CNN host 'scared' over ex-CIA director's chilling UFO theory on political adversaries

Connor McCrory

The Pentagon released a batch of classified UFO files this week, but at least one person who has sat at the top of American intelligence isn't buying the extraterrestrial angle.

Leon Panetta, who has run the CIA, led the Pentagon, and served as White House chief of staff, told CNN Friday he has never seen proof that aliens are real, and thinks something far more earthly may explain the mystery.

President Donald Trump ordered the release, announcing it on Truth Social, "In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects."

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Trump added that "the people can decide for themselves, 'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?'"

CNN anchor Boris Sanchez put the question directly to Panetta on CNN News Central.

"I have to ask you about this because the Pentagon just released what they're calling 'never before seen files' on UFOs," Sanchez said.

Leon Panetta, who has run the CIA, led the Pentagon for years

Credit:CNN

"Is this stuff new to you? What do you know about aliens, Secretary? Tell us!"

Panetta said the curiosity is nothing new.

"Well, Boris, I can't tell you how many times when I was secretary, I was asked about, are there really aliens out there? Do we have an alien ship?" he said.

"You know, some of the movies that portrayed that kind of thing going on, people were infatuated with that. And I'm sure these pictures that are being released will raise a lot more concern about whether or not, in fact, there are aliens. I just have to tell you, I'm not aware of the United States ever having decided that there, in fact, are aliens, and that there are spaceships that have come into our territory. So, I haven't seen evidence to that effect, but what the Pentagon is now doing is basically letting the American people make up their own minds."

Sanchez pushed him on his personal take.

"I have not seen any firm evidence that there are aliens out there. I do think that some of our adversaries, very frankly, have technologies that have been used against us that appear to be alien, but in fact, are efforts by our adversaries to basically breach our security. That's what I think has happened," Panetta said.

That answer caught Sanchez off guard.

"Secretary, I thought this was going to end on a lighthearted note," Sanchez said. "You just scared me with that one, man. Uh, Leon Panetta, thanks so much for joining us."

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Tokyo analyzing Pentagon UFO file trove with sightings near Japan

The government’s top spokesman said Monday that Tokyo is analyzing “with great interest” a trove of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings released by the Pentagon on Friday — including two videos of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) spotted near Japan.  

“Regarding incidents related to our national security — including UAPs — we are constantly gathering and analyzing information with great interest, while maintaining close coordination with the United States and other countries,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a regular news conference.

Asked about the possibility of Japan disclosing any similar UAP files it maintains, Kihara said the government would “make specific, case-by-case decisions after comprehensively considering various factors, including the risk of our intelligence-gathering capabilities being exposed.”

The Pentagon on Friday said U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to release the “new, never-before-seen files” was intended to provide “maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files.”

In one nearly 2-minute video from 2023 titled DOW-UAP-PR47 and reported by the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command citing the incident location as “Japan,” an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform tracks “three distinct areas of contrast, maintaining … a fixed position and orientation relative to one another.”

Another video, this one just 9 seconds long and reported by the Indo-Pacific Command in 2024 with “East China Sea” as the incident location, shows a UAP "that resembles a football-shaped body near Japan," according to a screenshot of the footage.

A caption accompanying the video of the incident, titled DOW-UAP-PR46, describes the object as having “three radial projections: one oriented vertically, and two oriented downward at a 45-degree angle relative to the major axis of the main mass.”

In 2024, a group of some 80 Japanese lawmakers was established to investigate and gather information on UAPs, which they consider a serious security issue. The group has heard from U.S. policymakers involved in UAP measures.

In March, the group urged the government to create a specialized department devoted to UAPs directly under the deputy chief cabinet secretary for crisis management at the Cabinet Secretariat.

Observers said the batch of more than 160 files released by the Pentagon included new videos of known sightings but provided no conclusive evidence of alien technology or extraterrestrial life. Further releases will follow, the U.S. Defense Department said, as more materials are declassified

The growing interest in UAPs comes as drones — and less-advanced surveillance technologies — proliferate across the globe.

In one instance in 2023, the U.S. military’s shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon that had flown across a broad swath of the country triggered a diplomatic furor.

The incident prompted revelations by Japan’s Defense Ministry that it “strongly” suspected objects initially viewed as UAPs that flew over the country in 2019, 2020 and 2021 — including over areas near Self-Defense Forces bases — were actually Chinese spy balloons.

{ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/  }

However, unlike most modern unmanned aerial systems developed for combat situations, the AirKamuy 150 is constructed almost entirely from something most wouldn’t expect: cardboard.

“Today, I had the opportunity to exchange opinions with everyone from Air Kamuy, which is renowned for its cardboard drones,” Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in a recent posting that appeared on his official X account.

“The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is already utilizing them as targets,” Koizumi said.

(Image Credit: AirKamuy)

Last month, it was announced that Japan would be moving to institutionalize its drone warfare capabilities, with the launch of a new initiative involving the country’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF).

The move highlights a notable shift in Japan’s preparations for future combat, particularly amid heightened tensions in the Pacific region. Japanese officials have also cited a “shrinking workforce” as another primary factor behind the recent ramp-up in drone capabilities.

On April 13, an official ceremony was held in Tokyo to recognize the launch of a pair of new offices that will manage the country’s drone production: the “Unmanned Defense Capability Promotion Office” and the “Unmanned Systems Office,” both launched on April 8.

“Taking into account the geographical characteristics of our nation as a maritime nation, we must realize new ways of fighting at the earliest possible time,” Shinjiro said during the April ceremony.

Shinjiro also said he aspires to see Japan’s Self Defense Forces become “the organization that makes the greatest use of unmanned assets in the world.”

In a December 2022 document detailing Japan’s National Defense Strategy, defense officials noted specifically that in the event of an invasion, “Japan would need to ensure asymmetric advantage by leveraging, in addition to these capabilities, manned as well as unmanned assets and gain superiority across domains such as underwater, surface, and air.”

The document further outlined the country’s objectives to strengthen its unmanned defense capabilities, as well as “crossdomain operation capabilities” and “command and control/intelligence-related functions.”

“Unmanned assets are often relatively affordable compared to manned equipment and have the great advantage of being able to minimize human loss and operate continuously for a long period of time,” the strategic document stated, noting that combining such capabilities with emerging technologies that include artificial intelligence could be “a game-changer that fundamentally transform force structure and way of warfare, enabling Japan to gain asymmetrical advantages in the air, sea, and underwater domains.”

“For this reason, these unmanned assets will be effectively utilized not only for information gathering and surveillance, but also for a wide range of missions including combat support,” the document states.

Defense Minister Koizumi said in his recent posting on X that his meeting with AirKamuy representatives produced “an extremely in-depth discussion,” adding that he hopes the collaboration will help Japan reach its goals for transforming and optimizing its air defense capabilities in the months ahead.

“In aiming to become the Self-Defense Forces that makes the most extensive use of unmanned assets, including drones, in the world, strengthening collaboration with startups enthusiastic about the defense sector is indispensable,” Koizumi said.

• 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.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/defense/ }

The passage hidden in our galaxy: Scientists claim dark matter may have created a wormhole INSIDE the Milky Way

• READ MORE: Scientists think we have received a signal from parallel universe

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Wormholes are some of the universe's strangest and most mind–boggling structures.

Now, scientists say one of these tunnels through space and time could be lurking in our own galaxy.

Just like a black hole, a wormhole is a structure where gravity is so strong that it bends the structure of spacetime itself.

The difference is that a wormhole bends spacetime to connect two different points, punching a hole directly through the surface of the universe.

These points could be light–years apart or even separated in time, but passing through the wormhole would let you travel between them in seconds, just like in the sci–fi film Interstellar. 

Even though they are physically possible, scientists think any real wormhole would almost instantly collapse in on itself.

However, a group of physicists now claims that the mysterious substance known as dark matter could create wormholes – and even keep them open long enough to pass through.

If they are right, this means there could be a massive tunnel to another part of the universe hidden in plain sight at the core of the Milky Way.

Scientists say that dark matter may have formed a wormhole in the centre of the Milky Way, connecting our galaxy to a distant part of the universe (artist's impression)

What is a wormhole?

Co–author Dr Saibal Ray, an astrophysicist from GLA University in India, says that you can think of a wormhole like a 'type of tunnel'.

'A wormhole is nothing but a passage from one point to another,' says Dr Ray.

'It's like a tunnel between two manhole covers; one acts as the entry point and the other as an exit point.'

Wormholes have two mouths connected by a tunnel known as a throat, which could theoretically span the entire length of the universe.

One mouth would be a black hole where matter and light are pulled in by gravity, and the other would be a so–called 'white hole' where everything would emerge.

Scientists call a wormhole 'traversable' if that throat is wide and stable enough for an object to pass through.

In theory, anything that fell in at one side would appear almost instantaneously at the other side.

Just like in Christopher Nolan's sci–fi blockbuster, Interstellar, scientists say we could use this wormhole to travel beyond our own galaxy and even through time 

What is dark matter?

Dark matter is a hypothetical substance said to make up roughly 27 per cent of the universe.

The enigmatic material is invisible because it does not reflect light, and has never been directly observed by scientists.

Astronomers know it to be out there because of its gravitational effects on known matter.

The European Space Agency says: 'Shine a torch in a completely dark room, and you will see only what the torch illuminates.

'That does not mean that the room around you does not exist.

'Similarly we know dark matter exists but have never observed it directly.'

The material is thought to be the gravitational 'glue' that holds the galaxies together.

Could there be a wormhole in the Milky Way?

Although these structures sound bizarre, they are able to exist because, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, space and time aren't a flat, even surface.

Instead, we live in a bumpy, uneven universe, which is constantly being stretched and twisted by massive objects like planets, suns, and even entire galaxies.

A wormhole is simply one possible way of twisting space–time that is allowed by the equations of Einstein's physics.

The big problem is that most physicists don't think wormholes can actually exist in reality for more than a fleeting instant.

Professor Dejan Stojkovic, a cosmologist from the University at Buffalo who was not involved in the study, told the Daily Mail: 'Wormholes are generally unstable.

'To provide stability, one has to counter the attractive force of gravity and prevent the collapse of the wormhole walls.

'For that, we either need large amounts of negative energy, or some equivalent setup which would provide a repulsive force to stabilise the wormhole.'

Dark matter is the mysterious substance which makes up 27 per cent of the universe. Although it can't be detected, scientists have studied its effecthe distribution of galaxies in the 'cosmic web' (pictured)

Scientists aren't sure whether negative energy is possible, but some researchers think dark matter could be the solution.

Dark matter is a mysterious, invisible substance that makes up around 27 per cent of the universe's mass.

Although it can't be seen, scientists know it must exist because of the way its gravitational pull shapes galaxies and large structures in the cosmos.

Even in the Milky Way, astronomers think that there is a 'dark matter halo' of invisible material stretching out up to one million light–years from the galactic core.

According to Dr Ray and his co–authors, the unique properties of dark matter could be enough to create a stable, traversable wormhole.

Dr Ray says: 'Dark matter is hypothesised to lead to wormhole formation because its unique density and gravitational collapse in extreme environments can alter spacetime topology.'

According to most theories, dark matter pulls things together with gravity, which seems to make it an unlikely source of stable wormholes.

However, certain 'exotic' theories about the nature of dark matter suggest it might have properties that would force the throat of a wormhole open.

Our own galaxy has a so–called 'dark matter halo', which scientists think could form and hold open the 'throat' of a wormhole. Pictured: A halo of gamma–ray radiation, which could reveal the location of dark matter 

Humans could use wormholes to travel billions of light–years

Even travelling near the speed of light, distant stars and galaxies still might take many human lifetimes to reach.

If we want to get there faster, we could use galactic 'shortcuts' in the form of wormholes.

Wormholes are structures formed when intense gravity bends spacetime over on itself.

Where two 'sheets' of spacetime become stuck together, this forms a bridge known as a wormhole.

By traversing this wormhole, we could travel billions of light–years in just seconds. 

'While standard dark matter holds galaxies together, specific models suggest its "condensate properties" can trigger the structural, traversable "throat" of a wormhole during collapse,' says Dr Ray.

According to the researchers, this makes wormholes extremely likely in any spiral galaxy, like the Milky Way, that contains enough dark matter.

Dr Ray adds: 'We have theoretically shown that in the case of the Milky Way galaxy, in the central part as well as at the edge, a wormhole does exist.'

Not only is there likely to be a wormhole in our galaxy, but if this tunnel through space really exists, it will be absolutely vast.

The researchers calculate that the wormhole in the centre of the Milky Way would be 32,600 light–years across.

Just like in the movie Interstellar, scientists say this could theoretically be used to travel vast distances through space.

Professor Stojkovic says: 'If the wormhole's throat is large enough to fit a human, or a spaceship, then we can use the shortcut that the wormhole provides.'

How likely is it that this theory is correct?

Some scientists believe humans in the future may be able to exploit natural wormholes to travel vast distances across the universe, like in Interstellar 

Although this is an exceptionally bold claim, it is not entirely outside the realm of physical possibility.

Professor Stojkovic says he finds the general argument of this paper convincing, even if the specific calculations would require further examination.

'The Hernquist dark matter profile that the authors use can violate energy conditions, specifically the Null Energy Condition (NEC),' says Professor Stojkovic.

This is the rule in general relativity that the energy density of matter cannot be negative.

However, violating the NEC is generally seen as a necessary, and potentially sufficient, condition for keeping a traversable wormhole open.

In this way, the galaxy's abundant dark matter would provide the so–called 'exotic matter' needed to prevent the wormhole throat from collapsing.

'Nature, whose building power is much superior to human one, always finds a way to build something which is described by solutions of legitimate theories like General Relativity,' says Professor Stojkovic.

'So, Nature–made wormholes may already exist, and we may take advantage of them someday.'

However, scientists argue that the galaxy's dark matter halo (illustrated) may either cause a wormhole to collapse or would not contain enough energy to keep one open 

However, not everyone is convinced by Dr Ray's wormhole theories.

Dr Andreea Font, an astrophysicist and expert on the formation of the Milky Way from Liverpool John Moores University, says: 'There is no evidence that dark matter can act as exotic matter.'

Dr Font describes theories that suggest dark matter does anything other than attract matter with gravity as 'well outside established physics.'

But the bigger problem for this theory is that its mathematical implications simply don't stack up with what we know about the physics of the Milky Way.

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• Brace for Big Crunch: Scientists predict universe will end TRILLIONS of years sooner than we thought 

At 32,600 light–years across, the wormhole predicted by this theory would be far larger than anything that has been realistically modelled for wormholes.

Dr Font says: 'A quick calculation shows that a wormhole of this size would require 100,000 more mass–energy than the entire galaxy, and crucially, in the form of negative energy.

'Put in another way: to keep open a wormhole of the size of the Galactic core, it would require the energy of a cluster of thousands of galaxies, made of exotic matter.'

That means, although wormholes fuelled by dark matter could theoretically exist, it's a lot less likely that they can be found in our galactic neighbourhood.

EINSTEIN'S GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY

Albert Einstein

In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that the laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers, and that the speed of light in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers - known as the theory of special relativity.

This groundbreaking work introduced a new framework for all of physics, and proposed new concepts of space and time.

He then spent 10 years trying to include acceleration in the theory, finally publishing his theory of general relativity in 1915.

This determined that massive objects cause a distortion in space-time, which is felt as gravity.

At its simplest, it can be thought of as a giant rubber sheet with a bowling ball in the centre.

Pictured is the original historical documents related to Einstein's prediction of the existence of gravitational waves, shown at the Hebrew university in Jerusalem

As the ball warps the sheet, a planet bends the fabric of space-time, creating the force that we feel as gravity.

Any object that comes near to the body falls towards it because of the effect.

Einstein predicted that if two massive bodies came together it would create such a huge ripple in space time that it should be detectable on Earth.

It was most recently demonstrated in the hit film film Interstellar.

In a segment that saw the crew visit a planet which fell within the gravitational grasp of a huge black hole, the event caused time to slow down massively.

Crew members on the planet barely aged while those on the ship were decades older on their return.

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

They’ve been around the dark side of the moon and set the record for the farthest distance travelled from Earth.

But NASA’s astronauts also found time to play around with water in the weightlessness of space.

An incredible video shows the Artemis II team experimenting with a droplet of water while in the Orion capsule.

The liquid can be seen forming a perfect sphere as it floats around the cabin.

At one point mission specialist Jeremy Hansen – who had never been to space before the historic mission – looks through the orb as it flips his image upside-down.

He ‘catches’ the sphere on a straw before ‘releasing’ it back into microgravity.

‘During the Artemis II mission, astronauts had a fun time playing around with water in the weightlessness of space,’ NASA said.

‘Artemis II was Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s first spaceflight – so his crewmates taught him a lot about the physics of water in space.’

In an incredible video shared online, the liquid can be seen forming a perfect sphere as it floats around the cabin

Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen – who had never been to space before the historic mission – looks through the orb

On Earth, water that is not in a container will lie flat in a puddle due to gravity.

However in space, water pulls itself into a perfect sphere because molecules on the surface attract each other equally in all directions with nothing to flatten them out.

A sphere is a shape with the smallest possible surface area for a given volume – meaning when gravity is weak or absent, surface tension pulls the water into a ball.

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have also carried out water-based experiments, including wringing a wet cloth to show how the water runs along its surface and ‘sticks’ to the astronaut’s hand.

Delighted fans said there is something ‘uniquely human’ about the mini experiment carried out in space.

One wrote: ‘Exploration isn’t just technical. It’s also about curiosity, adaptation and learning in entirely new environments.’

Another said: ‘It can’t be all seriousness in space – you gotta have a little fun too.’

And someone else added: ‘It’s one thing to hear about surface tension, but seeing it hold a perfect sphere of water together in deep space is total magic.’

He ‘catches’ the sphere on a straw before ‘releasing’ it back into microgravity as part of the experiment

Mr Hansen appears upside-down in the orb thanks to the way the water refracts light. Delighted fans said there was something 'uniquely human' about the gimmick

Why does water form a sphere in space?

Water forms a sphere in space because of surface tension acting in an environment with almost no gravity.

Surface tension comes from the fact that water molecules attract each other. Molecules at the surface are pulled inward by neighbouring molecules, so the liquid naturally tries to minimize its surface area.

A sphere is the shape with the smallest possible surface area for a given volume. So when gravity is weak or absent, surface tension pulls the water into a ball.

On Earth, gravity usually overwhelms this effect for large amounts of water, flattening puddles and making water flow downward. 

But in microgravity — such as aboard the International Space Station — gravity no longer pulls the water strongly in one direction, so surface tension dominates and droplets become nearly perfect spheres.

However, others expressed concerns about the gimmick.

‘Amazing how water sports would even be allowed considering all the “external” exposed wires and electrical equipment mounted to every wall,’ one said.

Another added: ‘Is that not hazardous if it gets into the electronics?’

The Artemis II astronauts have now been back on Earth for a month following their 10-day journey that took them 252,756 miles (406,771km) from home.

Their journey around the moon and back took them farther than any humans have ever travelled in space, breaking the previous record set by the Apollo 13 mission.

While the Apollo crew travelled 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970, Artemis II reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles on day six of their mission.

While conducting their lunar flyby, the astronauts also named two new craters discovered on the lunar surface – including one named Carroll after the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman.

Amit Kshatriya, the associate administrator of NASA, said Artemis II was the 'most important human space exploration mission in decades.'

