Location file
Western United States
Seven federal law enforcement special agents working in the western United States reported four categories of sightings over two days in 2023. The reported events included orange orbs launching smaller red orbs at dusk, a large glowing orange orb hovering near a rock pinnacle, a kite-shaped object with lights pursued after being mistaken for a car, and a transparent kite-shaped object roughly 6 meters off the ground through which stars were faintly visible. The Department of War summary was released by AARO on May 8, 2026.
Map coordinates
39.8283, -111.0000
2023-01-01 / unresolved
Seven federal law enforcement special agents working in the western United States reported four categories of sightings over two days in 2023. The reported events included orange orbs launching smaller red orbs at dusk, a large glowing orange orb hovering near a rock pinnacle, a kite-shaped object with lights pursued after being mistaken for a car, and a transparent kite-shaped object roughly 6 meters off the ground through which stars were faintly visible. The Department of War summary was released by AARO on May 8, 2026.
Orange 'mother' orb visible for one to two seconds at dusk, emitting/launching smaller red orbs in groups of two to four (generally three); red orbs moved horizontally, sometimes angling upward or swooping down after launch; orange orb disappeared after each launch sequence; occurred at least five times over two days
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, showing a grayscale frame with a crosshair reticle and a small dark circular object slightly right of center. The background shows an indistinct mountain range or cloud formation, and multiple black redaction rectangles obscure labels at the frame edges. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP; no mission report was provided, and the embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 is noted as incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Small dark circular dot/object visible near image center, slightly right of crosshair reticle
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, showing a small, dark, circular object just below and left of a crosshair reticle center, with an indistinct mountain range in the background, over the Western United States. The image is grayscale with a grainy texture consistent with night-vision or low-light imaging, and carries a burned-in timestamp of 12/31/99 18:10:26 that AARO notes is incorrect because the system clock was not set. The original imagery was redacted before submission, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP.
Small, dark, circular object visible just below and to the left of the center of the crosshair reticle intersection
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a UAP over the Western United States. The grayscale sensor frame shows a central crosshair reticle with a horizontal scale labeled 15 to 15, six paired black and gray rectangular blocks on both sides, and a timestamp reading 12/31/99 18:18:58, which AARO notes is incorrect due to the system clock not being set. One to two small dark objects appear just above and to the right of the reticle center. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP, and no mission report was provided.
One to two small, dark objects visible just above and to the right of the center of the crosshair reticle
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting two small, dark, elongated objects near the center of a grayscale sensor frame in the Western United States. The image shows a crosshair overlay with arms labeled "3" and at least eight black redaction bars obscuring annotations; an embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 is acknowledged as incorrect due to the system clock not being set. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP, and no accompanying mission report was provided.
Two small, dark, elongated objects visible near center-right of crosshair intersection in upper right quadrant of frame
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025 as a UAP report, with the incident located in the Western United States. The monochrome, grainy image shows a crosshair reticle with a dark, structured object with an appendage on its left side near the center, and a second smaller dark circular object in the bottom right quadrant. The original imagery was redacted before submission, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP.
Dark, structured object with an appendage on its left side, visible just at the top of the crosshair reticle; consistent with helicopter or small aircraft silhouette at significant distance
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025 as a UAP report, with the original imagery redacted before submission and no accompanying mission report provided. The grayscale image shows a crosshair reticle with a horizontal scale from -15 to +15, six black redaction rectangles, and a small dark circular object in the upper right quadrant against an indistinct mountain range. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP; the embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 18:11:06 is acknowledged as incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Small, dark, circular object visible in the upper right quadrant of the frame
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2025, depicting a UAP over the Western United States that the operator was unable to positively identify. The grayscale frame shows a crosshair reticle with graduated scale markings, a small dark circular object in the upper right quadrant, faint terrain features in the lower portion, and six black rectangular blocks plus a top bar consistent with applied redactions. The embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 18:11:27 is noted as incorrect because the system date was not set, and no mission report accompanied the submission.
Small dark dot or speck near center-right of frame above crosshair center, described in manifest as a small, dark, circular object visible in the upper right quadrant
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, reportedly taken in the Western United States. The grayscale image shows a targeting crosshair with two small dark elongated objects in the lower-right quadrant; approximately eight black redaction bars cover margin data fields. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the objects, no mission report was provided, and the embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 is noted as incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Two small, dark, elongated objects located slightly below and to the right of the crosshair center, positioned in the lower-right quadrant of the frame, visible against a medium-gray grainy background consistent with low-light or infrared imaging
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, showing a small, dark, circular object in the upper right quadrant of a grayscale, grainy frame consistent with night-vision or thermal imaging. The image carries a timestamp of 12/31/99 18:11:19, which AARO notes is incorrect because the system date was not set. Eight black redaction bars obscure identifying information, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the object. The incident location is given as the Western United States.
