website features a video of an eight-pointed object spotted flying over the Yellow Sea in East Asia in 2025

Pictured is a still from a video deemed an unresolved case involving an oddly shaped craft zig-zagging across the western US

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement: 'The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government's understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).

'These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it's time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration's earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency.'

According to the Pentagon, there have been 'unprecedented levels of interest' in the UFO files, and the Department of War's website has received over 1.7 billion hits worldwide since its launch on May 8.

A second release took place two weeks later, followed by a third on June 12.

Footage of the eight-pointed object was submitted by the US Indo-Pacific Command, the military command responsible for operations across the Indo-Pacific region. 

The 18-second video was captured from an infrared sensor aboard a US military platform in 2025.

It shows the mysterious object moving over the Yellow Sea, hovering in place at times. 

'The sensor pans to track an area of contrast resembling a six-pointed star, keeping it generally centered within the center of the screen,' the video description states. 

Pictured is the 'jellyfish' craft reported in Iraq in 2018

The clip, however, includes redactions, which the Department of War said were added to 'protect the identity of eyewitnesses, the location of government facilities, or potentially sensitive information about military sites not related to UFO.'

Another newly released file includes 32 seconds of infrared footage captured by a US military platform in 2020, showing a dark, jellyfish-like object drifting through the sky. 

The sighting has drawn comparisons to the so-called 'jellyfish' UAP filmed over Iraq several years ago, though officials have not suggested the two incidents are connected.

According to a debrief submitted by US Northern Command to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), witnesses described the object as a dark maroon color, measuring roughly 12 to 15 feet tall. 

The report said it appeared to travel with the wind without changing direction or maneuvering and resembled a 'large, somewhat deformed balloon.'

The accompanying video shows the military sensor repeatedly zooming and panning to keep the object centered in frame. 

The release also includes a Department of Energy report detailing how security teams at the Pantex nuclear weapons plant in Texas scrambled after radar detected a silent, diamond-shaped object drifting over the highly secured facility in 2015

Pictured is a page in the Department of Energy report, showing an enhanced view of the object spotted over the nuclear plan

According to the report, security personnel were dispatched after ground surveillance radar detected an unidentified object moving near the highly secured site, prompting officers to track it for several miles

The Department of War cautioned that the footage is being released for informational purposes only and does not represent an official conclusion about the object's identity or significance.

A video from the US Navy Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), created to standardize the collection and reporting of military encounters with 'UFOs' and investigate potential threats to national security, was also included in Friday's tranche.

The two-minute and 57-second clip appears to have been taken by an infrared sensor aboard a US military platform in 1996 over an undisclosed location in the western US. 

The craft, which appeared to be circular with a wing on each side, was soaring over a mountainous terrain as the military jet tracked it from behind. 

The latest release also includes nearly two minutes of infrared footage captured by a US military platform in 2024 after the US Indo-Pacific Command reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon to the AARO

The video initially tracks a single area of contrast before zooming in, revealing what appears to be an elongated object

The video shows a dark, high-contrast object crossing the sensor's field of view between the 14- and 17-second marks, entering from the upper-right corner before exiting toward the lower left. 

The remaining footage consists of repeated playback of the same sequence at normal and slower speeds, followed by a still frame captured from the initial pass.

One of the most detailed files centers on a September 2015 incident at the Pantex Plant in Texas, the nation's primary facility for assembling and dismantling nuclear weapons. 

According to the report, security personnel were dispatched after ground surveillance radar detected an unidentified object moving near the highly secured site, prompting officers to track it for several miles. 

Witnesses described the object as silent, diamond-shaped and lacking any visible means of propulsion before it disappeared beyond the facility's perimeter. 

The report includes radar tracks, surveillance images and enhanced stills produced by Sandia National Laboratories as investigators sought to determine what had crossed the skies above the nuclear complex. 

The latest release also includes nearly two minutes of infrared footage captured by a US military platform in 2024 after the US Indo-Pacific Command reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon to the AARO. 

The video initially tracks a single area of contrast before zooming in, revealing what appears to be an elongated object.

The release also includes 10 seconds of infrared footage recorded by a US military platform in 2023 after US Central Command reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon to the Pentagon's AARO

One newly released document is a transcript from a secret 1949 meeting at Los Alamos, where military officials and some of America's top scientists gathered to investigate a wave of mysterious green fireballs reported over New Mexico

As the sensor magnifies the scene further, the object seems to split into a line of multiple bright points moving diagonally across the frame, with the military sensor continuing to follow the formation for about a minute as it gradually fades into the distance.

The release also includes 10 seconds of infrared footage recorded by a US military platform in 2023 after US Central Command reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon to the Pentagon's AARO.

Although brief, the video captures two mysterious objects streaking across the sensor's field of view in opposite directions. 

A larger object enters from the lower right before disappearing off the top of the frame, while a second, smaller object drops into view from above and exits at the bottom just moments later.