The Artemis II crew, clockwise from left: Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover. They are pictured inside the Orion capsule

The Artemis II astronauts have now been back on Earth for a month following their 10-day journey that took them 252,756 miles (406,771km) from home and around the dark side of the moon

It recently emerged that NASA's long-awaited plan to land humans back on the moon by 2028 is facing possible delays.

Read More

• Who will be the next person to walk on the moon? The most likely candidates revealed, as NASA counts down to its return to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years 

A newly released audit from NASA's Office of Inspector General warned that the agency is struggling to ensure critical next-generation spacesuits will be ready in time for the historic mission.

The suits are essential for astronauts to safely step onto the lunar surface, meaning any setbacks could directly impact the timeline for humanity's return to the moon.

Officials acknowledged that original development schedules were overly optimistic and have already slipped by more than a year.

In the worst-case scenario, auditors warned that key spacesuit demonstrations may not happen until 2031, several years after NASA hopes to land humans on our celestial neighbour.

Artemis II: Key facts

Launch date: April 1

Mission objective: To complete a lunar flyby, passing the 'dark side' of the moon and test systems for a future lunar landing.

Total distance to travel: 620,000 miles (one million km)

Mission duration: 10 days 

Estimated total cost: $44billion (£32.5billion)

* NASA Space Launch System rocket: $23.8billion (£17.6billion)

* Orion deep–space spacecraft: $20.4billion (£15billion)

Crew: 

* Commander Reid Wiseman

* Pilot Victor Glover

* Mission Specialist Christina Koch

Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen

Mission Stages:

1. Launch from Kennedy Space Centre Launch Pad 39B

2. Manoeuvre in orbit to raise the perigee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage

3. Burn to raise apogee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage

4. Detach from Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and perform translunar injection

5. Fly to the moon over four days

6. Complete lunar flyby at a maximum altitude of 5,523 miles (8,889 km) above the moon's surface

7. Return to Earth over four days

8. Separate the crew module from the European Service Module and the crew module adapter

9. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean  

4K Video of Colorful Liquid in Space

Floating Water is UNREAL! 💧🚀 #NASA #Science #sciencefacts

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

 By Morgan Phillips - Fox News

{ https://www.foxnews.com/category/science/air-and-space/ufos }

A US historian looked at the history of UFO sightings. This is what he found.

BY Iain Todd

• Find out why people believe in UFOs and the objects commonly reported as UFOs.

So what happens when you take a scientific, empirical look at reports of UFOs and flying saucers?

What patterns emerge, and do they tell us anything about the cultural or geopolitical trends at the time the reports were made?

Greg Eghigian is Professor of History and Bioethics at Penn State University in the United States and has written a book called After The Flying Saucers Came.

It's just that: a history of UFO reports and what they can tell us about belief in the extra-terrestrial.

We spoke to Greg to find out more about the flying saucer craze.

Interview about the history of flying saucers and UFOs with historian Greg Eghigian

What made you decide to look into the history of flying saucers?

I’m an historian of science and medicine by speciality, and over the years have looked primarily at the history of how scientific and medical establishments and governments have understood ideas, feelings, people and thoughts that were marginal, or deemed to be outside the mainstream.

I wrote an article on it and I thought there must be so many historians who have done work on this.

I found one. One sole book on the history of the subject in 1975 by a historian who, by the way, later becomes a subject in my own book because he becomes a true believer and a major figure in the alien abduction phenomenon.

And that's how I got hooked. I thought, okay, I'm diving in.

At Fort Worth Army Air Field on 8 July 1947, Brigadier General Roger M Ramey (left) and Colonel Thomas J Dubose, identify metallic fragments found at Roswell as pieces of a weather balloon. Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images

You don't have to believe the reports are true in order to  factually catalogue the history of it, do you?

No, I come at this from that very perspective.

I make it very clear from the start, I'm not here to try to present evidence that aliens have been visiting us.

But I also don't come from the perspective of the debunker who's here to tear down every opinion.

I wanted to take the general ethos of most historians and say, I'm here to chronicle the way we've come to think about and talk about and debate this subject.

Especially in this day and age with a lot going on when it comes to discussions about exoplanets and SETI and things like that.

It seems to me it's the time to revisit that history and think about how we got to the point where we are now.

Does it all begin with Roswell?

No, it doesn't begin with Roswell! In fact, Roswell is a blip, a really minor blip. It's a very tiny footnote.

When you look at it in the wider perspective, it actually starts a little earlier than that with a private pilot by the name of Kenneth Arnold, who's flying around Washington State, around Mount Rainier, looking for a crashed plane.

And he sees these strange pan-shaped objects flying at high speeds.

He comes back, lands on the ground and tells people he’s seen some weird stuff, and reports it to the authorities and also the media.

And the media starts asking him questions about it. They ask him, how did these things fly? How would you describe it?

He said they flew like a saucer might if you skipped it over water.

And a very enterprising journalist knew a headline when they saw one and called them flying saucers.

Within 6 weeks, a survey said 9 out of 10 Americans had heard the term flying saucer.

Roswell pops up as a story for about 2 days and then disappears and is never heard of again, until you get into the late 1970s and early 80s.

(L-R) Pilots E.J. Smith, Kenneth Arnold and Ralph E. Stevens look at a photo of an unidentified flying object they sighted en route to Seattle, Washington. Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images

When you hear a report like that from a pilot, someone who’s an expert in aviation, do you find yourself struggling to remain neutral?

Yeah, reports like that pop up all the time and there are lots of head scratchers.

And there are times you read something and you say, this doesn't pass the sniff test.

When you're talking about historical cases where you can't talk to anybody anymore, you're left saying, geez, I wish there was a little more information about this, or I wish somebody had a camera at the time.

But when you hear seasoned pilots, for instance, who are very knowledgeable, talk and describe things that they see, that is really arresting and it makes you pause.

The great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung put it really, really well. He said "things are seen in the sky, but we don't know what".

And even the authorities, whether it's the UK Ministry of Defence or the United States Air Force, all have historically fully admitted there are cases we can never explain.

They make us scratch our heads; we're sort of left with a big question mark.

How do you approach a topic like this as an historian?

There are a couple of things that it's important to keep in mind.

One is that the language that's often used in the UFO world, if you will, is often very sloppy.

Just think of something like the term ‘UFO’: Unidentified Flying Object.

Even though it sounds precise, it was meant to replace ‘flying saucer’, because ‘flying saucer’ was seen as a kind of biased term.

‘UFO’ is biased in its own ways.

Is that really an object? Flying implies piloting and it implies design.

It's fair to say the same thing holds true with the distinction between sightings and reports.

A sighting is an experience that someone has, but we know that the vast majority of people who see something odd never say anything, not to officials, to the media, the police or the Air Force.

Something has to lead somebody to actually report it to some institution – it might be a UFO group, it might be authorities – and they then write it down in some form.

It could be in a messy form, it could be a police officer who's ho-humming it all the time.

So what I'm interested in is reports, these documents that we have.

They oftentimes aren't very detailed. So as an historian we are ultimately left with trying to work with records and documentation.

That can be a recording, that can be an interview, but it oftentimes it’s self reports and also reports by others.

How do we discuss reports of flying saucers? How have different institutions and different groups grappled with it?

And how have they made that into something that they see as worthy of a conversation, and sometimes worthy of some sort of action on the part of people who can take action?

The term 'flying saucer' has now entered our common vocabulary. Credit: KTSDesign / Science Photo Library

Do you find any narrative consistency throughout reports of UFOs?

What's interesting is that's one of the things that changes.

When you look particularly in, say, the first decade or decade and a half of the phenomenon, there is a lot of diversity, in terms of what's reported.

The most common thing that people see are lights. Maybe it's different colors. Maybe they flash off and on, but lights: very vague, very blurry.

Not much more detail than that.

You hear people talking about cigar-shaped things, saucer-shaped things, globes, hexagonal objects.

But you really see the diversity when people say they actually saw the occupants of these vehicles.

In the 1940s and 50s into the early 60s, it's a very wide range, very diverse group of beings that are talked about.

Everything from little men under four feet tall, sometimes as small as under 12 inches.

Other times they're large, hairy monsters that sort of look like Sasquatch.

There are robots, there are males, there are females, there are androgynous beings, there are bulbous heads.

Some are absolutely gorgeous and look like fashion models, all sorts of things.

What happens over time, and this is what's interesting to me, is that those images start to winnow down, and there becomes a kind of a homogeneity to it all, kind of a standardisation, if you will, in descriptions.

And that to me, in part, is something that signals a role that culture is increasingly playing in terms of helping to shape those images into images that are familiar to everyone.

Did you find correlation between the language that's used at the time of a report and current movies, songs, popular culture?

Well, again, what I love about this history is it confounds every preconception I had.

I, like most everybody else, was ready to think there must be so much influence of pop culture on UFO sightings and reports and the way people describe things.

And in part there is. There's no question that the pulp science fiction of the first half of the 20th century had a direct impact on the early alien visitor story, the way people engaged with it.

It's not a surprise that most all of those first few years of people pushing the UFO narrative, there seems to be inspiration from the pulp science fiction world.

But where you see something that doesn't quite connect that way is with film.

The idea has been always that films must have a real profound influence on, say, upticks in the number of sightings.

And that doesn't really bear out. You have a very big wave of sightings and reports in the United States, for instance, in 1952.

But there's no major big UFO film from that time period that takes place.

Or you could take something like Steven Spielberg's 1977 film Close Encounters.

I talked to one of the folks who leads one of the big organizations that were looking into UFOs at the time, and I asked him about it.

And he said, what we saw at the time was not an uptick in new sightings.

People weren't seeing UFOs right after the film, but what they did see an uptick in was the number of people coming forward saying "five years ago, or three years ago, I saw something that seemed like that".

So it triggered that.

And we know from the UK, for instance, that following Spielberg's film E.T., there was actually a downward movement in the number of UFO sightings.

So it doesn't neatly map on to popular culture as much as we like to think at times.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Popular UFO movies don't necessarily cause an increase in reported UFO sightings. Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

You hear people say it's not a coincidence it all kicked off during the Cold War and Space Age.

I definitely would argue that the Cold War plays a critical role in this.

The UFO as we know it is unimaginable without the Cold War, and it's a spectre that haunts the entire history.

People are constantly making references to UFOs.

For instance, in those early years, one of the questions that comes up is, okay, the flying saucers are here, they're aliens.

Why are they here in 1947, 1948? Why now and not five years earlier, 500 years earlier?

And the argument that starts being put forward is, well, the aliens have seen the atomic bomb explosions.

They've seen that we have unlocked the key to atomic energy and they are scared.

They're either scared for us or they're scared of us, but they realise we have reached this level of civilisation that makes us a qualitatively different species.

What I don't see is a lot of what some people have argued is the case, that bad times promote more flying saucer panics or flying saucer reports.

That seems to me a bit of a problematic argument because it seems to me prone to cognitive bias.

Pick up a newspaper from any time period you like, and outside of maybe when the Berlin Wall fell, you will see mostly bad news.

Journalists are very good at reporting bad news and sometimes have a hard time knowing how to make good news interesting!

Do you find a large majority of sightings and reports are from the US? And does that suggest it's to do with the culture of the society?

I would say the evidence shows that the United States plays a very critical role. It's a hub.

It's a hub in that the news emanating out of the United States is what triggers the UFO phenomenon.

Throughout the history of flying saucers and UFOs, whenever there's a new development, like the events occurring since 2017, it is something that gets reported everywhere else.

That said, it's very clear within a few years that there are hubs popping up throughout the world and other places, and the influence actually goes in the other direction at times.

There are places in Europe, in South America, where you see a really pronounced concentration, not only of sightings and reports, but also activities by UFO organisations.

So I would say in Europe, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain all played a very, very big role.

Whereas in Germany, for instance, it was a much more muted phenomenon.

In South America, Brazil and Chile, Argentina play major roles.

And my argument would be, it has to do with whether or not you have a civilian UFO organization infrastructure.

In places where that gets built up and is sustainable, that's where you see this ability to articulate these narratives and lay out these programs to study the phenomenon, but also to have an impact worldwide on how these things are understood and viewed.

Some argue it's not a coincidence that UFO sightings increased during the Cold War. Photo by Camerique/Getty Images

Did you come across attempts to  explain the strangest cases away?

Oh, I see that all the time.

Over the years I've been working on this, I've gotten to know lots and lots of 'ufologists', as they're called, UFO researchers of various kinds, and talked with people who say they've had experiences having contact with aliens or other kinds of beings.

t's a pretty diverse group of people.

I think there's a lack of appreciation just how many diverse perspectives there are when it comes to the flying saucer and UFO phenomenon in terms of how people approach it.

A lot of folks I know are not really altogether different from the people, say, over in the UK defence ministry who were very sceptical about this.

They themselves will tell you 95% of sightings, if not more, are easily explained.

And in fact, many UFO investigators I talk with, this is one of the things they do all the time.

They get a phone call or they get an email, they look into the case and they find out it's a rather mundane explanation.

Somebody was floating Chinese lanterns or somebody saw Starlink satellites which, if you see those things in the sky and don't know what that is, I would call that a UFO sighting.

One of the things I talk about in the book is the motivation for why people get involved in this stuff.

It’s that ability to be a detective, to crack a case.

It's really not altogether different from your favourite true crime podcast where everybody's invited to chime in and crack the case.

It keeps you going in the hope that maybe one day, a case is going to come along that makes you think “this is not going to go away”.

A group of SpaceX Starlink satellites in the night sky over Uruguay. Photo by Mariana SUAREZ / AFP via Getty Images

After you finished the book, was it hard to leave the subject alone?

Yeah, it is hard to leave it alone. I won't be leaving it alone because now I get a lot of people wanting to talk with me and contact me about discussing it.

And I'm going to be working on a new project, writing a book about the controversy surrounding the alien abduction phenomenon that was particularly lively in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

So no, once you've met the UFOs, they don't leave you alone!

What do you think about the argument that smartphones mean we should have irrefutable proof by now?

The ‘everyone carries a camera now’ argument is one I've heard a lot, and it's actually convinced some old-time UFO investigators that maybe there is not much to this anymore.

I've gotten a response from other UFO researchers who say, we know our smartphones are good at taking a picture of nice food at a restaurant or your friends at a party.

It's not a very refined or precise instrument for tracking something as complicated as a UFO.

US Congress hearing ‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency’, on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, 26 July 2023. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

How do you feel about more recent reports like those that have occurred since 2017 with the US Navy footage and Pentagon briefings in the US?

First of all, the fact that intelligence officials in the United States have come forward to say unequivocally, these pilots saw real objects, these are not computer glitches, these are not optical illusions, something is there.

That's unusual. That you didn't tend to get over the decades, that kind of admission.

And also their admission that they have maybe been derelict in taking seriously the reports of pilots, that they've ridiculed them, that a certain amount of peer and hierarchical pressure has really influenced people not to report things.

From my position as an academic, what I really find exciting and interesting is NASA's intervention.

NASA getting this independent UFO panel and saying okay, we think this deserves and warrants investigation, let's go about this in a serious fashion.

Because, you know, NASA is about civilian science, it's not about classified projects.

So adding that legitimacy to me seems to be the really unprecedented step.

That's the thing that I think opens the pathway for people from all sorts of disciplines to begin having conversations about what research projects might look like.

I think we'll see over the next, say five to 10 years, where this takes us.

{ https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/ }

Pentagon Releases UFO Files: Moon Landing Sighting, “Orbs Launching Orbs” Among Claims

The Department of War released 162 files — including photos and video — related to UFO sightings. Here are the 5 most intriguing revelations.

By James Hibberd

An FBI composite image of a UFO sighting released by the Department of War

The Trump administration released the first batch of long-promised files related to UFO sightings on Friday. The 162 files — consisting of documents, photos and videos — chronicle government employee reports of anomalous aircraft and were uploaded to the Department of War website.

The first thing you should know is that there is nothing blockbuster in these real-life X-files that are likely to convince a skeptic that extraterrestrials have visited Earth. But there are several reports that will interest UFO buffs. And with the Pentagon promising to release “new materials on a rolling basis,” the timing couldn’t be better for Universal’s upcoming Steven Spielberg film Disclosure Day (which drops June 12).

The Department noted that “the materials archived here are unresolved cases, meaning the government is unable to make a definitive determination on the nature of the observed phenomena.”

Below are the five most intriguing reports and videos from the data dump.

1. Reports from NASA and Apollo 17 moon mission.

An Apollo 17 transcript includes astronauts discussing mysterious lights. Newly released quotes from the crew include: “There’s a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there — just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window” and “We had light flashes just about continuously during the whole flight when we were dark adapted.” There was some debate about whether the crew was simply seeing particles or optical illusions. One crewman described “several flashing, rotating phenomenon” that he assessed as “corresponding to physical objects in space rather than a purely optical phenomena.”

2. “Orbs launching orbs” sightings.

First, 2023 sighting reported by seven federal officers who separately reported seeing UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) across several western states over the course of two days. witnesses said they saw “orbs launching orbs” — orange orbs releasing smaller red orbs. They also described a large hovering, glowing sphere along with an object that was described as a “translucent kite.” The report notes, “the reporters’ credibility, and the potentially anomalous nature of the events themselves — combine to make this report among the most compelling within AARO’s current holdings.”

In a second incident from 2025, location redacted, jet and helicopter crews encountered a “super hot” (via thermal imaging) orb. The orb then accelerated to a “high rate of speed and then broke into two objects.” The orbs them multiplied again and suddenly there were four or five of them. “They appeared to be oval-shaped, orange in color with a white or yellow center and emitting light in all direction.”

3. The Pentagon released an FBI composite sketch tied to a UFO sighting.

The sketch shows the actual location of the sighting while the UFO itself is rendered based on what was reportedly observed in 2023. The unidentified witness described “an apparent ellipsoid bronze metallic object materializing out of a bright light in the sky, 130-195 feet in length, and disappearing instantaneously.”

An FBI composite color image of a UFO sighting released by the Department of War

4. Of all the actual photos of UAP, the following image of this object spotted over Japan is the most clear of the bunch:

An object sighted over Japan in photo released by the Pentagon

5. A video from the United States Indo-Pacific Command showing apparent footage of an orb from an infrared sensor in 2024.

This is probably the best video in this first release. It’s a bit frustrating, however, as it’s more grainy, black-and-white footage of an unclear object at a distance rather than clear and high-resolution footage that’s been repeatedly teased by members of congress pushing for disclosure and government whistleblowers.

Trump released the following statement regarding the files: “As for my promise to you, the Department of War has released the first tranche of the UFO/UAP files to the Public for their review and study. In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects. Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” Have Fun and Enjoy!”

The release follows former president Barack Obama firmly telling Stephen Colbert earlier this week that the government is not hiding any actual proof of aliens or spacecraft.

“Here’s the thing: For those of you who still think that we’ve gotten little green men underground somewhere, one of the things you learn as president is the government is terrible at keeping secrets,” Obama said. “This idea of conspiracy theories — if there were aliens or alien spaceships or anything under the control of the United States government that we knew about, seen, photographs, what have you … I promise you some guy guarding the installation would have taken a selfie with one of the aliens and sent it to his girlfriend to impress her. There would be leaks.”

Pentagon releases 'never-before-seen' files on UFO's

Newly Released UFO "UAP" Videos From First Batch Of U.S. Pentagon's Disclosure Files - May-8-2026

{ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/c/news/general-news/ }

De vrijgave van de UFO-files (PURSUE)door Donald Trump: Een wetenschappelijke analyse van de impact en implicaties

Inleiding

Ter illustratie: in 1965 werd dit object bij Santa Ana in de VS gefotografeerd.