Small, dark, circular object visible in the upper right quadrant near the center of the frame
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025 showing a UAP over the Western United States. The grayscale image shows a crosshair reticle with graduated scale markings, a small dark circular object slightly right of center, and eight black redaction blocks obscuring identifying information. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP, no mission report was provided, and the visible timestamp of 12/31/99 is incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Small, dark, circular object visible in the center right quadrant, close to the center of the frame, appearing as a small dark dot/artifact slightly right of center crosshair in a grayscale surveillance or thermal/night-vision camera still image
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a single dark, irregular-shaped object just above the center of a white crosshair reticle in a grainy monochrome sensor frame. The incident location is listed as the Western United States; the embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 18:19:40 is noted as incorrect due to the system date not being set. The original imagery was redacted before submission, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP.
Small dark, irregular-shaped object visible just above the center of the crosshair/reticle in a grainy, low-resolution monochrome sensor image
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image derived from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a UAP over the Western United States. The grayscale sensor frame shows a centered crosshair reticle with scale markings, a small dark circular object just to the top right of the reticle center, and a faint mountain range at the bottom. The imagery was redacted before submission, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. The burned-in timestamp reads 12/31/99 18:10:50 but is acknowledged as incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Small, dark, circular object visible just to the top right quadrant of the center of the crosshair reticle
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image derived from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a UAP over the Western United States. The grayscale frame shows a crosshair reticle with horizontal scale labels and a small, dark, circular object just right of center in the top right quadrant, with an indistinct mountain range in the background. At least seven black rectangular redaction bars obscure portions of the image, no mission report accompanied the submission, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. The embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 is acknowledged as incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Small, dark, circular object visible just right of center of the crosshair reticle in the top right quadrant of the frame
2025-01-01 / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting two small dark circular objects near the center of a crosshair reticle overlay. The grainy monochrome image carries a timestamp of 12/31/99 18:20:08, which the manifest states is incorrect because the system date was not set. The original imagery was redacted by the FBI before submission, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. The incident location is given as the Western United States.
Two small dark circular objects visible near the center of the crosshair/reticle overlay
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting two small dark elongated objects near the center of a crosshair reticle. The grainy monochrome image carries a timestamp of 12/31/99 18:21:02, which AARO notes is incorrect because the system clock was not set. The original imagery was redacted before submission, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. The incident location is listed as the Western United States.
Two small dark elongated blobs/objects visible near the center of the crosshair reticle, positioned slightly right of center near the horizontal crosshair line, in the lower left quadrant per manifest narrative
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image derived from a U.S. military system to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2025, reporting a UAP observed over the Western United States. The image shows a grainy, low-resolution surveillance frame with a centered crosshair labeled "3" on both horizontal arms and approximately eight black redaction bars obscuring data overlay fields. Two small, dark, circular objects appear near the crosshair center; the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. No mission report was provided, and the visible timestamp of 12/31/99 18:20:48 is incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Two small, dark, circular objects visible near the center of the surveillance frame
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a UAP over the Western United States. The grayscale sensor image shows two dark, irregular-shaped objects just right of center in the upper right quadrant, overlaid with a centered crosshair labeled "3" on both horizontal arms. Multiple black redaction bars obscure data fields around the frame edges, no mission report was provided, and the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. The displayed timestamp of 12/31/99 18:20:41 is acknowledged as incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Two dark, irregular-shaped objects visible just right of center in the upper right quadrant of the sensor image
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a small, dark, circular object in the upper right quadrant of a grainy monochrome frame. The image shows a centered crosshair reticle with graduated scale markings, faint mountain range terrain in the lower portion, and multiple black redaction bars. The burned-in timestamp reads 12/31/99 18:11:12, which the manifest states is incorrect because the system clock was not set. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP, and no mission report was provided.
Small dark dot/point visible slightly right of center in the upper area of the frame
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image derived from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, depicting a grayscale sensor frame with a white crosshair overlay and two small dark circular objects in the upper right quadrant. At least eight black rectangular redaction bars obscure text and data across the image; no accompanying mission report was provided. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP, and the visible timestamp of 12/31/99 18:20:22 is acknowledged as incorrect due to the system date not being set. The incident location is listed as the Western United States.