One newly released document is a transcript from a secret 1949 meeting at Los Alamos, where military officials and some of America's top scientists gathered to investigate a wave of mysterious green fireballs reported over New Mexico. 

The sightings, many reported near sensitive nuclear facilities, were unlike ordinary meteors, participants said, appearing to travel in nearly horizontal paths, maintaining a constant speed and producing an intense emerald glow while remaining eerily silent. 

During the meeting, renowned astronomer Lincoln LaPaz argued the so-called 'green fireballs' did not fit the characteristics of conventional meteorites, prompting scientists to debate whether they represented an entirely new phenomenon or even a secret technology. 

At one point, LaPaz revealed he had initially speculated the objects might be part of classified US military defensive operations around atomic bomb installations, only to be told the Air Force knew nothing about them, leaving the mystery unresolved

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EXCLUSIVE - I'm a priest and the Bible gives us proof of what UFOs really are... here's what Jesus told us

• READ MORE: Trump's inner circle has shown me the real UFO disclosure: The president has an imminent speech 'written and ready'... what he'll explain about non-human life will make it all make sense
  

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

The belief that UFOs are demonic has gained traction among some Christians, but one priest argues the Bible tells a very different story.

Father Lee Taylor, who leads three churches in North Wales, told the Daily Mail that several passages of Scripture suggest the mysterious objects in our skies are better understood as non-human intelligence than demonic beings.

He pointed to Genesis' description of humanity as God's supreme creation on Earth, Ezekiel's vision of the 'wheel within a wheel,' and Jesus' statement in John 14:2 that 'in my Father's house are many rooms.'

Taylor said the Church should begin examining those passages now, arguing that Christians need to prepare theologically for the possibility of non-human intelligence before any official confirmation sparks confusion or fear.

He believes the discovery of intelligent life beyond Earth would not undermine Christianity, but instead expand humanity's understanding of God's creation.

'A bigger universe, or the discovery of a bigger universe, doesn't make God smaller,' Taylor, who has been ordained for 15 years, said. 'It just makes creation bigger.'

'I don't think it's a challenge to faith. I think it's a challenge to the limits of our theological imagination,' he added. 'I think a larger universe demands a larger theology.'

He also urged fellow Christians to reconsider the belief that UFOs are demonic, warning that it encourages people to respond with fear rather than to approach the phenomenon with an open mind.

Father Lee Taylor, who leads three churches in North Wales, told the Daily Mail that several passages of Scripture suggest the mysterious objects in our skies are better understood as non-human intelligence than demonic beings

While Taylor is sure the Bible holds clues to the truth about UFOs and extraterrestrial beings, the Pentagon and White House have maintained that there is no evidence that they have visited Earth. 

The Vatican does not have a definitive doctrine on aliens, but officially embraces the scientific possibility of extraterrestrial life. 

The idea that UFOs are demonic has also been promoted by Vice President JD Vance and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, both of whom have publicly discussed the phenomenon through a Christian lens.

'I believe we're approaching the time when humanity really must learn to think of itself not merely as citizens of the Earth, but as participants in a much larger creation,' Taylor said.

Vance discussed the UFO phenomenon, saying he firmly believed that there were phenomena that humans simply cannot explain, but he was more open to other possibilities, such as a divine presence.

However, the vice president added that what he might view as an angel or demon might be interpreted as an extraterrestrial by others.

While speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2024, Carlson said: 'They're from here, and they've been here for thousands of years, whatever they are.'

'And it's pretty clear to me that they're "spiritual entities,"' he continued, 'whatever that means.'

Taylor said the Church should begin examining Bible passages now to prepare theologically for the possibility of non-human intelligence before any official confirmation sparks confusion or fear. Pictured is a still from a UFO video released by the White House 

Taylor said: 'I don't think it's the most helpful framework for discussing an unknown phenomenon. It can encourage people to project fear or certainty onto something we don't yet understand.'

He argued that, if intelligent life exists beyond Earth, 'there's no reason to assume that every other form of intelligence would fit neatly into categories of absolute good or absolute evil.' Instead, he believes such beings would likely reflect the same diversity already found among humanity.

The priest discussed Steven Spielberg's latest film, Disclosure Day, which explores global disclosure of extraterrestrial intelligence.

One of the film's central characters, a former nun named Jane, fears that confirmation of extraterrestrial life could shatter the foundations of her faith.

She worries that disclosure could force believers to question everything they know about God, Jesus and the Bible.

However, another nun highlights a verse in Genesis that Taylor said could point to the existence of extraterrestrials.

Taylor said the movie points to Genesis' narrative that humanity is God's supreme creation on Earth.

The priest also pointed to the Book of Ezekiel, in which the prophet describes a mysterious vision of 'a wheel within a wheel' descending from the sky

So then that asks a profound question: Why would God create such a vast universe if it was intended only for us?' he added.

He argued that the repeated emphasis on Earth leaves open the possibility that God may have created intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, meaning humans could be God's supreme creation without being His only intelligent creation.