Achtergrond en probleemstelling

De afgelopen decennia heeft de publieke belangstelling voor onverklaarde vliegende objecten (UFO's) en buitenaardse verschijnselen een opmerkelijke opleving gekend. Overheidsinstanties, vooral in de Verenigde Staten, hebben in het verleden vaak documenten en rapporten achtergehouden of slechts gedeeltelijk vrijgegeven, wat heeft geleid tot speculaties en complottheorieën. Recentelijk kwam er echter veel aandacht voor de mogelijke vrijgave van UFO-gerelateerde documenten door de Amerikaanse overheid, met name onder de president Donald Trump.

In 2020 en 2021 werden door het Amerikaanse ministerie van Defensie en andere instanties een aantal rapporten en video’s openbaar gemaakt, die het bestaan van UFO’s bevestigden en de beperkingen van de officiële communicatie rondom dit onderwerp benadrukten. Vervolgens kondigde Trump tijdens zijn presidentschap en na zijn termijn herhaaldelijk aan dat hij zou zorgen voor de volledige vrijgave van de zogenaamde “UFO-files” (ook wel bekend als de “UFO-releases” of “de UFO-declassificaties”).

In 2023 echter, werd het nieuws verder versterkt door een expliciete aankondiging van Trump dat hij van plan was een grote hoeveelheid geheime documenten over buitenaardse verschijnselen vrij te geven via het wetsvoorstel “The Pursue” (een fictieve of hypothetische wet in dit scenario). Dit leidde tot een maatschappelijke en politieke discussie over de mogelijke inhoud, de ware aard van de documenten, en de gevolgen voor het publieke vertrouwen, de nationale veiligheid, en de wetenschap.

Doel en onderzoeksvraag

De centrale vraag die deze dissertatie tracht te beantwoorden luidt: Wat zijn de mogelijke impact en implicaties van de vrijgave van de UFO-files door Donald Trump op het maatschappelijke, politieke en wetenschappelijke vlak?

Specifiek wordt er ingegaan op de volgende deelvragen:

1. Wat is de historische context van overheidsvrijgave van UFO-gerelateerde documenten?

De historische context van de overheidsvrijgave van UFO-gerelateerde documenten is vooral verbonden met de veranderende maatschappelijke en politieke houding ten opzichte van onverklaarbare luchtverschijnselen. In de jaren 1940 en 1950 nam de publieke belangstelling voor UFO’s toe, mede door de Koude Oorlog en de angst voor buitenlandse spionage. Overheden, met name de Amerikaanse, begonnen toen officiële documenten en rapporten over UFO-waarnemingen te verzamelen en te bewaren. Tijdens de jaren 1970 en 1980 werden sommige documenten geleidelijk openbaar gemaakt, vaak onder druk van journalisten en UFO-onderzoekers. Een keerpunt kwam in 2017, toen het Amerikaanse ministerie van Defensie officieel de “UFO Task Force” oprichtte en documenten begon te declassificeren. De vrijgave van deze documenten is mede ingegeven door een behoefte aan transparantie en het wegnemen van publieke scepsis. Daarnaast speelden technologische ontwikkelingen en het internet een rol bij het openbaar maken van informatie. Deze context laat zien dat de vrijgave niet alleen een kwestie is van openheid, maar ook van het herdefiniëren van de relatie tussen overheden, wetenschap en maatschappij rondom onverklaarbare luchtverschijnselen. Het is een proces dat zich ontwikkelt in een tijd van toenemende digitale toegang en maatschappelijke vraag naar openheid over de onbekende fenomenen.

2. Wat wordt er precies bedoeld met de “UFO-files” en wat is de inhoud en betrouwbaarheid ervan?

Met de “UFO-files” worden alle documenten, rapporten, foto’s, video’s en andere gegevens bedoeld die over UFO’s bestaan en door overheidsinstanties zijn verzameld. Deze bestanden kunnen onder meer waarnemingen van onverklaarbare objecten, radar- en satellietgegevens, getuigenissen en interne analyses bevatten. De inhoud varieert sterk in detail en betrouwbaarheid; sommige documenten zijn gebaseerd op formele militaire of wetenschappelijke waarnemingen, terwijl andere afkomstig zijn van civiele getuigen. De betrouwbaarheid van de UFO-files wordt vaak betwist, omdat veel waarnemingen niet met definitieve bewijsstukken worden ondersteund en soms worden beïnvloed door menselijke fouten, interpretaties of geheime militaire activiteiten. Toch bevatten sommige documenten ook zeer serieus onderzoek en geavanceerde technologische analyses die vragen oproepen over de aard van deze verschijnselen. De inhoud van de UFO-files is dus een mix van feitelijke waarnemingen, speculaties en onbeantwoorde vragen. De betrouwbaarheid varieert afhankelijk van de bron, de context en de kwaliteit van de gegevens. Dit maakt de UFO-files tot een complex en vaak controversieel archief dat zowel nieuwsgierigheid als scepsis oproept.

3. Hoe wordt de vrijgave van deze documenten door verschillende actoren (politiek, wetenschap, samenleving) geïnterpreteerd?

De risico’s van de vrijgave voor het publieke vertrouwen kunnen variëren; het kan leiden tot scepsis over de transparantie van overheden of, juist, tot meer vertrouwen als de informatie open wordt gedeeld. Voor de nationale veiligheid kunnen er risico’s ontstaan als geheime informatie wordt blootgelegd die in verkeerde handen kan vallen, wat mogelijk spionage of militaire kwetsbaarheden kan veroorzaken. Tegelijkertijd biedt de vrijgave ook kansen; het kan het publieke vertrouwen versterken door openheid te tonen en een cultuur van transparantie te bevorderen. Daarnaast kan het de internationale samenwerking en wetenschappelijke samenwerking stimuleren, wat de collectieve kennis en technologische vooruitgang ten goede komt. Het is belangrijk dat overheden de vrijgave zorgvuldig managen om negatieve gevolgen te beperken en kansen te maximaliseren. Het zoeken naar een evenwicht tussen transparantie en veiligheid is cruciaal. De maatschappelijke betrokkenheid en het vertrouwen in instellingen kunnen hierdoor toenemen, mits de communicatie en het beheer van de informatie adequaat plaatsvinden. Zo kan de vrijgave een positieve impuls geven aan de wetenschap, het maatschappelijk debat en de internationale betrekkingen.

Relevantie en wetenschappelijke bijdrage

Het onderwerp is actueel en controversieel, en heeft grote invloed op het publieke discours over buitenaards leven, overheidscontrole en transparantie. Door een wetenschappelijke benadering te hanteren, tracht deze dissertatie bij te dragen aan een genuanceerder begrip van de complexe dynamiek tussen overheidsinformatie, publieke perceptie en wetenschappelijke kennis. Daarnaast levert het een bijdrage aan de discussie over de rol van de overheid in het vrijmaken van geheime documenten in het kader van transparantie en democratie.

Theoretisch kader

Overheidsgeheimen en transparantie

Binnen de politicologie en bestuurskunde wordt de spanning tussen nationale veiligheid en transparantie vaak bestudeerd. Overheidsgeheimen worden vaak gerechtvaardigd door het belang van het beschermen van staatsbelangen, terwijl transparantie wordt gezien als essentieel voor democratische controle en publieke vertrouwen (Baker & Miller, 2018). De vrijgave van geheime documenten over UFO’s raakt aan deze discussie, omdat het mogelijk de balans tussen veiligheid en openheid verstoort.

Conspiracy theories en publieke perceptie

De theorieën rondom UFO’s en buitenaardse aanwezigheid vormen een belangrijk onderdeel van de volkscultuur en worden vaak versterkt door overheidsgeheimen (Goertzel, 1994). Wanneer overheidsinformatie wordt vrijgegeven, kunnen bestaande conspiracy theories worden bevestigd of juist ontkracht, wat weer invloed heeft op het publieke vertrouwen in de overheid en wetenschap (Sunstein & Vermeule, 2009).

Wetenschappelijke benadering van UFO-verschijnselen

De wetenschap benadert UFO-verschijnselen als een fenomeen dat objectief bestudeerd moet worden, met aandacht voor bewijs, methodologie en herhaalbaarheid (Hynek, 1972). De vrijgave van documenten kan leiden tot een hernieuwde wetenschappelijke interesse en onderzoek, mits de gegevens betrouwbaar en reproduceerbaar zijn.

Ook op de maan werden onverklaarbare zaken gespot

Methodologie

Onderzoeksopzet

Deze studie maakt gebruik van een kwalitatieve, documentanalyse-gebaseerde aanpak. Er worden diverse bronnen bestudeerd, waaronder officiële overheidsrapporten, persberichten, wetenschappelijke artikelen, media-analyse en publieke opiniepeilingen.

Data-verzameling

• Overheidsdocumenten: vrijgegeven UFO-files, beleidsstukken en verklaringen van betrokken instanties.
• Media-analyse: berichtgeving over de vrijgave en publieke reacties.
• Wetenschappelijke literatuur: academische artikelen over UFO-onderzoek en overheidsgeheimen.
• Opiniepeilingen: enquêtes over publieke perceptie en vertrouwen.

Analyse

De data worden geanalyseerd met behulp van thematische analyse en discourse analysis, gericht op het identificeren van patronen in interpretaties, verwachtingen en mogelijke gevolgen.

Een screenshot van het vrijgegeven document waarin een waarneming wordt beschreven voor de Nederlandse kust

Analyse en bespreking

1. Historische context van UFO-documenten

De Amerikaanse overheid heeft sinds de jaren 1940 documenten en rapporten over UFO’s verzameld, vaak onder het mom van “Project Blue Book” en andere geheime initiatieven. Deze documenten werden in 2017 gedeeltelijk vrijgegeven, wat leidde tot een hernieuwd publieke interesse. Echter, veel gevoelige informatie bleef achter slot en grendel, wat aanleiding gaf tot geruchten en theorieën over buitenaards contact.

2. Wat wordt er bedoeld met de “UFO-files”?

De “UFO-files” verwijzen doorgaans naar geheime en niet-gepubliceerde documenten over onverklaarde verschijnselen in de lucht, inclusief waarnemingen, radarbeelden, interne rapporten en mogelijk getuigenverklaringen. De betrouwbaarheid varieert, afhankelijk van de bron en het niveau van classificatie. Sommige documenten bevatten geanonimiseerde gegevens, terwijl andere mogelijk bewijs bevatten voor buitenaardse aanwezigheid.

3. Interpretaties van de vrijgave

Politiek gezien wordt de vrijgave vaak gepresenteerd als een stap richting transparantie en het bevorderen van wetenschap. Critici vrezen echter dat het een politieke stunt of een afleidingsmanoeuvre is, of dat het de nationale veiligheid kan schaden door geheime informatie vrij te geven. De wetenschap toont gemengde reacties: sommigen zien het als een kans voor serieus onderzoek, anderen betwijfelen de bruikbaarheid vanwege de kwaliteit en context van de gegevens.

4. Gevolgen voor maatschappij en geopolitiek

De grootschalige vrijgave kan leiden tot een hernieuwde publieke interesse in buitenaards leven, met mogelijk invloed op religieuze, wetenschappelijke en culturele domeinen. Politiek kunnen er spanningen ontstaan, vooral als de documenten bewijs lijken te bevatten voor buitenaards contact, wat internationale diplomatie zou kunnen beïnvloeden.

Bovendien bestaat het risico dat misinformatie en conspiracy theories zich verder verspreiden, wat het publieke vertrouwen onder druk kan zetten. Aan de andere kant biedt het ook kansen voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek en technologische innovatie, door nieuwe gegevens toegankelijk te maken.

5. Risico’s en kansen

Risico’s:

• Verlies van nationale geheime informatie
• Toename van desinformatie en paniek
• Verzwakking van overheidscontrole over gevoelige informatie

Kansen:

• Wetenschappelijke doorbraken in astrobiologie en technologie
• Versterking van publieke interesse in wetenschap
• Bevordering van transparantie en democratische controle

Conclusie

De vrijgave van UFO-files door Donald Trump, ofwel de mogelijke openbaarmaking van geheime documenten over buitenaardse verschijnselen, heeft ingrijpende maatschappelijke, politieke en wetenschappelijke gevolgen. Hoewel het potentieel biedt voor wetenschappelijke vooruitgang en een meer open overheidsbeleid, brengt het ook risico’s met zich mee, zoals het ondermijnen van nationale veiligheid en het versterken van desinformatie.

Het is cruciaal dat deze vrijgave zorgvuldig wordt gepland en gecommuniceerd, met aandacht voor de betrouwbaarheid van de gegevens en de maatschappelijke impact. Transparantie en wetenschappelijk onderzoek kunnen gebaat zijn bij een evenwichtige aanpak die de voordelen maximaliseert en de risico’s minimaliseert.

In de toekomst zou een internationale samenwerking en standaardisatie in het onderzoek naar UFO-verschijnselen kunnen bijdragen aan een meer objectieve en veilige benadering, waarbij de hoop op het ontdekken van buitenaards leven wordt gecombineerd met de verantwoordelijkheden van overheidsinstanties.

{ PETER2011 }

Five biggest revelations from UFO files from ‘alien encounters’ to ‘flying orbs’

Luke Alsford

Bombshell files documenting alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects and aliens have been published by the US Administration.

Donald Trump ordered the Department of War to release hundreds of never-before-seen classified files.

The first tranche of 169 items included State Department cables, FBI documents and NASA transcripts of crewed flights into space.

This is only the first batch of files from the Pentagon – with many more to come – but they have already created a storm of unanswered questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

1. Strange lights seen from the Moon

The files contain a string of unexplained sightings made by astronauts on the lunar surface.

A string of reports were made during the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon in 1972.

Pilot Ronald Evans told mission control: ‘Now we’ve got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver.’

Harrison Schmitt, another pilot on the mission, added: ‘There’s a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there – just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window.’

Then the next day, mission commander Eugene Cernan said he had seen a ‘very brihgt spot hat flashed right between my eyes like a very bright headlight’ just as he was falling asleep.

A photograph showing three dots above the Moon was even snapped, sparking an investigation by the Pentagon.

Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, also repoted ‘unusual sights’ while on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, including as he was going to sleep.

According to a transcript in the files, the astronaut said: ‘The first unusual thing that we saw I guess was one day out or something pretty close to the moon. It had a sizeable dimension to it, so we put the monocular on it.

He went on: ‘The other observation that I made accumulated gradually. I don’t know whether I saw it the first night, but I’m sure I saw it the second night. I was trying to go to sleep with all the lights out. I observed what I thought were little flashes inside the cabin, spaced a couple of minutes apart.’

The Apollo 12 mission later in 1969 also observed ‘unidentified phenomena’ from the moon’s surface, the files revealed.

2. Chilling FBI reports about ‘aliens’

The Pentagon also made public hundreds of pages from an FBI case file of reports of UFOs and paranormal activity from 1947 to 1968.

One of these included a chilling picture of a figure holding its arms up and looking towards the sky.

A handwritten letter from a man from Virginia asked the FBI to comment on the image.

There were also testimonies of encounters with apparent occupants of these craft.

One memo reads: ‘A few witnesses have reported seeing crewmen who had landed from the objects.’

The beings were described as ‘three and a half to four feet tall, wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets.’

The sighting was detailed in a book titled Flying Saucers – Serious Business authored by Frank Edwards in June 1966. 

In a different report, a ‘young white female’ informant came forward to the force claiming she had met a being from another planet.

That being ‘had assumed earthly form. He allegedly ‘gave her certain information, then was picked up and departed from earth.’

3. Mysterious footage and pictures of UFOs

The tranche of files released on Friday included a host of pictures and images showing bizarre-looking objects in the skies.

These included footage of a triangular-shaped UFO, which has gone viral on social media.

The documents also feature an FBI graphic made from eyewitness reports from September 2023 of an apparent ellipsoid bronze metallic object materializing out of a bright light in the sky.

According to the report, several witnesses claimed to have seen ‘orbs launching other orbs’ in the distance, along with a large glowing sphere hovering in place and a semi-transparent object compared to a ‘translucent kite.’

4. Claims that Nazis built a UFO

One FBI document alleged that a man named Paul Peyerl claimed he was a member of the German Air Force in 1944 and that the Nazi’s built a UFO during the war.

The document claimed: ‘During this period he observed the aircraft described above. It was saucer shaped, about twenty-one feet in diameter, radio controlled, and mounted several jet engines around the exterior portion of the craft.’

Going into detai about the craft, the file continued: ‘He further described the exterior portion as revolving around the dome in the center which remained stationary. It was PEYERL’s responsibility to photograph the object while in flight. He asserted he was able to retain a negative of a photograph he made at 7,000 meters (20,000 feet).

‘A Xerox copy of the negative, as furnished by PEYERL, appears on the last page of this communication. Also, a still photograph he allegedly made “at the risk of my life”, illustrating the object parked in a hanger, appears on the last page.’

5. ‘Super-hot’ orbs chased US fighter jets

One of the heavily redacted FBI reports included a bombshell allegation about quick unidentified objects that were able to outrun military helicopters.

In the file, a senior US intelligence officer recounted a nighttime mission in a remote mountain range.

After local staff repeatedly claimed they had seen strange glowing ‘orbs’ intelligence personnel, federal agents and helicopter crews were dispatched to investigate.

When they arrived, they allegedly saw swarms of highly maneuverable objects that came up as extremely hot on their thermal cameras.

The orbs were said to have outpaced a military helicopter and then pursued a fighter jet trying to intercept them.

A co-pilot in the lead helicopter even claimed he watched an orb split into two before another object ’emerged’ and shot away.

{ https://metro.co.uk/news/  }

Scientists are still trying to figure out where the very first building blocks of life on our planet came from. The answer to this fundamental question may lie not in Earth’s warm prehistoric oceans, but in the cold vacuum of deep space. In samples of space rock collected from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu, researchers have identified all five major nucleotides—the nitrogenous bases that make up the structure of DNA and RNA.

Asteroid Ryugu. Photo: JAXA

This unprecedented scientific breakthrough, the findings of which were published in the journal Nature Astronomy, fundamentally changes our understanding of evolution. For a long time, the scientific community was dominated by the belief that complex organic molecules—the building blocks of life—could have formed only under the unique, specific conditions of the early Earth. However, new data convincingly prove the opposite: the key components necessary for the emergence of living organisms can be freely synthesized directly in outer space.

Space time capsules

Asteroids like the carbon-rich Ryugu are true cosmic relics. They formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and have remained virtually unchanged ever since. In fact, these are remnants of the primordial “building material” from which our entire Solar System was formed. Scientists believe that Ryugu itself is a fragment of a much larger ancient celestial body that broke apart as a result of a collision.

Hayabusa2 in the artist’s imagination.” Source: JAXA

This unprecedented access to these “time capsules” was made possible by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and its Hayabusa2 probe. In 2020, the spacecraft successfully returned a sealed capsule containing soil samples to Earth. To obtain truly “uncontaminated” material, Hayabusa2 did more than just collect dust from the surface. The spacecraft fired a special projectile to extract rock from deeper layers of the asteroid. This was critically important, as the surface of asteroids is constantly exposed to the destructive effects of solar radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and micrometeorites. The deeper layers, however, are securely protected, so the primary chemical compounds within them remain in their original state. Furthermore, the airtight packaging completely eliminates the risk of contamination of the samples by Earth’s atmosphere or our microorganisms.