Two small dark circular objects visible near the center-right of the crosshair, located slightly right of center and above the horizontal crosshair line
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, reporting a UAP over the Western United States. The grayscale frame shows a targeting or tracking display with a centered crosshair reticle, scale markings running from approximately -15 to +15 on both axes, and one to two small dark objects just above and to the right of the reticle center. Six black rectangular redaction blocks and a solid black band across the top obscure portions of the image; the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP, and no mission report was provided.
One to two small, dark objects visible just above and to the right of the center of the crosshair reticle
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a redacted still image from a U.S. military targeting system to AARO in 2025, depicting a UAP reported over the Western United States. The grayscale image shows a crosshair reticle with tick marks labeled "3" and a single dark elongated object to the right of center; six or more black redaction bars obscure data fields across the frame. The operator could not positively identify the UAP, no mission report was provided, and the visible timestamp of 12/31/99 18:19:33 is incorrect due to the system clock not being set.
Small dark elongated object or figure positioned just to the right of the crosshair center, near the horizontal axis of a surveillance/targeting camera reticle
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, described as a UAP report, with redactions applied before submission and no accompanying mission report. The grayscale targeting camera image shows a dark object consistent in appearance with a helicopter in the upper-right quadrant, a crosshair reticle with a horizontal scale labeled -15 to +15, and a second smaller dark circular object below the reticle. The operator reported being unable to positively identify the object.
Dark silhouette consistent in appearance with a helicopter, visible in the upper-right quadrant of the frame, above and to the right of the crosshair center
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025 depicting a UAP over the Western United States; the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. The monochrome image shows a grainy thermal or night-vision frame with a centered crosshair reticle scaled from -15 to +15, at least six black rectangular redaction blocks, and an indistinct background formation possibly a mountain range. The embedded timestamp reads 12/31/99 18:12:20 but is noted as incorrect because the system date and time were not set; no mission report was provided.
Unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP), no distinct object clearly visible within the central area of the frame; faint indistinct shapes near bottom center of frame possibly indicating ground-level objects or terrain; background shows an indistinct formation possibly a mountain range; captured in grainy low-light or thermal/night-vision monochrome imagery with crosshair reticle overlay
unknown / unresolved
The FBI submitted a still image from a U.S. military system to AARO in 2025, reported from the Western United States. The grayscale image shows a centered crosshair reticle with a small cluster of dark pixels at its center; the operator reported being unable to positively identify the object. The image was redacted before submission, no mission report was provided, and the embedded timestamp of 12/31/99 18:18:53 is incorrect due to the system date not being set.
Small dark dot/object at exact center of crosshair reticle; visible in grayscale sensor image; described as a small cluster of dark pixels forming an object; captured by a U.S. military sensor system; monochrome, grainy texture
Photos
24 linked exhibits
A grayscale surveillance or thermal/night-vision camera still image featuring a crosshair reticle with measurement scale markings at center, multiple black rectangular redacted/blocked areas arranged symmetrically across the frame, and a timestamp in the lower left corner. The image has a noisy, low-light camera appearance.
A grayscale surveillance or sensor camera image showing a crosshair/reticle overlay with graduated scale markings centered in the frame. Six black rectangular blocks are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides of the image (three on each side), each paired with a lighter gray rectangle. A solid black band runs across the top of the image. A small dark object or dot is visible slightly to the right of center, near the crosshair intersection. A timestamp is displayed in the lower-left corner.
A grayscale surveillance or thermal/night-vision style camera image featuring a crosshair reticle with graduated scale markings at the center, multiple black redacted rectangles overlaid on various parts of the image, a large black redacted bar across the top, and a timestamp in the lower left corner. The background is a noisy, grainy gray field typical of low-light or infrared imaging.
A grayscale surveillance or targeting camera image featuring a crosshair/reticle overlay with graduated scale markings. A small helicopter or aircraft silhouette is visible in the upper-right quadrant of the frame. Multiple black rectangular redaction bars are present across the image. A timestamp is displayed in the lower-left corner. The image has a grainy, low-light or infrared camera quality.
A grayscale infrared or night-vision surveillance/targeting camera image with a crosshair reticle overlay and measurement scale. Multiple black redaction rectangles obscure content in various areas of the frame. A timestamp is visible in the lower left corner. A small dark object or dot is visible near the center of the image.
A grayscale surveillance or sensor camera image featuring a crosshair/reticle overlay with graduated tick marks and numerical scale indicators. The image contains multiple black rectangular blocks arranged symmetrically around the frame edges, likely redactions. A timestamp is visible in the lower left corner. A small dark object or dot appears near the center of the crosshair.