Taylor said that interpretation should encourage Christians to think more broadly about creation rather than view the possibility of extraterrestrial life as a threat to their faith.

The priest also pointed to the Book of Ezekiel, in which the prophet describes a mysterious vision of 'a wheel within a wheel' descending from the sky.

While mainstream biblical scholars interpret the passage as a symbolic vision of God's glory, Taylor said some people believe it could instead describe an encounter with advanced non-human technology that ancient writers lacked the language to explain.

Finally, Taylor cited John 14:2, in which Jesus tells his disciples, 'In my Father's house are many rooms,' or 'many mansions' in some translations.

While the verse is traditionally understood as referring to heaven, Taylor believes it could also hint at a far larger and more complex creation than humanity has yet discovered, one that may include other forms of intelligent life.

'When Jesus talks about "many rooms" or "many mansions," using language that people at the time would have understood, I wonder if this is some sort of hint? Could we view it that way?' the priest questioned

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Pentagon releases 4th group of UFO files with 40 more videos and documents

By Stefan Becket

A screenshot of footage from the U.S. military in 2020 showing a balloon-like object.

© Department of Defense

Washington — The U.S. military on Friday released a new batch of files related to UFOs, also known as unidentified anomalous phenomena, the fourth group of documents unveiled in recent months.

Friday's release includes a total of 40 files — 14 documents, 19 videos, four audio files and three images. The files come from a variety of agencies: the Pentagon, NASA, the CIA, the FBI and the Energy Department.

The Pentagon posted the new files on its UFO website.

• This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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{ https://www.cbsnews.com/ }

NASA chief confirms capture of UFO imagery, says ‘We don’t know what it is’

By Mamta Raut 

 

(Feature Image Credit: Instagram/@nasaadmin, Microsoft Copilot)

The truth might not just be out there; it might already be in NASA’s hands. In a shocking revelation, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman has confirmed that the agency has captured imagery of mysterious objects in space that defy explanation. And while he stopped short of calling them alien spacecraft, his message was clear that the universe may be teeming with life.

‘We don’t know what it is’

Speaking on a podcast with Jack Gordan, Isaacman dropped a bombshell that is already sparking global curiosity. “We have captured imagery, and this is what President Trump is very forward-leaning about, that based on the data that we have within that imagery, we don't know what it is,” he said. The admission marks one of the most direct acknowledgments yet from NASA that it possesses visuals of unidentified objects that cannot be easily dismissed as comets or natural phenomena.

The comments arrive amid a broader push for transparency, driven in part by Donald Trump’s directive to release UFO-related files. Thousands of documents and images have since surfaced, but none have definitively proven alien life.

‘There’s life everywhere’

While Isaacman avoided declaring the imagery as alien proof, his outlook on the cosmos is far from cautious. “I think there's a very real possibility we're going to arrive at a conclusion in our lifetime that perhaps there's life everywhere out there and that it isn't as infrequent as we might think it to possibly be,” he said.

The Mars clue that could change everything

Ironically, NASA’s strongest evidence may not be orbiting Earth at all, but sitting on Mars. “We got samples on Mars right now. If we bring them back, there is a very high probability that they will point to, at some point, microbial life at least on Mars,” Isaacman revealed. Those samples were collected by the Perseverance rover, though budget constraints have stalled plans to bring them back to Earth. If retrieved, they could provide the first concrete evidence of extraterrestrial life, albeit microscopic.

Despite the intrigue, Isaacman firmly dismissed one of the most persistent conspiracy theories, that governments are hiding crashed UFOs or alien remains. NASA, like the Pentagon and the White House, maintains there is no such evidence. Still, whispers refuse to die, late astronaut Edgar Mitchell once claimed encounters with advanced unidentified craft, while former contractor Donna Hare alleged that UFOs were edited out of official images. Adding fuel to the fire, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has argued that certain interstellar objects may show signs of intelligent design, a claim NASA has consistently downplayed.

Are we alone?

For Isaacman, the fascination with UFOs isn’t fringe, it is fundamental: “I can't hate the subject. In fact, I'm incredibly fascinated by it because that is at the heart of what we're trying to do at NASA - answer the question, are we alone?” That mission is set to intensify with upcoming lunar expeditions under the Artemis program, which promise high-definition footage to counter skepticism, even about the original moon landing.

Isaacman also pushed back against fears that humanity is “invading” space, insisting exploration is part of our destiny. “I do not believe it is our destiny to remain on one planet,” he declared. For now, NASA has not issued further official clarification, leaving the public to grapple with the tantalizing possibility that the answers we’ve been chasing for decades may already exist, just waiting to be understood.

ALSO READ

• Donald Trump’s ‘imminent’ UFO speech sparks buzz: Will the US President reveal existence of non-human life?

{ https://me.mashable.com/science }

© Nanyang Technological University

• Populair Science,
• Nature Communications

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