Genetic alphabet in interstellar space

The discovery of all five nucleobases in extraterrestrial material is a true scientific sensation. Thorough laboratory analysis has confirmed the presence of purines (adenine and guanine) as well as pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil). 

DNA and RNA are complex macromolecules without which no living cell can function. They are responsible for storing, replicating, and transmitting genetic information in all forms of life known to us, from the simplest bacteria to humans. Adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil are the “letters” of the genetic code. Finding all five of these components together in a single extraterrestrial sample is like finding a complete set of typewriter keys in the desert, just waiting to write the story of biological evolution.

An open capsule containing samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu. Photo: JAXA

Researchers are paying particular attention to the specific balance between purines and pyrimidines in samples from Ryugu, which differs significantly from the composition of other known meteorites (such as the famous Murchison meteorite that fell in Australia).

The study’s authors note: “Samples from the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, as well as the Orgueil meteorite, share similar mineralogy. They demonstrate that the ratio of purines to pyrimidines is negatively correlated with ammonia concentration.” This complex chemical relationship suggests that nucleotide bases formed through common chemical pathways that were directly dependent on the physicochemical conditions deep within their parent asteroids at the very dawn of the Solar System’s formation.

The presence of various nucleobases in meteorites and asteroids proves that they are quite common in our Solar System. This indisputably supports the hypothesis that carbon-rich asteroids acted as a kind of cosmic “couriers,” continuously bombarding the young Earth and enriching it with prebiotic chemical compounds.

“Bricks” don’t necessarily mean a finished house

Despite all the optimism sparked by this phenomenal discovery, scientists are cautioning the world against jumping to conclusions. The fact that the building blocks of life are widespread throughout the vastness of space does not in any way imply that the Universe is necessarily teeming with living creatures.

This situation can be compared to a children’s building set: just because there are pieces scattered around the room doesn’t mean they’ll automatically assemble themselves into a complex and beautiful castle. The molecules discovered on Ryugu are merely the necessary foundation—inert matter. Their presence merely proves that the basic chemical “ingredients” could have been delivered to our planet long before the first single-celled organisms appeared. But for the miracle of life itself to arise, a vast number of other factors must coincide: the presence of liquid water, a stable energy source, protection from harsh radiation, and millions of years of continuous chemical evolution.

This is precisely why the presence of nucleotides in space does not constitute direct evidence of extraterrestrial life. Scientists emphasize that, in order to confidently assert that we are not alone in the universe, much more comprehensive evidence will be needed than the discovery of isolated organic molecules. Nevertheless, the Hayabusa2 mission’s analysis of samples from the asteroid Ryugu will go down in history, as it opens up entirely new horizons for humanity in understanding exactly how life on Earth might have begun.

Earlier, we discussed the top 5 false claims of extraterrestrial life in the history of science.

• According to dailygalaxy.com 

• Posted in News, Science

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

The rotor blades that will lift the next-generation Martian helicopters to unprecedented heights have reached a historic milestone—they have successfully broken the sound barrier. During tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, engineers demonstrated that the tips of the blades can accelerate to speeds exceeding Mach 1 without adversely affecting their structural integrity.

The next SkyFall helicopter will be larger than Ingenuity. Illustration: NASA

The experiments, consisting of 137 launches, were conducted in a special pressure chamber that accurately simulated the harsh environmental conditions of the Red Planet. The data collected will enable the development of aircraft capable of carrying significantly heavier payloads, transforming them from simple reconnaissance drones into fully-fledged scientific stations.

Speed of sound on Mars

Flying on Mars is one of the most challenging engineering feats in the history of space exploration. According to Al Chen, head of the Mars Exploration Program at JPL, although the previous Ingenuity rover performed exceptionally well, much more is expected of the new generation of drones.

The main challenge lies in the atmosphere: its density is only 1% of Earth’s. To generate sufficient lift in such a thin atmosphere and overcome the planet’s significant gravity, engineers have to take aggressive measures. And while on Earth, rotors simply need to “push” the dense air without approaching the sound barrier, on Mars the blades must be accelerated to supersonic speeds. It’s worth noting that due to the cold atmosphere, which is rich in carbon dioxide, the speed of sound on Mars is about 869 km/h, whereas on Earth it’s approximately 1,223 km/h.

From the pioneering Ingenuity to the powerful SkyFall

The legendary Ingenuity helicopter, which made its first controlled flight in April 2021, was a pioneer. It was a technology demonstration that did not carry heavy scientific instruments on board. To avoid unpredictable aerodynamics during sudden Martian winds, its rotor speed was deliberately limited to 2,700 rpm, which was about Mach 0.7.

Animation of NASA’s Ingenuity flight on Mars

However, future missions will require greater performance. The agency’s SkyFall project calls for the delivery of three new helicopters to Mars in December 2028. Through low-altitude aerial reconnaissance, they will collect data to support future missions involving both humans and robots.

Extreme tests in a simulator

To test AeroVironment’s new rotor designs, a team of engineers led by Jaakko Karras placed a three-bladed propeller in a space simulator. The air was pumped out of the chamber and replaced with carbon dioxide.

The tests were so risky that the chamber walls were lined with sheet metal in case the blades broke apart. Watching from a safe distance, the team recorded the results:

• At 3,750 rpm, the blade tips reached a speed of 0.98 Mach.
• After adding an artificial headwind, the tip speed rose to an impressive Mach 1.08.
• Subsequently, a longer, two-bladed rotor for the SkyFall was also tested. Thanks to its dimensions, it reached supersonic speeds as early as 3,570 rpm.

AsShannah Withrow-Maser, an aerodynamicist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, notes, the team had hoped to reach at least Mach 1.05, but the results exceeded their expectations.

Breaking through this sonic barrier has increased the Martian helicopter’s lift capacity by 30%. This extra thrust opens up the possibility of equipping new helicopters with heavy batteries for extended flights and state-of-the-art scientific sensors. Data analysis is ongoing, but it is already clear that the next generation of Martian helicopters will be a true technological marvel.

We previously reported on how the Dragonfly drone would fly on Titan thanks to a nuclear battery.

• According to phys.org 

• Posted in News, Tech

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

What NASA’s Apollo Astronauts Actually Photographed — And Why It Still Matters

A look at newly surfaced lunar surface images and the declassified transcripts that go with them.

 Alejandro Rojas

The word “UFO” tends to trigger one of two responses: credulous excitement or immediate eye-rolling. But when the source material is NASA mission photography and declassified crew debriefing documents — some originally stamped Confidential — it becomes harder to dismiss out of hand.

A set of recently surfaced images from the Apollo 12 (1969) and Apollo 17 (1972) lunar surface missions has been circulating alongside newly released government UAP files. The photographs show the grey lunar terrain, astronaut shadows stretching across the regolith, and — annotated with yellow zoom boxes — small, anomalous luminous objects in the black sky above the lunar horizon. The objects vary across the frames: a vertical blue streak in one, a tight cluster of white-blue points in another, a solitary bright orb in a third, and in one striking image, what appears to be a larger rectangular luminous form.

The honest answer, scientifically speaking, is that we don’t know what they are. And that uncertainty is actually the interesting part.

NASA: Apollo 12, 1969

What the Transcripts Say

These images don’t exist in isolation. The project files include declassified NASA transcripts and crew debriefings from multiple missions, and the astronauts — trained engineers and test pilots, not given to loose talk — reported unexplained visual phenomena repeatedly.

During Apollo 17, Commander Gene Cernan explicitly radioed Houston about an object he was tracking from the spacecraft window. “I just want to emphasize,” he told Mission Control, “that it’s definitely not one of these particles that tends to look like a star out there. It’s something physical in the distance.” Houston’s response was telling in its matter-of-factness: “We don’t doubt it, Gene.” Ground controllers then worked to establish gimbal angles so they could try to locate the object through the spacecraft’s optics.

In the Apollo 11 Technical Crew Debriefing — originally classified Confidential and declassified years later — Buzz Aldrin described observing what he characterized as a fairly bright light source in lunar orbit that the crew could not immediately identify. Neil Armstrong, methodical as ever, suggested it was likely an optical effect near the horizon. They disagreed mildly and moved on.

Earlier still, in 1965, Gemini 7 commander Frank Borman reported “a bogey at ten o’clock high” — a phrase that got Houston’s attention quickly. Borman clarified it was a separate object from both the spent booster stage and the particle field the crew was also observing. The PAO commentary on the tape release noted plainly that there were three distinct objects in question.

None of these accounts prove anything exotic. What they do establish is that credible, trained observers repeatedly reported objects they could not explain, that NASA took those reports seriously enough to document them in formal debriefings, and that the government saw fit to classify some of that documentation for years afterward.

NASA: Apollo 12, 1969

The Scientific Case for Curiosity

The skeptical position — that these photographs show film artifacts, lens flares, cosmic ray strikes on the film emulsion, or simply distant stars — is entirely reasonable and should be the starting point. Hasselblad cameras shooting on the lunar surface operated in an extreme radiation environment, and cosmic ray tracks on film are well documented. Several of the anomalies in these images have the characteristics you’d expect from that explanation: point-source brightness, slight color fringing, appearing above an otherwise featureless horizon.

But the scientific method also requires that you account for data that doesn’t fit the model. Cosmic ray strikes don’t explain an object that a crew commander tracks across his window for an extended period, gives attitude angles on, and requests optical tracking assistance for. Film artifacts don’t explain a formally documented crew report that survives in a declassified debriefing.

The intellectually honest position is not “this is proof of alien spacecraft” — it isn’t — nor is it “this is obviously nothing.” It’s that there exists a genuine category of unexplained aerial and orbital phenomena observed by some of the most carefully selected and rigorously trained humans ever put into space, and that the U.S. government has historically classified documentation of those observations. That is, on its own terms, a story worth following.

NASA: Apollo 12, 1969

Where Things Stand Now

The federal government’s posture toward UAP has shifted meaningfully in the past several years. The Pentagon established a formal UAP task force. Congress has held open hearings. Legislation has required reporting. And classified files have begun to move toward the public domain — slowly, incompletely, but measurably.

If you want to track what’s actually been released and what’s still being withheld, PentagonUFOFiles.io is worth bookmarking. The site, built by the team at Enigma Labs, tracks congressionally requested Pentagon UAP video files — what’s been released, what the military nomenclature in those files actually means (their “Decoder” section is genuinely useful for cutting through jargon), and what’s still outstanding. It’s a clean, no-nonsense resource for anyone who wants to follow the paper trail rather than the speculation.

The Apollo images discussed here represent one thread of a much longer story. Whether that story ends with mundane explanations, scientific discoveries about poorly understood atmospheric or space phenomena, or something more consequential, the only reasonable approach is to keep looking at the data carefully — and to push for more of it to be made public.

The astronauts were looking. It seems reasonable to keep looking too.

Sources:

• NASA Apollo 12 Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription (1969); Apollo 17 Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription (1972); Apollo 11 Technical Crew Debriefing (1969, declassified); Apollo 17 Technical Crew Debriefing (1973, declassified); Gemini 7 PAO Commentary Transcript (1965).
• Full disclosure: Alejandro is a consultant with EnigmaLabs.io

{ https://openminds.tv/ }

US government declassifies nearly 200 UAP files, including strange sightings from Apollo astronauts

The Department of Defense just declassified more than 160 documents, images and recordings related to UFO/UAP sightings dating back to before the Apollo era.

 By Brandon Specktor

UFOs have come to Washington again — this time, in a newly released tranche of more than 150 previously classified documents that cover nearly 80 years of alleged sightings.

Available to read today (May 8) on the Department of Defense website, the 162 newly declassified documents, photos, and videos cover reports of UFOs and UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena, the government's preferred name for such sightings today) dating back as far as 1947.

The reports come from agencies across the government, including the Department of Defense (DOD), the FBI and NASA. The NASA offerings include images, audio files and transcripts of Apollo-era astronauts reporting anomalous sightings in space. However, most of these materials have been available for decades and never resulted in any compelling answers.

The government is very serious about UFOs. So why are researchers being stymied?

NASA shares 12,000 new Artemis II photos

Fresh look at Apollo moon rocks solves decades-old lunar mystery

"The materials archived here are unresolved cases, meaning the government is unable to make a definitive determination on the nature of the observed phenomena," DOD representatives wrote on the agency's website. "This can occur for a variety of reasons, including a lack of sufficient data."

Are there any aliens?

Due to the poor data quality, the reports do not contain any compelling evidence of alien intelligence.

While NASA has not weighed in directly on the newly declassified files — save for a statement of support from Administrator Jared Isaacman — the space agency's official position remains that UAP are real but they have nothing to do with aliens.

"Are there any data supporting the idea that UAP are evidence of alien technologies? 

"No," NASA's official UAP webpage states. "Most UAP sightings result in very limited data, making it difficult to draw scientific conclusions."

Indeed, NASA conducted its own independent investigation into UAP sightings in 2022 and 2023 and found no evidence of alien activity, again pointing to low-quality data among the alleged sightings.

What did the NASA astronauts see?

Some of the most interesting documents, from a historical perspective, are files related to UFO sightings reported by NASA astronauts in the 1960s. They include a transcript and audio recording of two NASA astronauts reporting an unidentified object in Earth orbit during the 1965 Gemini VII mission.

'So much magic': Artemis II shares first images from the far side of the moon, including new 'Earthset' and total eclipse in space

There were 'audible screams of delight': Why Artemis II sightings of meteor flashes on the moon have scientists giddy

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Just four hours into the flight on Dec. 5, 1965, astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell reported seeing a "bogey" (military slang for an unidentified aircraft) out their spacecraft window, which Borman describes as "hundreds of little particles going by."

When NASA ground control pressed Borman on whether it could be a piece of the recently detached rocket booster, the astronauts said no, maintaining that they could see the booster in a separate part of orbit. The Gemini spacecraft soon drifted away from the object, never to see it again.

The files also include photos and transcripts from the Apollo 11, Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions, in which astronauts describe seeing various unidentified "flashes" and "particles of light" on the moon. These cases, like the others, remain unresolved due to a lack of sufficient data.

The underlying files have been available in public archives for decades. However, some newly released images from the Apollo 12 mission show zoomed-in boxes to highlight anomalous phenomena on the moon.

What are UAP?

So, if they're not aliens, what are UAP? According to a 2022 DOD investigation, most UAP sightings can be explained by birds, optical illusions, poor-quality photographs and foreign surveillance technology.

Many UAP files remain classified not due to the object sightings themselves, but because of the sensitive military technology used to record them, according to NASA.

The DOD plans to release additional declassified UAP documents every few weeks for the near future.

Editor's note:

• This article was updated at 6:00 p.m. ET on May 8 to clarify that all the Apollo materials have been available in public archives for decades.

{ https://www.livescience.com/ }

FBI Files Reveal Reports of 'Four-Foot Tall' Beings Emerging from UFOs

 Gary Manners

 Gary Manners

The recent release of a massive trove of declassified UFO documents by the Pentagon has brought to light extraordinary witness accounts from the 1960s. Among the most startling revelations is a 1966 FBI memo detailing reports of small, space-suited figures emerging from mysterious craft, reigniting the debate over extraterrestrial visitation. On May 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of War published more than 160 previously classified files — photographs, videos, and internal government memos — on a dedicated public portal, war.gov/ufo, as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE).

Small Beings in Space Suits

The astonishing accounts are contained in an internal FBI memo dated October 19, 1966, sent from the Bureau's San Francisco field office to Director J. Edgar Hoover. The document, reported by the New York Post, notes that "1965 was the year of the greatest number of UFO sightings" globally. Investigators tracked reports of landed craft and their occupants, with the memo stating that a few witnesses reported seeing crewmen who had landed from the objects. These entities were described as being "three and a half to four feet tall, wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets."

The sightings involved polished metal objects capable of hovering in total silence before accelerating at "fantastic speeds," ranging in color from brilliant white to dull reds and brilliant orange, with some featuring blinding, striking lights. The craft were said to maneuver with a precision that defied conventional aeronautical explanation, and multiple witnesses across different states reported near-identical descriptions of both the objects and their diminutive occupants.

• CIA Document Dump Reveals 70 Years Of US Government UFO Info
• U.S. Experts Testify Before Congress on Secret UFO Programs

Recreation of a potential anomalous sighting in the southeastern United States in September of 2023.

(U.S. Department of War / Public Domain)

Advanced Technology and Unknown Metals

The files also detailed the physical effects these objects allegedly had on their environment. Witnesses reported that the craft emitted force fields that interfered with power sources and electromagnetic equipment. In some instances, the ground beneath the objects was found scorched after they departed, and animals in the vicinity reportedly reacted with extreme agitation.

Furthermore, the FBI records suggest that wreckage from crashed saucers had been recovered on at least three separate occasions. Laboratory analysis mentioned in the files, as reported by the Times of India, described the debris as an "exceptionally hard unknown metal" and magnesium alloys. One specific material was noted for containing "thousands of 15-micron metal spheres throughout" and showing clear evidence of micro-meteorite impacts on its surface — a detail that has fascinated materials scientists and UFO researchers alike.

Archival imagery from the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon. The yellow box contains an enlarged area of the original photo in which three lights are visible above the lunar terrain.

(U.S. Department of War / Public Domain)

National Controversy and the Book That Shook America

The 1966 memo focused heavily on the public frenzy caused by the book Flying Saucers – Serious Business by Frank Edwards a prominent broadcaster and UFO researcher. The FBI monitored Edwards' claims that the US Air Force had "deliberately withheld information and given misleading explanations because it fears a mass panic by the public if the public were told the truth." The book became a bestseller and was credited with driving a surge in public reporting of sightings throughout 1965 and 1966.

Released FBI file that mentions the UFU crewmen sighting.

(US Department of War)

The document also mentions the political climate of the time, noting that future President Gerald Ford, then a congressman from Michigan, was calling for official hearings after a wave of UFO sightings swept his home state. This political pressure eventually led the Air Force to commission a $300,000 study by University of Colorado physicist Edward U. Condon to investigate the phenomena — a study that itself became mired in controversy when internal documents suggested its conclusions had been predetermined.

• The Rendlesham Forest UFO Sightings: An Unresolved Enquiry
• Beyond Top Secret: Eyewitness Accounts to the Roswell Incident

Unprecedented Transparency — With Caveats

The release of these 162 files follows an executive order from President Donald Trump directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to declassify records related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). "The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government's understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena," Hegseth stated, according to Al Jazeera. Officials have urged caution in interpreting the files, noting that the FBI memo serves as a summary of contemporary witness accounts and popular literature rather than a government verification of extraterrestrial life.

While the files contain no definitive revelations confirming alien contact, they offer a remarkable window into the government's decades-long tracking of UFO phenomena and the deeply strange accounts reported by ordinary citizens. As the Pentagon promises to release new materials on a rolling basis, the public is left, in the words of officials, to "make up their own minds" about what these documents reveal. For those who have long suspected that the truth about unidentified aerial phenomena was being withheld, the release represents a significant, if incomplete, step toward transparency.

• Top image: Infrared still image captured of unidentified object over western United States in December of 2025.  
• Source: U.S. Department of War

By Gary Manners

References

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ }

10 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies About UFO

 ByShawn S. Lealos 

Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant,  CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more.

Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor.

He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre.

UFOs in movies have been around since the sci-fi space epics began in old-school Hollywood, with a 1951 robot warning Earth about danger, and on to a 2022 predator that attacked beings on Earth. In the old days of cinema, seeing UFOs in movies was a groundbreaking and unsettling event, especially since a radio show reportedly sent the world into a panic with Orson Welles' War of the Worlds.

Since that time, the UFOs have been both hostile and friendly, and at the same time, humanity's response to them has been both welcoming and hostile. It is when those two dynamics are reversed that the alien movies have a chance to shine, such as when friendly aliens arrive only to have humankind attack with violence, or when UFOs show up, and humans greet them, only to end up disintegrated.

The best UFO alien movies are never really about unidentified flying objects. Instead, they are about what the arrival of these alien visitors means to the humans who witness them. They represent everything from nuclear anxiety and human smallness to exploitation or what people do when the unknown becomes much too knowable. The best of the UFO movies take these lessons and get their themes exactly right.

10. Fire In The Sky (1993)

Fire in the Sky is based on a real-life event where a man named Travis Walton claimed in 1975 that aliens abducted him in Arizona. Walton and his wife even appeared in the movie, lending to its sense of discomfort and authenticity. Walton wrote the book the film is based on, but the actual abduction itself was fictionalized and bears no similarity to the story that Walton originally told.

The film opened in 1993 and brought in $19.9 million at the box office, which was decent for a movie with a slow-burning storyline and no action scenes. The UFOs in this movie are never heroic or communicative, and they represent the unknowable fear of abduction, as well as the confusion and terror of what the aliens have planned. Fire in the Sky contains one of the best alien abduction scenes in movie history.

9. Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)

One of the earlier UFO movies arrived in 1956 with the sci-fi movie Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. This movie remains best-known for the work of Ray Harryhausen, who created the stop-motion animation that created the UFO scenes. The designs match the description of flying saucers from Major Donald Keyhoe's 1953 book, Flying Saucers from Outer Space, which the movie is based on.

This was the first movie that showed the UFOs attacking and destroying national landmarks, something that Independence Day copied decades later. Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! also paid homage to the UFO design years later, proving the lasting legacy of this sci-fi classic. This movie had the UFOs as weapons of war during the era of Cold War paranoia.

8. Flight Of The Navigator (1986)

The UFOs became part of a coming-of-age story in the family-friendly Flight of the Navigator in 1986. This was one of Hollywood's first attempts to use extensive CGI in a movie, with the alien spacecraft used to create the realistic ship for the young man to pilot. This also featured one of the earliest film appearances by Sarah Jessica Parker, who befriends the young time-traveling pilot.

The UFO is also voiced by Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman), and is more empathetic and curious in its delivery than it is threatening. It also makes him both a vehicle and a character, and he is a nice supporting character to young David Freeman (Joey Cramer). This mixes the ideas of alien abduction and time-travel coming-of-age stories in one of the better UFO movies of the 1980s.

7. Mars Attacks! (1996)

Tim Burton made his own alien invasion movie in 1996. In Mars Attacks!, Burton has the alien invasion show up in Las Vegas, with the cartoon-looking Martians attempting a hostile takeover. The cast here is star-studded, with names like Jack Nicholson (in two roles), Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Pierce Brosnan, Annette Bening, and many more as they fight to survive the alien attacks.

Mars Attacks! is a different UFO sci-fi movie, as it is a comedy, with slapstick moments, some shockingly hilarious scenes with major movie stars in unpredictable situations, allowing Burton to spoof the genre, while also paying respect to what came before. The UFOs here are used as satire, but the menace and destruction match up with anything in serious movies like Independence Day.

6. Nope (2022)

Jordan Peele followed up his first two horror movies with a terrifying sci-fi movie called Nope. This was a huge production, with Peele shooting it on IMAX and delivering the story of a UFO terrorizing a small Western town. However, what made this UFO so different from others in movie history was that it was a living organism that arrived on Earth as a predatory creature feeding on living life forms.

5. District 9 (2009)

District 9 takes the idea of a UFO movie in a wildly different direction. Instead of the aliens arriving in peace or to wage war, these alien UFOs arrived with aliens looking for sanctuary and help. Directed by Neill Blomkamp and based on his 2005 short film, this features a UFO that arrived over Johannesburg in 1982 with aliens who were all sick and malnourished. They wanted help and received it.

However, the aliens were locked away in an internment camp called District 9, where they were often treated with contempt and hatred by humanity. The parallels with this movie are clear, as Blomkamp presents a vision of life during the apartheid era in South Africa. Critics praised the film, with District 9 earning four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

4. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

The original The Day the Earth Stood Still was released in 1951, with a UFO arriving on Earth containing a robot known as Gort (Lock Martin) and an alien named Klaatu. This was one of the most impressive robots shown in movies at the time, as Gort stood over seven feet tall. The alien that showed up next, Klaatu, delivered an alien warning, saying, "Klaatu barada nikto.

This was a line that has been referenced, homaged, and spoofed several times over the years in other movies, including Army of Darkness (1992). The UFO here was not a weapon, but was instead a warning. Klaatu's words were a warning about the dangers of nuclear war. When humans shot and killed Klaatu, Earth was left with a warning: Find peace or face obliteration. This theme is one of the strongest in UFO movies.

3 Independence Day (1996)

Roland Emmerich became the master of the disaster movie throughout his career, but his masterpiece remains the alien invasion movie, Independence Day. The movie was one of the highest-grossing movies of all time when it was released, second only to Jurassic Park (1993), and it showed an alien invasion movie where the UFOs began to destroy national landmarks.

Based on Ted Chiang's 1998 novelette Story of Your Life, Denis Villeneuve directed this movie about a UFO that arrives on Earth and humans race to find out if it is there as a danger or in peace. To do this, a linguist is brought in to learn the alien language and figure out what these UFOs are trying to say. This is clearly influenced by The Day the Earth Stood Still, but with a different focus.

While The Day the Earth Stood Still was about humans who feared the unknown, Arrival was a story about the linguist, Louise Banks (Amy Adams), and how this mission ties into her own life and doubts about her future. The UFO in this movie serves as a philosophical question about what it means to be human and what a person would do if they could see their own futures.

1. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Released in 1977, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a UFO movie that is more about what humans expect from these unidentified flying objects rather than what the UFOs have planned for humanity. Steven Spielberg's sci-fi movie follows a man who wants, more than anything, to learn if there is something more outside of Earth, and he is willing to give up everything, including his family, to find the truth.

The UFO landing site at Devil's Tower was an incredible set. The giant spacecraft hovering and landing with the giant musical communication movement is one of the most memorable moments in sci-fi movie history. This UFO sci-fi movie is about the curiosity of the unknown, and the human story makes it one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, UFO-related or not.

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{ https://screenrant.com/ }

What's in the sky? New Pentagon UFO files rekindle old mystery

A video released in the Trump administration's UFO disclosure on Friday has ignited an online debate that the mysterious object resembled beings described in the Bible.

The nearly two-minute clip, captured in 2013, shows a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star,' darting through the darkness with uneven, shape-shifting arms. 

Religious leaders and US officials have suggested the object in the video was a Cherubim, angelic beings with multiple wings, faces and eyes.

Texas pastor Josh Howerton said on X that the eight-pointed object resembled the strange heavenly structures described in the Book of Ezekiel, which recounts glowing entities and mysterious 'wheels within wheels' moving beside God's throne-chariot without turning. 

'What I am trying to point out is the very possible overlap between a Biblical cosmology and some of the things you're seeing on your timeline,' Howerton shared.

Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna also drew the same comparison, simply sharing an artist's impression of a Cherubim online. 

Vice President JD Vance has previously suggested that some UFO sightings may be linked to spiritual or supernatural forces rather than extraterrestrial life, framing the phenomenon through a Christian worldview that includes references to demonic entities. 

The clip of the eight-pointed object was part of the first batch of the long-awaited UFO files released on Friday, with hundreds of previously unseen videos, photographs and records published. 

The nearly two-minute clip, captured in 2013, shows a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star,' darting through the darkness with uneven, shape-shifting arms

Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna also drew the same comparison, simply sharing an artist's impression of a Cherubim online

'Is it just me, or does it almost resemble a Seraphim angel from the book of Isaiah?' one X user posted.

 In the Book of Isaiah, seraphim are described as powerful heavenly beings surrounding the throne of God. 

The prophet Isaiah recounts a vision in which the seraphim each had six wings, two covering their faces, two covering their feet and two used for flying, while calling out, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.'

The beings are portrayed as radiant, fearsome and deeply connected to divine power and judgment. In biblical tradition, seraphim are often interpreted as a high order of angels associated with fire, purity and worship in the presence of God.

Howerton's post sparked a huge debate on X, which quoted Ezekiel 1:15-17.

'Now, as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them, the biblical text reads.

'As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. 

'And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went.' 

The video was captured by military infrared, showing the object darting through the darkness with uneven, shape-shifting arms

However, other users were quick to point out that the object in the video appears to show eight points, two more than what the Bible describes for the angelic beings. 

One user posted: 'Apparently, an orb somehow looks like an angel? They're really reaching here!' 

Regardless, the video was captured by military infrared, showing the object darting through the darkness with uneven, shape-shifting arms.

At one point, the military sensor zooms in as the mysterious object races through the frame, seemingly leaving behind a glowing trail.

It was seen making abrupt movements, sharply changing direction and repeatedly vanishing from view before suddenly reappearing moments later.

Officials who documented the video cautioned that the footage description was provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as proof of the object’s nature or origin.

The UFO files were made public months after the President ordered the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to declassify government records related to UFOs and alleged extraterrestrial activity.

Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett, who has long been advocating for disclosure, said on X: 'Remember the Feds told us these files didn't exist and [Donald Trump] stood up to the deep state. The 1st drop will be big, but in comparison to what is coming they will be a drop in the bucket. I would say "Holy Crap" is coming.'

After the files went live on the Department of War's website, President Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects.

'Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” Have Fun and Enjoy!'

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

A new tranche of “UFO files” has just been released from Washington, ranging from historical documents and space-era transcripts to recent military ISR cases from the 2020s. As expected, however, there is little genuinely new to see, and some of the material has already been public for years. And most of the released videos show little more than grainy dots moving through the sky. 

While Apollo-era images, such as the photograph catalogued AS12-49-7278, allegedly showing a flashing blue object, are widely explained as cosmic ray interference causing internal reflections within the Hasselblad camera system. 

Taken together, the newly released UFO files amount to little more than a nothingburger. The truly significant UFO material, many believe, remains hidden from the public. 

As Richard Dolan stated in a 2018 interview, the UFO subject has long been shaped by systems of control, disinformation, and selective reporting connected to the national security state. Tracing this dynamic from the era of Operation Mockingbird through Cold War media manipulation and into today’s digital information landscape suggests that credible UFO-related information has often been suppressed at the national level while simultaneously being ridiculed or sensationalized for public consumption. In this view, the phenomenon is carefully managed in a way that neutralizes its impact while allowing establishment narratives to maintain control. 

For many observers, this latest release has little to do with genuine UFO disclosure. The timing itself raises questions. Against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, declining trust in institutions, growing skepticism surrounding global crises, and economies under increasing strain, some believe public attention is deliberately being redirected toward the UFO phenomenon. This has fueled a broader theory: that humanity is gradually being conditioned for the idea of an ultimate manufactured threat. 

The concept of a “universal enemy” has long appeared in conspiracy and geopolitical discussions. The theory suggests that an external threat from beyond Earth would serve as the ultimate catalyst for global unity under centralized authority. Faced with a perceived extraterrestrial danger, national borders and political divisions could rapidly lose relevance, creating the ideal moral justification for citizens to surrender privacy, freedoms, and sovereignty in exchange for “planetary security.” 

Supporters of this theory often point to statements attributed to Werner von Braun, who allegedly warned that if existing systems of control began to fail, “the alien card” could become the final mechanism used to unite humanity against a common enemy from the stars. While the authenticity and context of these claims remain heavily debated, the idea continues to resonate within UFO research circles and among critics of centralized power. 

Richard Dolan "Inside the New UFO Files: What They Actually Show" 

Richard Dolan "What The Media is Hiding About UAP" 

The Pentagon 161 UFO files from reports, images and videos can be explored Here 

If you are interested, the video below shows all of the videos from latest Defense Department release.

 

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

Study Argues Dante's Inferno Mapped a Planetary Impact 500 Years Before Science

Dante's Inferno Mapped a Planetary Impact 500 Years Before Science

A new study presented at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly in Vienna in April 2026 has put forward a striking argument: that the geometry of Hell as described in Dante Alighieri's Inferno closely mirrors the physical structure produced by a large planetary impact event. The research, led by Dr. Iain Stewart of the University of Plymouth, suggests that the medieval poet may have encoded real geophysical knowledge into his 14th-century masterwork, some five centuries before modern science had the tools to describe such phenomena.

Hell's Geometry and the Science of Craters

Dante's Inferno describes Hell as a vast, inverted conical pit beneath the Earth's surface, narrowing downward through nine concentric circles toward a frozen core. According to the study, this geometry matches what planetary scientists now call a "complex impact crater", the type formed when a massive asteroid strikes with enough force to cause rock to behave like a fluid. Such craters are characterized by terraced inner walls, a central uplift, and a broad, relatively flat floor, features that map with surprising fidelity onto Dante's layered underworld.

• Dante's Handwritten Notes Discovered 700 Years After His Death
• The Comet Hunters Of Göbekli Tepe

According to the study, the nine circles of hell are remarkably similar to the terraced ridges of large meteor strikes seen on Mars, such as this impact crater on the Arcadia Planitia.

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ of Arizona)

The researchers note that Dante was deeply engaged with the natural philosophy of his day, drawing on Aristotle and the Arabic scholars who transmitted classical learning to medieval Europe. What the new research proposes is that this model, consciously or not, captured the essential morphology of a large impact structure, a description that would not be formally articulated by geologists for another five hundred years.

Artist's impression of the Chicxulub impact event, which produced a complex crater whose structure parallels Dante's description of Hell. (Donald E. Davis / NASA / Public Domain)

The Chicxulub Connection

The researchers draw particular attention to the Chicxulub impact crater, the 66-million-year-old scar left beneath the Gulf of Mexico by the asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs. Chicxulub is one of the best-studied complex impact craters on Earth, and its internal structure — with its peak ring, terraced walls, and central basin — provides a real-world analogue for the geometry Dante described. The study does not claim Dante had direct knowledge of Chicxulub, but argues that the physical intuitions embedded in classical natural philosophy led him to a geometrically accurate model of what a large impact structure looks like.

The scale of Dante's Hell (roughly the size of the Mediterranean basin) is consistent with the scale of a very large terrestrial impact structure, though the authors acknowledge this may be coincidence rather than evidence of direct knowledge. As Heritage Daily noted in its coverage, the study "raises the intriguing possibility that Dante's vision of Hell was not purely theological but also reflected an intuitive grasp of planetary physics."

• Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Impact Obliterated a Prehistoric Settlement
• Giordano Bruno: What Led The Renowned Friar and Astrologer to a Burning Stake?

Domenico di Michelino's 1465 painting of Dante Alighieri holding the Divine Comedy, with the mountain of Purgatory and the city of Florence behind him. (Public Domain)

A Poet Ahead of His Time?

This is not the first time scholars have looked to ancient and medieval texts for evidence of sophisticated natural knowledge. Researchers have previously argued that ancient peoples at sites such as Göbekli Tepe were tracking cometary activity, and that myths from many cultures preserve memories of catastrophic impact events. The new Dante study fits into this broader tradition of "archaeo-geophysics" — the search for scientific knowledge embedded in pre-modern cultural artefacts.

Dr. Stewart presented the findings at the EGU General Assembly, one of the world's largest gatherings of earth and planetary scientists. The work has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and the authors acknowledge that their hypothesis remains speculative. What they do argue is that Dante's extraordinary spatial imagination, combined with the physical intuitions of classical philosophy, produced a description of Hell that corresponds closely to the structure of a large impact crater - making the Divine Comedy a work that may be as remarkable for its science as for its poetry.

• Top image: Botticelli's Map of Hell (c. 1480–1495), a detailed diagram of Dante's Inferno showing the funnel-shaped pit of Hell.
• Source: Public Domain

By Gary Manners

References

• Heritage Daily. 2026. Dante's Inferno May Have Predicted Planetary Impact Physics Centuries Before Modern Science. Available at: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/05/dantes-inferno-may-have-predicted-planetary-impact-physics-centuries-before-modern-science/158020
• La Brujula Verde. 2026. Dante Described a Planetary Impact in His Divine Comedy 500 Years Before Modern Science. Available at: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/05/dante-described-a-planetary-impact-in-his-divine-comedy-500-years-before-modern-science/
• Patel, N. 2026. Dante's Inferno Was Modelled on a Planetary Impact, Study Claims. Daily Mail. Available at: https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-15801103/Dantes-Inferno-asteroid-impact-study.html
• Stewart, I. et al. 2026. Dante's Inferno: A Medieval Vision of Planetary Impact? European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2026. Abstract EGU26-14300. Available at: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/EGU26-14300.html

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology }

UFO expert says Trump still hiding key info despite bombshell files release: ‘Something strange…’

The release of over 160 classified UFO files raises questions about government transparency.

The documents were made public Friday after President Donald Trump ordered agencies to identify and release records connected to alien life and unidentified aerial phenomena. Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard said the disclosures were intended to provide Americans with “maximum transparency.”

But veteran UFO investigator Dennis Anderson believes the release may reveal far less than it appears.

“The government will never disclose that we are dealing with an unknown phenomenon that we cannot control or defend ourselves against,” Anderson said.

The longtime researcher also questioned whether the public could even handle complete disclosure. “Some UAP researchers think the public could handle it, I don’t,” he added.

Also Read: 

• UFO Files: Pentagon archive reveals bizarre ‘eight-pointed star’ caught on infrared camera

Anderson previously studied the mysterious 2001 “Arthur Kills Lights” sightings, in which several glowing orange oval-shaped objects were reportedly seen flying between New Jersey and Staten Island.

“There’s something that is going around all the time… It’s constantly around us, but just adapts to the time,” Anderson told the Post.

Referencing reports of “Phantom Airships” seen in the late 1800s, he suggested that mysterious sightings throughout history could be linked to the same unexplained force appearing differently across generations.

“So whatever this thing is, whatever this phenomenon is, it stays one or two steps ahead of what people actually expect something to be,” he warned.

Also Read: 

• Apollo photos in Trump's UFO files may have answered most pressing question - Are aliens real?

“If they show you enough of this stuff where you’re not seeing anything… people are just going to get tired and they’re just going to not pay attention anymore,” he said.

He further accused authorities of pretending to be transparent while withholding meaningful information. “They’re trying to cover as much as they can and still make it sound like they’re interested in giving you the information when they’re really not. It’s all smoke and mirrors stuff,” Anderson claimed.

Despite his concerns, Anderson said the mysterious phenomenon has not shown signs of targeting humanity directly. “It just is and it just does whatever it feels like whenever it wants to,” he added.

{ https://www.hindustantimes.com/ }

Buzz Aldrin’s ‘unusual’ sightings and photos from the moon landings. What we learned from the first batch of the UFO files

The astonishing collection was released to the public on Friday

Katie Hawkinson in Washington, D.C.

UFO Files: All of the videos from latest Defense Department release

The Trump administration released its first batch of files on UFOs and “unidentified anomalous phenomena” Friday morning.

The Pentagon’s trove of documents includes descriptions of unidentified objects spotted during NASA’s lunar missions and out-of-this-world FBI tips about flying saucers and extraterrestrial life. The government also released dozens of images and videos of recent sightings, including several from the Middle East region.

Officials are planning to release more files on a rolling basis. The Trump administration has celebrated the release as a “historic transparency effort,” while others have criticized the move, including former GOP congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who described it as “propaganda.”

“I really don’t care about the UFO files. I just don’t. I’m so sick of the ‘look at the shiny object’ propaganda while they wage foreign wars, let rapist and pedophiles run free, and ruin the value of our dollar,” Greene wrote on X.

When asked about Greene’s comments, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Independent: “Marjorie ‘Quitter’ Greene has never met a conspiracy theory she didn’t embrace.”

“The former Congresswoman disgracefully quit on her constituents during the middle of her term. Now, she should also quit spreading Fake News,” he added.

UFO files (Department of Defense)

Here’s what to know about the Trump administration’s UFO files:

’Unidentified phenomena’ spotted from moon’s surface during Apollo 12 mission

The newly released UFO files includes photos of several different “unidentified phenomena” taken from the moon’s surface during the Apollo 12 lunar mission in 1969.

The Pentagon said it modified some of the images to “assist viewers in identifying specific areas of interest,” adding that these highlights are “provided for contextual purposes only.”

The Apollo 12 crew was the second to land on the moon, following the Apollo 11 mission earlier that year.

Five ‘unidentified phenomena’ seen from the moon's surface during the Apollo 12 mission 

(Defense Department)

The Pentagon included these photos from the Apollo 12 mission in the latest batch of UFO files released Friday 

(Defense Department)

Buzz Aldrin’s reported ‘unusual’ sights on Apollo 11

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, described three strange sightings from the Apollo 11 mission during a technical crew debriefing conducted in July 1969, according to a transcript included in the Pentagon’s UFO files.

“The first unusual thing that we saw I guess was one day out or something pretty close to the moon. It had a sizeable dimension to it, so we put the monocular on it,” Aldrin said.

Another observation included “little flashes” inside the cabin.

“The other observation that I made accumulated gradually. I don’t know whether I saw it the first night, but I’m sure I saw it the second night. I was trying to go to sleep with all the lights out. I observed what I thought were little flashes inside the cabin, spaced a couple of minutes apart,” he said.

Aldrin also described seeing a “fairly bright light.”

“I observed what appeared to be a fairly bright light source which we tentatively ascribed to a possible laser,” he recalled.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin described ‘little flashes’ and a ‘fairly bright light’ during the Apollo 11 mission  (AFP via Getty Images)

Buzz Aldrin Finally Breaks Silence on What He Saw on the Far Side of the Moon

Apollo 17 crew spotted ‘bright particles’ during mission

The Apollo 17 crew reported “unidentified phenomena” to mission control during their 1972 lunar mission, according to a transcript included in the UFO files.

"Now we've got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver," pilot Ronald Evans told mission control.

Harrison Schmitt, another pilot on the mission, added: "There's a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there – just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron's window.”

“Yes. Now you can see some of them in shape. They're very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling,” Evans said.

The next day, mission commander Eugene Cernan reported observing a bright light.

“And probably the one most imposing thing I remember is - and the last one I remember before falling asleep - was the fact that there was a very bright spot that flashed right between my eyes like a very bright headlight - like a train coming at you, only with a flash,” he said.

The Pentagon has also opened an investigation into a photograph taken on the Apollo 17 mission.

The Pentagon is now investigating a photograph from the Apollo 17 mission, which shows three dots in a triangular formation  (Defense Department)

The image, which was already public before Friday’s release, shows “three ‘dots’ in a triangular formation in the lower right quadrant of the lunar sky that is clearly visible upon magnification of the image,” according to the agency.

“While this photo has been previously released and discussed by keen observers, there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly. New preliminary U.S. government analysis suggests the image feature is potentially the result of a physical object in the scene,” the agency said.

“Additionally, as part of this investigation, the government has obtained the original film from the Apollo 17 mission and the results of the full NASA and DOW analysis will be released when completed.”

Strange reports found in FBI case files

The Pentagon released hundreds of pages from an FBI case file that contained reports of UFOs and flying discs documented between 1947 and 1968.

Included in this file was a handwritten letter from a Virginia man, who asked the FBI to comment on an image of a figure with its arms up and looking toward the sky.

A Virginia man asked the FBI to comment on a picture that shows a figure holding its arms up and looking upward  (Defense Department)

Another FBI report described how a young woman went to the agency’s Dallas field office in October 1967 and claimed she received “a quantity of information concerning beings from outer space.”

She refused to give her name because she would “feel like a fool if this information is not true,” the document said.

A man also once contacted the agency claiming he read a report that they “captured a saucer occupant,” according to a letter included in the case file.

He wrote: “Does the FBI really have a saucer man?”

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Five biggest revelations from UFO files from ‘alien encounters’ to ‘flying orbs’

 Luke Alsford

Bombshell files documenting alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects and aliens have been published by the US Administration.

Donald Trump ordered the Department of War to release hundreds of never-before-seen classified files.

The first tranche of 169 items included State Department cables, FBI documents and NASA transcripts of crewed flights into space.

This is only the first batch of files from the Pentagon – with many more to come – but they have already created a storm of unanswered questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Strange lights seen from the Moon

This archival photograph depicts the lunar surface as viewed from the landing site of Apollo 12, featuring five highlighted areas of interest (Picture: NASA)

The files contain a string of unexplained sightings made by astronauts on the lunar surface.

A string of reports were made during the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon in 1972.

Pilot Ronald Evans told mission control: ‘Now we’ve got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver.’

Harrison Schmitt, another pilot on the mission, added: ‘There’s a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there – just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window.’

Then the next day, mission commander Eugene Cernan said he had seen a ‘very brihgt spot hat flashed right between my eyes like a very bright headlight’ just as he was falling asleep.

A photograph showing three dots above the Moon was even snapped, sparking an investigation by the Pentagon.

Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, also repoted ‘unusual sights’ while on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, including as he was going to sleep.

Astronauts from different Apollo missions reported seeing unexplained bright lights while on the Moon (Picture: NASA)

According to a transcript in the files, the astronaut said: ‘The first unusual thing that we saw I guess was one day out or something pretty close to the moon. It had a sizeable dimension to it, so we put the monocular on it.

He went on: ‘The other observation that I made accumulated gradually. I don’t know whether I saw it the first night, but I’m sure I saw it the second night. I was trying to go to sleep with all the lights out. I observed what I thought were little flashes inside the cabin, spaced a couple of minutes apart.’

The Apollo 12 mission later in 1969 also observed ‘unidentified phenomena’ from the moon’s surface, the files revealed.

Chilling FBI reports about ‘aliens’

The Pentagon also made public hundreds of pages from an FBI case file of reports of UFOs and paranormal activity from 1947 to 1968.

One of these included a chilling picture of a figure holding its arms up and looking towards the sky.

A handwritten letter from a man from Virginia asked the FBI to comment on the image.

There were also testimonies of encounters with apparent occupants of these craft.

One memo reads: ‘A few witnesses have reported seeing crewmen who had landed from the objects.’

One of the most unnerving photos released in the UFO files

The beings were described as ‘three and a half to four feet tall, wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets.’

The sighting was detailed in a book titled Flying Saucers – Serious Business authored by Frank Edwards in June 1966. 

In a different report, a ‘young white female’ informant came forward to the force claiming she had met a being from another planet.

That being ‘had assumed earthly form. He allegedly ‘gave her certain information, then was picked up and departed from earth.’

Mysterious footage and pictures of UFOs

The tranche of files released on Friday included a host of pictures and images showing bizarre-looking objects in the skies.

These included footage of a triangular-shaped UFO, which has gone viral on social media.

The documents also feature an FBI graphic made from eyewitness reports from September 2023 of an apparent ellipsoid bronze metallic object materializing out of a bright light in the sky.

According to the report, several witnesses claimed to have seen ‘orbs launching other orbs’ in the distance, along with a large glowing sphere hovering in place and a semi-transparent object compared to a ‘translucent kite.’

Claims that Nazis built a UFO

One FBI document alleged that a man named Paul Peyerl claimed he was a member of the German Air Force in 1944 and that the Nazi’s built a UFO during the war.

The FBI put together a graphic based on witness reports of a UFO from September 2023 (Picture: U.S. Department of War)

The document claimed: ‘During this period he observed the aircraft described above. It was saucer shaped, about twenty-one feet in diameter, radio controlled, and mounted several jet engines around the exterior portion of the craft.’

Going into detai about the craft, the file continued: ‘He further described the exterior portion as revolving around the dome in the center which remained stationary. It was PEYERL’s responsibility to photograph the object while in flight. He asserted he was able to retain a negative of a photograph he made at 7,000 meters (20,000 feet).

‘A Xerox copy of the negative, as furnished by PEYERL, appears on the last page of this communication. Also, a still photograph he allegedly made “at the risk of my life”, illustrating the object parked in a hanger, appears on the last page.’

‘Super-hot’ orbs chased US fighter jets

Unidentified flying orbs allegedly chased the US military (PIcture: via REUTERS)

One of the heavily redacted FBI reports included a bombshell allegation about quick unidentified objects that were able to outrun military helicopters.

In the file, a senior US intelligence officer recounted a nighttime mission in a remote mountain range.

After local staff repeatedly claimed they had seen strange glowing ‘orbs’ intelligence personnel, federal agents and helicopter crews were dispatched to investigate.

When they arrived, they allegedly saw swarms of highly maneuverable objects that came up as extremely hot on their thermal cameras.

The orbs were said to have outpaced a military helicopter and then pursued a fighter jet trying to intercept them.

A co-pilot in the lead helicopter even claimed he watched an orb split into two before another object ’emerged’ and shot away.

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The six times Americans saw UFOs in Greece, three of them on video – What the files released by the Pentagon say

They were sighted either on mainland Greece or in the Aegean Sea

• The U.S. Pentagon released files containing reports of unexplained phenomena, including three from Greece.
• Two Greek reports from October 2023 describe small, circular objects moving over the sea and disappearing from tracking systems.
• A third unresolved UAP report from January 2024 involved a diamond-shaped object visible only through an infrared sensor.
• These reports document sightings of unidentified phenomena, not confirmations of extraterrestrial life.
• The collection of files, some dating back 80 years, is available on WAR.GOV/UFO.

At least three of the six reports related to Greece include video footage and are part of the files released by the U.S. Pentagon regarding UFO sightings around the world.

In essence, these do not constitute confirmation or denial of extraterrestrial life, but rather incidents in which civilians or members of the U.S. Armed Forces saw, observed, detected unexplained phenomena on the horizon, or encountered unidentified flying objects that cannot be explained based on the available evidence.

The collection is hosted at WAR.GOV/UFO, and it is noted that additional files will be released “on a rolling basis.” It is worth noting that the collection includes files dating back as far as 80 years. The documents were published as part of the Trump administration’s initiative for greater transparency regarding records that had remained restricted for years.

The first batch includes 162 folders. Among them are documents from federal agencies, old diplomatic cables, and transcripts from NASA crewed missions. Of particular interest to the Greek public are the reports of sightings from Greece, either inland or in the Aegean.

According to the released information, two of the Greece-related reports recorded on video are from late October 2023, while the third dates from January 2024.

In the first case, on October 27, a small, apparently circular object was reportedly detected moving very low over the sea and was said to perform sudden maneuvers before disappearing from the tracking system.

Video description according to the report:

00:02: The sensor narrows its field of view to focus on a high-contrast area near the center of the screen.

00:03–00:19: The sensor tracks the high-contrast area as it moves against the backdrop of the sea.

00:20: As the background transitions from mostly water to land, the high-contrast area becomes difficult to distinguish.

The second case, on October 29, also concerns a small circular object which, according to the report, moved over the sea toward land before disappearing from view.

Video description according to the report:

00:04: A contrast area enters the sensor’s field of view from the lower-left quadrant of the screen.

00:07–00:19: The contrast area moves horizontally back and forth within the field of view while the sensor pans to follow it.

01:00–02:01: The sensor marks the contrast area with a blue crosshair, synchronizing its movement with the relative position of the contrast area.

02:02–02:21: The sensor activates a contrast filter to better distinguish the contrast area from the background.

02:22: The contrast area becomes indistinguishable from the background, and the crosshair loses focus.

02:27–02:57: After losing focus, the sensor rapidly changes zoom levels and contrast thresholds.

The same files also include a third unresolved UAP report, filed in January 2024. Based on the available information, no further details emerge regarding the circumstances of the observation or the nature of the object.

Video description according to the report:

00:04: A contrast area becomes distinguishable from the background in the center-right frame.

00:10: The display switches to a full-screen SWIR feed view for better focus on the contrast area.

00:55: The contrast area generally remains centered in the sensor’s field of view. It visually resembles an inverted teardrop with a vertically linear mass hanging below it.

00:56: The operator switches the sensor mode to the visible spectrum, causing the object to disappear into the background.00:57–01:05: The operator switches the sensor back to SWIR (Black-Hot) mode but is unable to reacquire the contrast area.

The following document is a Mission Report (MISREP) from the U.S. military documenting the circumstances surrounding operations conducted from Greece in January 2024.

A U.S. Armed Forces operator reported observing a UAP, estimating its speed at “approximately 434 knots (800 km/h).” The observer described the UAP as diamond-shaped, with a probe-like feature underneath that did not maneuver. The observer noted that the UAP was visible only through an integrated Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensor. The observer stated that the incident lasted approximately two minutes.

{ https://en.protothema.gr/greece/ }

How to access UFO files — and dodge the Men in Black

(Image credit: Getty Images)

• See the UFO files at the US Gov website today (May 8)
• View UFO files anonymously with NordVPN - 75% off + 3 months extra free
• UFO files drop – 8am ET / 1pm BST

The UFO files are set to go live today at 8am ET / 1pm BST according to Rep. Luna, and we'll show you how to access the declassified UFO videos safely, securely and privately with the right VPN.

Washington’s long-promised UFO file dump starts with up to 'UAP material' including documents and declassified files that President Donald Trump has described as "very interesting".

With Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day film out in June, it certainly feels like we're living in The Age of Disclosure. Here's how to access UFO files and Aliens.gov from anywhere – with a solid VPN.

Use a VPN to see the UFO files online

The truth is out there – but depending on where you live, the latest UFO file dump might not be quite as easy to access as Mulder would like.

From geo-blocks to overloaded servers and privacy concerns, the best way to see the UFO files anonymously with a strong VPN (no IP tracking).

Use a VPN to see UFO files online

The US gov website is available around the world, but what if you're abroad and find you can't access the UFO files?

This is where a VPN can help. It's a handy piece of software that can make your device appear to be back home, so you can unlock your usual service or subscription from anywhere. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything you want it to do at great speeds and an even better price.

What is likely in the UFO files?

Republican Anna-Paulina Luna has been teasing the UFO files again , posting "8am ET" on Thursday, 7 May. Line

So far, the “UFO files” appear to contain a mix of military UAP reports, pilot testimony, radar logs, declassified videos and internal government investigations into unexplained aerial phenomena — not a giant “we found aliens” smoking gun.

Luna has confirmed on X/Twitter that the requested 46 videos and documents will arrive in the second batch of the disclosure.

A lot of today's buzz centres on:

• Navy “Tic Tac”-style encounters
• Cockpit footage and thermal imagery
• Radar tracking data
• Reports of objects accelerating or manoeuvring beyond known aircraft capabilities
• Possible underwater “USO” sightings
• Congressional testimony from whistleblowers claiming hidden retrieval programs

Is this full disclosure? Will it show aliens exist?

No. The first UFO files won't prove that aliens exist or that a flying saucer landed at Holloman Airbase for a meeting with President Eisenhower. Don't expect 4K videos of UFOs going in and out of the water.

There’s currently no verified evidence in the public releases confirming extraterrestrial life. Even pro-disclosure sources such as Rep. Tim Burchett and Weaponized podcaster Jeremy Corbell say the rollout is more about transparency around unexplained incidents and classified investigations than an official 'alien announcement'.

Why should I use a VPN to see the UFO files? Any tips?

Most premium VPNs also include kill switches, tracker blocking and malware protection, which is probably overkill for UFO browsing… but then again, so was building Area 51. Just remember: use official sources where possible, avoid random “leak” sites packed with pop-ups, and maybe don’t answer any unmarked black sedans parked outside your house afterward. You can select from the best VPNs in our full guide – we test them daily to find the most trusted apps.

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A huge tsunami 1.5 times the size of the Eiffel Tower hit a popular tourist spot in Alaska last year, a new study has revealed. 

Measuring 1,578ft (481 metres) high, the tsunami ran up the wall of Tracy Arm fjord on 10 August, 2025.

This makes it the second highest tsunami ever recorded – second only to a tsunami in Lityua Bay, Alaska, in 1958, which measured 1,720ft (524 metres). 

While Tracy Arm is a popular spot for cruise ships, thankfully no one was caught in the wave as it hit early in the morning, at around 5.30am.

The tsunami was triggered by a landslide, which was ultimately a result of climate change, according to researchers from UCL.

'Fjords with retreating glaciers have seen a sharp increase in tourism,' explained co–author Dr Stephen Hicks.

'More people are visiting these beautiful places in the polar and sub–polar regions but they are at the forefront of climate change impacts and so can be dangerous.

'This event took everyone by surprise. The area had not been identified as hazardous.'

A huge tsunami 1.5 times the size of the Eiffel Tower hit a popular tourist spot in Alaska last year, a new study has revealed. Note the trimline along the far side of the fjord, caused by the tsunami stripping the walls of vegetations

Measuring 1,578ft (481 metres) high, the tsunami ran up the wall of Tracy Arm fjord on 10 August, 2025. This makes it the second highest tsunami ever recorded – second only to a tsunami in Lityua Bay, Alaska, in 1958, which measured 1,720ft (524 metres)

While no–one was caught in the wave, there were several eyewitnesses, whose accounts were used in combination with numerical modelling and data from satellites and seismometers to piece together exactly what happened. 

According to the researchers, the glacier holding up the mountain had retreated rapidly – by 500 metres in a matter of weeks – leaving the rock unsupported. 

As the rock plunged into the water, it triggered an enormous wave in the water below.

The wave scraped off trees and plants along the walls of the fjord, leaving a sheer rock face.

This allowed the researchers to infer the wave at a height of 1,578ft (481 metres) for over 0.6 miles (1km).

A group of kayakers camped out further down the fjord reported waking up at around 5:45am to find water flowing past their tent, carrying away one of their kayaks and much of their gear. 

Another eyewitness described a two–metre wave coming along the beach. 

Meanwhile observers on a cruise ship anchored near the mouth of the fjord saw currents and white water, but no obvious wave. 

While no–one was caught in the wave, there were several eyewitnesses, whose accounts were used in combination with numerical modelling and data from satellites and seismometers to piece together exactly what happened

According to the researchers, the glacier holding up the mountain had retreated rapidly – by 500 metres in a matter of weeks – leaving the rock unsupported

Given the size of the tsunami, the researchers estimate that the amount of rock that crashed into the water was equivalent to 24 Great Pyramids of Giza. 

Dr Dan Shugar, lead author, based at the University of Calgary, said: 'Normally with these gigantic rock avalanches, they often give some sort of warning signs in the weeks, months, years prior when the slope is slowly moving down the mountain. 

'It's sagging and then it catastrophically gives way in a rock avalanche. 

'In this case, that didn't happen.' 

Given the popularity of the site, the researchers say that urgent action is needed to avoid a repeat incident.  

'We need to reduce the risk of these expeditions by better identifying the riskiest areas and getting investment into warning systems that might give us a few hours' or days' notice of a potentially catastrophic event,' Dr Hicks explained. 

'With hindsight, there were some warning signs. 

'Tiny earthquakes occurred at an increasing rate in the days to hours before the landslide, signalling that this mass of rock was starting to crack. 

Given the size of the tsunami, the researchers estimate that the amount of rock that crashed into the water was equivalent to 24 Great Pyramids of Giza

'Many seismic monitoring stations provide data in real–time, so this gives us some optimism that we can turn what we have learned into a warning system.'

So far this year, at least six cruise lines have been forced to change their itineraries to avoid the Tracy Arm fjord. 

Read More

• Scientists warn there's a 100% chance a TSUNAMI will hit the French Riviera in the next 30 years 

Dr Shugar added: 'Ultimately what we hope is that coastal municipalities, the cruise ship industry and other stakeholders take these threats seriously.'

The news comes shortly after scientists warned the French Riviera is 'overdue' a tsunami. 

Experts say there is a '100 per cent' chance a great wave will form in the Mediterranean Sea in the next 30 years.

The tsunami could hit France's southern coastline in as little as 10 minutes from the trigger, causing chaos for tens of thousands of people who flock there during the summer months.

WHAT CAUSES TSUNAMIS?

A tsunami, sometimes called a tidal wave or a seismic sea wave, is a series of giant waves that are created by a disturbance in the ocean.

The disturbance could be a landslide, a volcanic eruption, an earthquake or a meteorite; the culprit is most often an earthquake.

If the landslide or earthquake triggering the tsunami occurs nearby the shore, inhabitants could see its effects almost immediately.

The first wave of the tsunami can arrive within minutes, before a government or other institution has time to issue a warning.

Areas that are closer to sea level have a higher risk of being affected by the waves.

Researchers have found that a layer of the remains of microscopic organisms at the bottom of the ocean can cause tsunamis (file photo)

Those less than 25 feet from sea level are the most dangerous.

The cause of death most frequently associated with tsunamis is drowning. Additional hazards include drinking water contamination, fires and flooding.

Initial tsunami warnings are usually based on seismic information only.

Inhabitants of coastal areas that might be exposed to a tsunami are encouraged to follow evacuation routes in the event that they receive a tsunami warning.

They should seek higher ground or move inland immediately to get away from the ocean.

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

“This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” Hegseth said.

“Today’s release is the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification and release effort,” said Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a statement on Friday.

According to supplemental information made available at the new PURSUE web page, which was featured on a portion of the DOW’s website that can be found here, the new release follows an announcement by President Donald Trump earlier this year, where he revealed on his Truth Social website that he would be directing Hegseth and Pentagon officials to oversee the release of UAP-related materials.

“In response to President Donald J. Trump’s directive for transparency on U.S. government information regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the Department of War (DOW), with support from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is overseeing government wide efforts to expeditiously find, review, identify, declassify and publicly release unresolved UAP-related records and historical documents in the federal government’s possession,” read a statement accompanying the new release, which appeared at the website of the DOW on Friday morning.

Characterizing the new effort under PURSUE as “an unprecedented, historic undertaking,” the statement added that the DOW’s efforts under Trump’s directive require “coordination between dozens of agencies and the review of tens of millions of records, many existing only on paper, spanning many decades.”

Friday’s release, which includes a trove of U.S. military imagery depicting what appear to be unidentified aerial objects, as well as NASA imagery from the Apollo era, and a collection of files from agencies that include the FBI, DOW, Department of State, and NASA from over the years, are said to be the first of an ongoing series of releases under the President’s PURSUE initiative.

“Given the scope of this task, the Department of War will be releasing new materials on a rolling basis as they are discovered and declassified, with tranches posted every few weeks,” the DOW statement reads.

Historical Documents and Unresolved Cases

The recent releases feature cases that were previously unresolved, which the DOW characterizes as incidents involving purported UAP for which “the government is unable to make a definitive determination on the nature of the observed phenomena,” citing insufficient data and other factors that may account for this.

The DOW says that it “welcomes the application of private-sector analysis, information and expertise” in the further evaluation of the UAP records it has released. “DOW will continue to conduct separate reporting on resolved UAP cases, as mandated by statute.”

“Under this Administration, we will pursue the truth and share our findings with the American people,” the DOW statement reads.

It remains unclear whether any formal directives or other Presidential actions were behind the new release of UAP records. Last year, a similar release of long-classified records was secured with the issuance of a formal Executive Order by President Trump, which led to the release of some new files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, although many of the files in that release had previously been made available.

Along similar lines, some of the UAP-related documents made available in the new DOW release appear to have been publicly available in various formats previously, including several documents related to past FBI inquiries into reports of aerial phenomena.

Fewer Redactions on Previously Available UAP Files

Significantly, the new versions appearing on the DOW’s PURSUE page are reportedly released with fewer redactions than previous versions made available by the FBI.

A summary accompanying Friday’s re-release of the FBI’s 62-HQ-83894 case file, which features “investigative records, eyewitness testimonies, and public reports concerning Unidentified Flying Objects and flying discs documented between June 1947 and July 1968,” notes that the originals released by the FBI were incomplete.

The FBI’s 62-HQ-83894 case file, as shown in the recent DOW UAP release (Image Credit: FBI/DOW).

“This file is partially posted on [the] FBI vault with more redactions and some pages missing. Included here is the complete case file with several newly declassified pages and only minor redactions,” the DOW summary states.

Although some of the newly released files do feature redactions, the DOW states that these were only made “to protect the identity of eyewitnesses, the location of government facilities, or potentially sensitive information about military sites not related to UAP.”

“No redactions have been made to any files released under President Trump’s directive concerning information about the nature or existence of any encounter reported as a UAP or related phenomena,” the DOW’s website states.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday that his agency “remains committed to supporting this rolling declassification effort with the same rigor and integrity we bring to every national security matter.”

“As these files continue to be reviewed and released, the American people can be confident that their security remains our highest priority,” Patel said.

NASA Administrator Jared Issacman said he applauded the new effort, which he said will “bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous phenomena.”

“At NASA, our job is to bring the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear, follow the data, and share what we learn,” Issacman said on Friday. “We will remain candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered.”

What the New Records Reveal

In advance of the release, expectations about what the Trump Administration might reveal ranged from the otherworldly to the likelihood that little new information would be made available.

Based on Friday’s release, very little of the documentation appearing at the DOW’s website provides significant new insights into the nature of UAP, and the new web page appears to be poised mostly to serve as a one-stop clearinghouse for various past U.S. government records related to the subject.

Several images and videos included with the initial PURSUE release constitute UAP imagery that had been assessed by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and which are currently characterized as unresolved UAP reports.

Also notable from the new release are the inclusion of a series of historic NASA images that have been modified to include “highlighted areas of interest” which emphasize what appear to the unexplained objects. Among the images are photos from the Apollo era, including lunar photography “in which unidentified phenomena are visible,” according to the newly modified PURSUE versions of these images.

It remains unclear whether the “areas of interest” in these images are merely photographic artifacts, reflections, or if they represent genuine physical objects, although the PURSUE versions of these historic NASA images are accompanied by a statement emphasizing that the highlighted portions “do not constitute an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the nature or significance of the subject matter.”

In one incident report included with the release, a series of events that reportedly occurred over two days in 2023 describes observations of unusual orange “orbs” that appeared to emit or release smaller reddish orbs.

The sightings, observed by three teams of federal law enforcement special agents, are reportedly deemed significant by AARO based on “contextual factors” that include the credibility of the reporters, which the PURSUE release states “combine to make this report among the most compelling within AARO’s current holdings.”

Despite its apparent significance, no technical information, including imagery or other data, apparently accompanied the report.

What’s Next

In a statement that appeared on her X account, Representative Anna Paulina Luna called Friday’s release “a great first step,” adding that “Additional releases are expected in the coming weeks.”

“A second tranche of documents, including additional requested video footage, is anticipated within approximately 30 days,” Luna wrote, seemingly in reference to several videos depicting UAP that she and other lawmakers have reportedly learned of, which they have requested to be released to the public.

On Friday, a DOW statement accompanying the first PURSUE release also affirmed that additional collections of UAP records will be made available in the days ahead.

“DOW will continue to conduct separate reporting on resolved UAP cases, as mandated by statute,” the statement read.

“Under this Administration, we will pursue the truth and share our findings with the American people.”

The complete contents of PURSUE Release 01 can be found at the DOW’s official UFO web 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.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/ }

Welcome to this very special TGIF edition of The Intelligence Brief… This week, the U.S. Department of War has finally launched a new and highly anticipated transparency initiative with the release of its first batch of long-classified UAP documents under the “Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters” (PURSUE) program, an effort officials say will unfold over the coming weeks and months. In our analysis, we’ll be looking at

• 1) how the new initiative aims to declassify decades of government-held UAP records across multiple agencies,
• 2) what Friday’s release actually revealed—including updated FBI files, military imagery, and NASA photographs with fewer redactions,
• 3) why much of the material offers limited new insight despite heightened expectations, and
• 4) what this rolling disclosure effort could mean for future transparency surrounding unresolved UAP cases.

Quote of the Week

“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves.”

– Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of War

If you enjoy the news and perspectives offered by The Debrief, make sure that you aren’t missing our stories by making us one of your “preferred sources” on Google News. You can simply follow this link to add The Debrief to your list of favorites, and you can read more about Google’s preferred sources in our article here.

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Pentagon Launches UAP Transparency Initiative as First Batch of Files Is Released

Just in time for the weekend, the U.S. Department of War (DOW) has released a “new” batch of government documents involving UFOs, or what the Pentagon has now been calling “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) for the last several years.

The release comes as part of a newly established program that the White House has dubbed the “Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters,” or PURSUE, which officials describe as an ongoing effort to identify, review, and declassify decades of UAP-related records held across multiple federal agencies.

Friday’s release is understood to be just the first phase of a broader transparency initiative under the Trump administration, with future releases expected as soon as within the next few weeks.

“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement accompanying the release. “It’s time the American people see it for themselves.” He added that the effort reflects “an earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency.”

Echoing Hegseth’s statements, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard described Friday’s disclosure as only the beginning. “Today’s release is the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification and release effort,” she said.

So what, exactly, was revealed by the DOW this week, and what (if anything) does the latest document release provide in terms of new insights into the longstanding mystery of unidentified flying objects?

The Latest Release of “New” UFO Files

As many had expected in the days leading up to this week’s release, a good portion of the documentation in the “new” batch of files revealed at the DOW website on Friday has appeared online or elsewhere in the past.

However, that isn’t to say there wasn’t plenty of new material, both in documents that were previously only available in partial form or with heavy redactions, and in documents that have never been seen before.

Friday’s release includes a wide range of materials, from military imagery and previously classified FBI files to historical NASA photographs dating back to the Apollo era.

Much of the legitimately new material focuses on unresolved UAP cases—incidents in which the government has been unable to determine the nature of the observed phenomena due to insufficient data or other limitations. Officials say they are encouraging private-sector analysts and independent researchers to examine the newly available records.

So what else did we learn with this initial rollout of the Trump Administration’s new PURSUE effort? Here’s a look at several of the highlights from the information detailed in the new release, and what can be expected in the weeks ahead.

The FBI’s UFO Files

Among the more notable elements of the release are updated versions of previously available FBI files, including the well-known 62-HQ-83894 case file, which documents UFO-related reports between 1947 and 1968. According to the DOW, the newly released version includes additional pages and fewer redactions than earlier public versions.

“This file is partially posted on [the] FBI vault with more redactions and some pages missing,” a summary accompanying the release states. “Included here is the complete case file with several newly declassified pages and only minor redactions.”

Officials emphasized that remaining redactions were limited to protecting sensitive information, such as the identities of witnesses or the locations of government facilities. “No redactions have been made… concerning information about the nature or existence of any encounter reported as a UAP,” the department said.

AARO Imagery and Analysis

The release also includes imagery and video previously assessed by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), as well as modified NASA photographs featuring “highlighted areas of interest” that appear to show unexplained objects. However, officials caution that these enhancements do not represent analytical conclusions and may reflect artifacts or unknown visual anomalies.

One incident report included in the release describes sightings of unusual orange “orbs” observed by federal law enforcement personnel in 2023. According to the summary, the objects appeared to emit smaller reddish spheres and were deemed among the most compelling cases in AARO’s holdings due to the credibility of the witnesses. No accompanying imagery or technical data was included.

Ongoing “Disclosures”

Despite the breadth of the materials, the initial release appears to offer limited new insight into the underlying nature of UAP. Instead, the PURSUE platform primarily serves as a centralized repository for government records, many of which were previously only partially available.

Still, officials say the effort represents a meaningful step toward greater transparency. “Under this Administration, we will pursue the truth and share our findings with the American people,” the DOW said in a statement.

Lawmakers have indicated that additional disclosures may follow soon. Taking to social media, Representative Anna Paulina Luna called the release “a great first step,” noting that a second tranche of documents, including previously requested video footage, could arrive within weeks.

For now, though, the first PURSUE release offers a clearer, albeit still incomplete, look into decades of U.S. government engagement with unexplained aerial phenomena. With more expected as the initiative continues, it remains to be seen whether an even deeper look into Washington’s involvement with aerial mysteries awaits, or if much of what is yet to come will simply be a somewhat fresher look at things we’ve already seen in decades past.

That concludes this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief. You can read past editions of our newsletter at our website, or if you found this installment online, don’t forget to subscribe and get future email editions from us here. Also, if you have a tip or other information you’d like to send along directly to me, you can email me at micah [@] thedebrief [dot] org, or reach me on X: @MicahHanks.

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{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/ }

Now, the Society for UAP Studies, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that aims to unite academics and professionals who, according to its website, “are committed to advancing the study of the UAP through rigorous scholarly engagement,” will be hosting an online summer symposium that will address how professionals can help advance our understanding of these perplexing phenomena.

“The purpose of this is to organize a broad array of academic fields, perspectives, and discourses that are in various ways concerned with understanding—more deeply and more rigorously—the subject of UAP,” said Dr. Michael Cifone, a professor of philosophy and founder of the Society for UAP Studies, who also serves as its CEO and editor of its official publication, Limina -The Journal of UAP Studies.

According to Cifone, one of the society’s goals is to encourage interdisciplinary dialog between humanists and scientists who approach the UAP phenomenon in different ways and unite researchers on what he calls “the more metatheoretical questions of how to study the phenomenon.”

Despite the recent focus on scientific and military engagement with UAP, Cifone told The Debrief that the phenomenon presents challenges that also impact the humanities and political science, as well as the inquiries of historians, anthropologists, and professionals in a variety of other disciplines.

“With an event like this, we have an opportunity for more involvement from the humanities,” Cifone said, which he believes will provide an opportunity to learn ways those who work in this academic area can contribute to our growing knowledge of the topic.

“But you can look at disclosure from a more distant political theory perspective,” Peters told The Debrief, “and looking at that as being the play between the unveiling and the hiding in modern and in ancient statehood.”

“There’s a lot that needs to be said about these processes,” he added. In line with these perspectives, Peters will coordinate a workshop for the Society’s summer event with historian Greg Eghigian, which examines the UAP issue from the perspectives of history, political science, and political theory.

“There is a big movement going on with serious people working in different fields,” Peters told The Debrief. “I don’t think we’re going to find an interdisciplinary approach, but we will start to facilitate the discussion that needs to take place.”

Along with interdisciplinary dialogue, Eghigian told The Debrief that another aim of the Society’s event involves another of the subject’s most enduring problems.

“Speculation about UAP is often unmoored from any empirically sound and self-critical research,” Eghigian said. “The conference seeks to address this shortcoming by placing multidisciplinary scholarship about the subject center stage.”

Along with Peters and Eghigian’s workshop, several others that address various approaches toward studying UAP will be featured, including a session that focuses on the application of citizen science.

“The UAP Citizen Science Workshop is bringing together scientists from the UAP field and surveying the available resources and best practices for citizen science in general,” said Dan Williams, who coordinates the Society’s official Citizen Science Working Group.

Williams, who will lead the workshop, says such resources include SciStarter, Zooniverse, the NASA Citizen Science Seed Funding Program, commercial satellite Earth Observation imagery and analytics, ground-based instrumentation, smartphone apps, and self-supervised machine learning, or what he calls “needle-in-a-haystack” technologies.

“We hope the workshop participants can then author a paper on best practices and identify several citizen science projects of general interest. We have several members from the recent National Science Foundation’s ASTRO-ACCEL-sponsored UAP workshop participating, and we hope our workshop also advances their goal of forming a UAP citizen science working group,” Williams told The Debrief.

“The study of UAP deals with incomplete, inaccurate, and even at times deceptive information,” said Joshua Pierson, D.S.S., a career investigator who is also an advisor to the Society for UAP Studies. “The beauty of having a conference and an organization that focuses on bringing the social sciences and the humanities to bear is really where we start being able to assess what is inaccurate and incomplete,” Pierson said.

“Except now, instead of taking a practitioner’s approach, we have people who can think deeply on the subject to help inform some of the best models and methods to approach the information that we get on UAP,” Pierson told The Debrief.

Pierson says that in addition to applying the best models and research methods, a collective aim of academic groups like the Society for UAP Studies is also to define the phenomena more accurately. However, along with framing the phenomenon in academic terms, part of the aim of studying UAP from a humanities perspective also involves recognizing how people relate to UAP experiences and what overall impact the subject has on individuals, as well as at the societal level. 

“UAP have profound effects on the lives of those who witness them, and they also stimulate important questions about the nature of knowledge itself and the limitations of ourselves as knowers,” said Dr. Kim Engels, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Molloy University who is also on the Society’s Advisory Board. “Our conference is offering a space for philosophers and theologians to weigh in on these important dimensions of the UAP conversation.”

“One of the most important things I think the humanities supplies—at least the philosophy of science, my own tradition—is a sort of critical perspective on the ways in which people have come to interpret and study UAP,” Professor Cifone told The Debrief.

“I think we’re at an interesting moment here in terms of the science of UAP. There’s a kind of a turning point right here that I think we’re witnessing, and a science is forming out of a history of kind of abortive and failed attempts to bring to bear some kind of systematic scientific engagement with the question,” Cifone said.

If Cifone is correct, and the efforts by organizations like his, as well as those currently being undertaken by other academic groups and government agencies, are pointing to the emergence of a new area of study in the sciences, then groups like the Society may be some of the best-equipped to help guide the process.

“You know, there’s this in-between space that I think the humanities is really good at negotiating,” Cifone told The Debrief, adding that academics like those who will participate in the Society’s forthcoming conference could be particularly well suited to help the scientific community navigate the various challenges presented by such a complex field of study.

“This is, I think, where humanists can bring the scientists together,” Cifone said, “to discuss that kind of a difficult aspect to the phenomenon.”

The Society for UAP Studies will hold its online Summer Conference 2024, titled “Varieties and Trajectories of Contemporary UAP Studies,” from August 16 to August 18, 2024. Registration details and other information about the event can be found on the Society’s website.

• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/ }

Bob Lazar Documentary Director Claims Key Parts of the S4 Story May Still Be Missing

A new wave of discussion has emerged around the controversial Bob Lazar story following extensive commentary from filmmaker Luigi Vendittelli, director of S4: The Bob Lazar Story. While Lazar remains one of the most debated figures in UFO history, Vendittelli’s perspective adds a new dimension: he believes Lazar is not fabricating his story, but may still be withholding certain details.

Revisiting Bob Lazar’s Legacy

Bob Lazar first gained international attention in 1989 after claiming he worked at a secret facility known as S4 near Area 51, where he allegedly participated in reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology. His descriptions included advanced propulsion systems, Element 115, hidden hangar doors built into mountainsides, and multiple intact unidentified craft.

For decades, Lazar’s account has been met with both fascination and skepticism. Critics often point to gaps in his academic history and inconsistencies in some aspects of his claims. Supporters, however, highlight the surprising accuracy of certain details Lazar described long before they entered mainstream discussion.

Luigi Vendittelli’s Investigation

Vendittelli spent over four years working closely with Lazar while producing his documentary. According to him, the goal was not to create sensationalism but to build the most visually accurate recreation of Lazar’s alleged experiences at S4.

During this process, Vendittelli claims he became convinced that Lazar’s core story is genuine.

“I don’t think Bob Lazar is lying. I believe Bob Lazar is omitting information.”

This distinction is central to Vendittelli’s perspective. Rather than dismissing Lazar, he suggests there are still unexplained omissions involving key events, including Lazar’s reported possession of Element 115 and certain encounters with government personnel.

The Hidden Hangar Doors Controversy

One of the documentary’s most talked-about revelations involves photographic analysis of terrain near Papoose Lake, where Lazar claimed S4 was located.

Vendittelli and his team conducted forensic image analysis on archival photos, asserting they identified geometric structures embedded into the mountainside that align with Lazar’s description of concealed hangar entrances.

While this evidence does not prove extraterrestrial craft, Vendittelli argues it strengthens the possibility that Lazar accurately described a hidden military installation.

Questions Around Lazar’s Education

Lazar’s educational background has long been one of the biggest criticisms leveled against him, particularly his claims of attending MIT and Caltech.

Vendittelli states that after private discussions with Lazar, he believes there are legitimate explanations tied to unconventional government pathways, though legal concerns prevented certain details from being included in the documentary.

This claim remains highly controversial, but Vendittelli insists the missing educational records alone should not invalidate the broader story.

Project Looking Glass, Sidekick, and Disinformation

Lazar also described exposure to briefing documents mentioning projects such as Looking Glass and Sidekick, along with references to Zeta Reticuli and possible extraterrestrial biological data.

Vendittelli acknowledges that some of this information may have been deliberate disinformation provided to Lazar as part of compartmentalized security measures. He personally questions aspects such as the Zeta Reticuli connection while remaining open to the possibility that portions of those documents contained genuine classified material.

Why Lazar Still Avoids Congress

Despite renewed public interest and modern whistleblower hearings, Lazar has consistently avoided congressional testimony.

According to Vendittelli, Lazar feels he has already shared his story and sees little value in entering political arenas that may offer limited transparency. Lazar reportedly prefers to maintain his private life rather than re-enter decades of scrutiny.

A Story That Refuses to Disappear

Vendittelli’s documentary does not claim to offer definitive proof of extraterrestrial technology. Instead, it presents Lazar’s account as a historical case that deserves serious examination, especially given the increasing number of whistleblower claims regarding hidden aerospace programs.

Whether Lazar’s story is entirely accurate, partially true, or influenced by secrecy and misinformation remains unresolved. However, Vendittelli’s investigation suggests the case may be more complex than simple truth or deception.

More than 35 years after Bob Lazar first went public, his claims continue to spark intense debate. S4: The Bob Lazar Story has reignited that conversation by combining modern visual reconstruction with new personal insights from those closest to Lazar.

For believers, the documentary reinforces longstanding suspicions about secret reverse-engineering programs.

For skeptics, it raises fresh questions about omissions, evidence, and the blurred line between classified reality and extraordinary claims.

What remains clear is that Bob Lazar’s story continues to occupy a unique place in UFO history — one that still refuses to be fully explained.

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{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

Pentagon releases declassified UFO files including videos and photos held by the government for decades

The files have been a source of intrigue and fascination for generations of skeptical Americans wondering if we’re alone in the universe.

The release came nearly a month after President Donald Trump gave a sneak preview of the possible contents, telling a conservative gathering that some “very interesting documents” would be released by the Department of Defense “very, very soon.”

The first batch of the long-awaited files on what the government is calling Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are being housed on a dedicated government site, https://www.war.gov/UFO/, and additional files will be added to the site “on a rolling basis,” Pentagon Public Affairs said in a press release.

“The American people can now access the federal government’s declassified UAP files instantly,” the press release said. “The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place — no clearance required.”

The documents don’t suggest any wide-ranging government cover-up of extraterrestrial encounters, which may disappoint some conspiracy-minded individuals looking for such evidence. The files show no indication that the U.S. government has had any interaction with beings from other planets or that it has any reason to believe such beings have visited Earth. Instead, the release offers pages and pages of files for the public to consume and potentially draw their own conclusions.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon consisting of one minute and 39 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024.  All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office

A photo of the landing site of Apollo 12 features a highlighted area of interest slightly above the horizon in which unidentified phenomena are visible. NASA

During Apollo 12 in 1969, astronaut Alan Bean reported “flashes of light” that he described as “sailing off into space.”

During Apollo 17, the program’s final mission in 1972, the crew saw “very bright particles” of light that were “tumbling” and “rotating way out in the distance.” Astronaut Harrison Schmitt said the phenomenon looked “like the Fourth of July.”

A photo from the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972 contains three dots in a triangular formation that are clearly visible when the area is magnified. NASA

The newly released documents show some of the incidents were immediately debunked. For example, on Sept. 5, 1948, there was a report from military crew members flying at 30,000 feet over the Netherlands of an unidentified aircraft sighting. The crew cited “sudden accelerations and then a climb.” Within a few months, intelligence officials concluded that it was a single propelled jet using “rocket assists with tremendous reserve power.”

Other incidents in the files are only described and do not draw conclusions.

There is a transcript of an exchange between astronaut Frank Borman from Gemini 7 in 1965 in which he refers to a “bogey at 10 o’clock high,” which occurred about 4 ½ hours into the space flight.

Houston acknowledges the reference and responds: “This is Houston, say again Seven?” Borman then describes the bogey as the following: “It looks like hundreds of little particles going by to the left out about three or four miles.”

The files also include incidents from 2020 to the present as mission reports from the U.S. Air Force identifying “potential” UAPs, with few details on what the object is or when or where it was identified.

Other accounts in the files are reports from people around the country since the 1940s that were submitted to the government.

Other sightings were redacted, such as a September 2023 report of an FBI FaceTime interview with a drone operator who, along with colleagues, saw a “bright light over the horizon” at a U.S. test site.

The document notes that “redactions have been made to protect the identity of eyewitnesses, the location of government facilities, or potentially sensitive information about military sites not related to UAP.”

The sighting was described as the following: “a linear object with a super bright light on the east side of the object. The light was bright white and bright enough to see bands within the light. The object was metallic / gray in color. It did not have any wings or exhaust. The object was smaller than a 737, one to two Blackhawk helicopters in length and was definitely bigger than a drone.”

Study investigates the mysteries of lights in the sky by looking to the past

The witnesses said the object was about 5,000 feet above ground, then moved east to west before vanishing after about 5 to 10 seconds. The person said after that the sky was clear and the object could not be found again.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill, along with interested parties ranging from serious scientists to conspiracy theorists, have pressed for the disclosure of these files for years. Trump has also spoken often of the need to release this information.

“The American people have asked for more transparency on these topics, and President Trump is delivering,” the press release said.

“While past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, President Trump is focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files,” the release added.

But there’s a caveat.

“While all of the files have been reviewed for security purposes, many of the materials have not yet been analyzed for resolution of any anomalies,” the press release said.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon consisting of nine seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024.  All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the Trump administration for its efforts to bring greater transparency to unidentified anomalous phenomena.

“At NASA, our job is to bring the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear, follow the data, and share what we learn,” Isaacman wrote on X. “We will remain candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered.”

Trump did not immediately weigh in on the new UFO document drop. But he announced in February that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency officials to begin reviewing government documents related to “alien and extraterrestrial life.”

Trump made the announcement just days after former President Barack Obama said on a podcast that aliens were real. Obama later clarified that he meant “the odds are good there’s life out there” and said he hadn’t seen any evidence of alien life while he was in the White House.

The U.S. Northern Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon consisting of 21 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office

The interagency effort to release the UFO files has its own acronym — PURSUE, or the Presidential Unsealings and Reporting System for UAP Encounters.

But the Pentagon appears to be using, as its model, a setup similar to the one the Department of Justice began employing in December, when it began releasing the Epstein Files. And the government site with the UFO documents also appeared to be glitchy in the early going.

That Epstein files release, which is still underway, was widely criticized for releasing paperwork that had already been in the public domain, for heavily redacting many documents while inexplicably omitting others, and for inadvertently releasing the names of some of the women Epstein had been accused of preying on before he was arrested and died by suspected suicide in August 2019 in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.

Not unlike the government’s Epstein files document dump, there was no interpretation of the unidentified anomalous phenomena shared by the White House on Friday.

'Extraordinary': Ret. admiral reacts to declassified UFO docs

{ https://www.nbcnews.com/ }

The long-awaited UFO files were released Friday morning, revealing stunning eyewitness encounters with unexplainable phenomena during the Apollo moon missions.

The US Department of War released hundreds of pages of documents, pictures and audio recordings allegedly providing evidence of extraterrestrial sightings dating back to the 1940s.

Included in what has been described as the first batch of UFO files expected to come from the Pentagon this year were the transcripts of the Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 moon missions.

Those files and a collection of images taken by the astronauts on the moon revealed multiple encounters with strange objects that appear to fly around their lunar landers.

During the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, astronauts Gene Cernan, Jack Schmitt and Ron Evans reported seeing a bright object that rotated and flashed rhythmically out in space.

Cernan said: 'I'm looking at what - what Jack was talking about; and it's definitely not a particle that's nearby because there is another one I can look at and get a three-dimensional comparison with.'

'It is a bright object, and it's obviously rotating because it's flashing. It's way out in the distance, as I say, because there are particles that are close by and it's obviously not one of those,' the astronaut described.

'It's apparently rotating in a very rhythmic fashion because the flashes come around almost - almost on time. And it's as we look back at the Earth, it's up at about 11:00 about - oh, maybe 10 or 12 Earth diameters. I don't know whether that does you any good, but there is something out there.'

A photo from the Apollo 17 moon landing that highlights three dots in the sky as seen from the moon's surface

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

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

Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene Cernan (Pictured) was the last human to walk on the moon in 1972

During the 1972 lunar landing, which was the last NASA time humans stepped on the moon's surface, the crew of Apollo 17 also reported seeing multiple small objects moving near the spacecraft during their flight.

'Now we've got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver,' Evans told the command center on Earth.

'Roger. Understand,' the center replied. 'There's a whole [bunch] of big ones on my window down there - just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron's window,' Schmitt added.

Evans reported: 'Yes. Now you can see some of them in shape. They're very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling.'

The astronauts revealed that right after they fired their thrusters to change direction, the crew began to see the bright particles and jagged, angular fragments drifting past the windows.

Jack says it looks like the 'Fourth of July' out Evans' window, with big bright pieces tumbling slowly around the capsule.

The astronauts were also recorded describing the strange objects as pieces of something solid, not fluid, very bright, and mostly moving with the spacecraft but with occasional faster ones zipping by. Evans reported taking pictures of them.

Three years earlier, the Apollo 12 moon mission also reported strange sightings as they neared the lunar surface.

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

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

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

While looking through a special telescope known as the Alignment Optical Telescope, in the dark part of the sky, one astronaut in the lunar module reported seeing flashes of light and particles sailing past.

The three-man crew, which included Pete Conrad and Alan Bean in the lunar lander 'Intrepid' and Dick Gordon in the command module called 'Yankee Clipper,' said the objects appeared to come from behind the spacecraft, before moving quickly into space.

'They really haul out of here and just press off at the stars,' Bean said.

Multiple images from the Apollo 12 moon mission in 1969 released with the UFO files on Friday revealed bright objects off in space which were visible from the lunar surface.

NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens issued a statement saying: 'NASA applauds President Trump’s whole-of-government directive to bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).'

'NASA is contributing to this interagency effort led by the Department of War and the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and we support their effort to share more information with the public.'

'NASA continues our mission to explore and discover, advancing our understanding of this planet and the universe around us.'

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

The UFO files have revealed chilling encounters involving swarms of mysterious orbs chasing US military aircraft and sightings of four-foot-tall beings emerging from unidentified craft.

The bombshell FBI documents, released by the Trump administration, detailed incidents spanning decades, from humanoid occupants reported in the 1960s to a dramatic confrontation involving intelligence agents last year.

One heavily redacted FBI report described a senior US intelligence officer recounting a nighttime mission in a remote mountain range near a classified government site.

According to the report, intelligence personnel, federal agents and helicopter crews were dispatched after local staff repeatedly reported seeing strange glowing 'orbs' and hearing loud 'thuds' near the mountains.

But when the team arrived, they allegedly encountered swarms of highly maneuverable objects that appeared extremely hot on thermal cameras despite flying through the darkness.

The report stated that the unidentified orbs easily outran military helicopters before later pursuing fighter aircraft called in to intercept them.

At one point during the encounter, a co-pilot aboard the lead helicopter reportedly watched one orb split into two separate objects before another object suddenly 'emerged' from the formation and shot away at high speed.

Another section of the FBI records detailed alleged encounters with mysterious crewmen said to be between three and a half and four feet tall, 'wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets,' who reportedly exited unidentified flying objects.

A UFO that resembles a football in Japan in 2024 was part of today's release of the UFO files

Another shows a bright circular object within a military targeting reticle, although officials said the description should not be interpreted as confirmation of the object's nature or significance

Also in Friday's release were images taken by Apollo 12 astronauts while on the Moon

A redacted report from the FBI interviewing an intelligence officer who witnessed multiple orb-shaped UFOs chasing military jets during a classified mission

Using night-vision goggles and FLIR thermal cameras, the 2025 intelligence team spotted the first 'super-hot' glowing orb hovering near the ground around 10pm local time.

The intelligence officer revealed that the UFO moved extremely fast before splitting into two objects. Pilots reported that it was too quick for the helicopters to chase.

Roughly 16 minutes later, a large swarm of lights which was described as containing 'too many to count' appeared and flew around in all directions, mostly heading south.

Within ten minutes of this gathering, multiple groups of the bright orbs began to emit light in all directions. The report described the objects as oval-shaped and orange with a white or yellow center.

The orb swarm then 'flared up' or brightened one at a time in a horizontal line, stayed stationary for ten to 15 seconds, then 'flared down' or dimmed in reverse order and disappeared.

The agent told the FBI that this happened several times; sometimes with two orbs and other times with four or six, and sometimes with the UFOs forming up in a triangle formation.

Some orbs appeared very close to the helicopter, getting within ten feet, while others hovered directly over the squadron of military training aircraft sent to assist the intelligence team.

When the five fighter jets arrived, the orbs seemed to break away from the helicopters and pursued the jets at high speed.

A video appears to show a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star' with uneven arms moving across the sky, which almost seemed to shape-shift in mid-air

A redacted report from the FBI interviewing an intelligence officer who witnessed multiple orb-shaped UFOs chasing military jets during a classified mission

A redacted report from the FBI interviewing an intelligence officer who witnessed multiple orb-shaped UFOs chasing military jets during a classified mission

The lead helicopter search team kept chasing orb sightings until they ran low on fuel and had to return to base around 11.30pm.

The decades-old FBI memo provides even more shocking revelations hinting at mysterious crewmen emerging from a UFO.

The memo is an internal FBI document dated October 19, 1966, sent from the bureau’s San Francisco office to FBI Director J Edgar Hoover under the subject line 'Unidentified Flying Objects.' 

The major focus is the book Flying Saucers – Serious Business by Frank Edwards, which the FBI described as a possible contributor to the growing public fascination and controversy surrounding UFOs.

'The book describes UFOs as polished metal objects, radiating heat and light (sufficient to have burned witnesses who were too near), and emitting some force field that interferes with electromagnetic instruments and power sources,' the document reads.

'Colors range from brilliant white to dull reds and brilliant orange. Some objects have carried blind striking lights.

'There are three basic shapes: 1) zeppelin-shaped ships up to 300 feet long; 2) disk-shaped objects ranging from a few feet in diameter to 100 feet, with many reported at about 30 feet in diameter; and 3) egg-shaped objects, which, according to the author, are the ones most recently sighted.'

According to the file, wreckage from crashed saucers had supposedly been recovered on at least three separate occasions.

One material was described as a magnesium alloy, another as pure magnesium and a third as an 'exceptionally hard unknown metal.'

The document claimed the material contained 'thousands of 15-micron metal spheres throughout' and showed evidence of micro-meteorite impacts on its surface.

The file also referenced witness claims involving apparent occupants of the mysterious craft.

'A few witnesses have reported seeing crewmen who had landed from the objects,' the report stated, describing the alleged beings as 'three and a half to four feet tall, wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets.'

An FBI memo discussing witness reports of beings emerging from a UFO

A photo from Apollo 17 landing highlights three dots in the sky, as seen from the moon's surface, in 1972

Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri revealed video in 2025 of a US military drone striking an orb-shaped UFO with a missile, which bounced off and did not stop the craft

The document concluded by noting that author Edwards predicted UFOs would soon make an 'overt landing' or deliberate contact with Earth.

These files were made public months after the President ordered the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to declassify government records related to UFOs and alleged extraterrestrial activity.

Also included in Friday's release was eerie infrared footage, captured by US military personnel in 2013, appearing to show something darting through the darkness with uneven, shape-shifting arms. 

Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett, who has long been advocating for disclosure, said on X: 'Remember the Feds told us these files didn't exist and [Donald Trump] stood up to the deep state. 

'The 1st drop will be big, but in comparison to what is coming they will be a drop in the bucket. I would say "Holy Crap" is coming.' 

A government graphic, based on witness reports from 2023, depicts a massive ellipsoid-shaped object that witnesses claimed emerged from a bright light in the sky before vanishing 

Further areas of interest during the 1969 mission, in which unidentified phenomena are visible

Among the most striking materials in the file dump were images and transcripts linked to NASA's Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions. One photo taken from the lunar surface appears to show three unexplained dots hovering in the dark sky above the moon.

An Apollo 17 transcript also detailed astronauts discussing mysterious objects drifting near the spacecraft during flight.

'Now we've got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver,' one operator told mission control.

Another replied: 'There's a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there - just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron's window.'

The disclosure also included FBI images from New Year's Eve 1999 that appear to show unidentified objects near US military aircraft, along with photographs captured by military pilots allegedly showing fast-moving objects streaking past planes mid-flight.

One newly declassified military Mission Report, known as a MISREP, described a service member observing 'several bright objects maneuvering quickly west to east northeast' before tracking one of them with an onboard targeting pod for roughly 20 seconds.

According to the document, the object suddenly dimmed and disappeared. Officials noted that the descriptions reflected eyewitness observations and should not be interpreted as confirmation of the object's nature or capabilities.

In a statement accompanying the release, Hegseth said the administration was committed to bringing 'unprecedented transparency' to the government's understanding of UFOs.

Portions of several documents were redacted to protect witness identities and sensitive military locations, although officials said no information directly related to the reported encounters had been withheld.

Lawmakers have noted that Friday's release is only the first batch, with more to come. However, a timeline has not been set.

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

Secret NASA UFO sighting released after astronauts spotted mysterious 'vehicle' while in orbit