Seven federal law enforcement special agents reported separate sightings of unidentified objects in the Western U.S. over a two-day period. The witnesses described orange orbs that emitted smaller red orbs, a large glowing object hovering near a rock pinnacle, and kite-shaped objects observed during pre-dawn hours that moved at low speeds and displayed unusual lighting patterns.
What did the agents see?
The agents reported four distinct types of sightings. First, three teams independently witnessed orange orbs that launched groups of red orbs (usually three at a time) at least five times over two days at dusk. The orange orb would appear for one or two seconds, release the red orbs, then disappear. The red orbs generally moved horizontally away from the orange orb, though some moved at angles or downward. Second, two agents observed a glowing orange orb about 500 to 600 meters away, positioned near a rock pinnacle. The object appeared roughly the size of a small helicopter cockpit and hovered without making sound for about a minute. Third, the same two agents pursued what initially looked like a car with red and white lights in a restricted zone. When they got close, the object moved off-road over the desert at 15 to 20 mph without changing its angle relative to the observers, stopped about 100 meters away, and turned off its lights. Using night vision goggles, one agent described it as a very thin line, while the other said it resembled a dark kite shape. Fourth, about 30 minutes later, two agents observed a kite-shaped object with similar lighting about 6 meters off the ground. One agent using night vision goggles reported seeing stars faintly through the object, suggesting it was somewhat transparent.
How many people witnessed these events?
Seven federal law enforcement special agents (labeled USPER1 through USPER7) reported the sightings. The orange orbs launching red orbs were witnessed by three teams of two agents each (six agents total). The large glowing orb, the dark kite object, and the transparent kite object were all observed by agents USPER5 and USPER6, with USPER7 present during the transparent kite sighting but not seeing the object.
What did the government measure afterward?
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) later gathered measurements that differed from the witnesses' estimates. AARO assessed the large glowing orb to be approximately 1,050 meters away (farther than the agents' estimate of 500 to 600 meters) and between 12 to 18 meters in diameter (larger than the agents' comparison to a small helicopter cockpit). AARO also described the dark kite object as triangular in later discussions with the agents.
What was unusual about the objects' movement?
Several movement patterns stood out to the witnesses. The red orbs launched from the orange orb moved horizontally in most cases, but in a couple of instances moved at angles or downward. The dark kite object moved laterally at 15 to 20 mph without changing its angle relative to the observers and appeared to move with what one agent called "zero resistance." The transparent kite object appeared to float slowly with the wind and was positioned at an angle. When one agent shined a spotlight at the transparent kite's location, the beam appeared to stop about 50 yards away rather than projecting into the distance, but when the agent pointed the light at that spot again, it projected normally.
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--- PAGE 1 ---
“Orbs Launching Orbs”
• Location: Western U.S.
• Time of Day: Dusk (on two separate days)
• Three teams of two federal law enforcement special agents each (USPER1 through USPER6) independently
describe seeing orange “orbs” in the sky emit/launch smaller red “orbs” in groups of two to four, with three
being the general consensus. This is stated to have occurred at least five times. Each time, the orange orb
would appear, launch red orbs, then disappear. The orange orb was only visible for one or two seconds. The
red orbs would generally move away from the orange “mother” orb in a horizontal path, but in a couple of
instances, one red orb was stated to move “heading up at an angle,” while another witness stated sometimes
the red orbs would “swoop down” after being launched from the larger orange orb. These events were
witnessed by multiple teams from varying locations and vantage points over a two-day period. Due to the
sequential nature of the events, it is not known whether there was a single orange “mother” orb that released
the groups of red orbs or whether there were multiple orange orbs at play.
--- PAGE 2 ---
“Large, Fiery Orb”
• Location: Western U.S.
• Time of Day: Dusk Artist Rendering
• Two federal law enforcement special agents (USPER5 and USPER6) witness a glowing orange orb at a distance of
“approximately 500-600 meters,”* where it was perched close to a rock pinnacle. Size was difficult to determine,
but it appeared to be similar in size to a “small helicopter cockpit.”** Witnesses were unable to clearly see any
structure other than the glowing orb, though USPER6 noted that the object “did almost appear it might have had a
small spindle or something connecting it from underneath to the rock formation.” Witnesses stated that the object
did not emit any noticeable sound. The object was described as being “similar to the Eye or [sic] Sauron from Lord
of the Rings, except without the pupil, or maybe an orange Storm Electrify bowling ball.”
• USPER6 stated the object “seemed to be hovering with zero resistance or movement, or to be suspended…” The
sighting lasted “about a minute.”
* Measurements later gathered by AARO assess the object to have been ~1050 meters away from the observers.
** Measurements later gathered by AARO assess the object to have been between 12-18 meters in diameter.
--- PAGE 3 ---
“Dark Kite” Red light
White light
• Location: Western U.S.
• Time of Day: Pre-dawn hours Image 1: Recreation of drawing provided by USPER6 of
object seen in night vision goggles.
• Two federal law enforcement special agents (USPER5 and USPER6) observed what is initially thought to be a car traveling
along a road in a restricted zone. The “car” had two lights (one red and one white) that are about 2 to 3 feet off the
ground. Agents pursued the “car” and as they got to within a few hundred feet of it, the object suddenly moved off the
road over the desert without changing its orientation with respect to the observers, i.e., it appeared to move laterally, at
an estimated speed of 15-20mph. The object didn’t change height and appeared to move with “zero resistance.” The
object stopped about 100 meters off the side of the road and turned off its lights. USPER6 described the object as a “thin
line,” from the back whereas the other agent (USPER5) stated that “it almost looked like an ill defined, dark kite shape
that had some rounded width to the sides.”*
• USPER6 used night vision goggles (NVGs) to view the object once it had stopped off the road. The agent stated that they
observed the object for “a split second in the NVGs before the light turned off” and that once the lights were off, a “very
thin line” remained. The object was estimated to be about 4 feet wide and positioned horizontally to the ground (see
Image 1). The object then began moving at about the speed of 15-20mph and appeared to “move up in height…, but
[remain] a flat line.” The agent lost sight of the object after a few seconds.
* In later discussions with AARO, the object is described as being triangular.
--- PAGE 4 ---
Note: Outline was not
“Transparent Kite” definitive, but location
of lights stayed in exact
formation.
• Location: Western U.S.
• Time of Day: Pre-dawn hours
• About 30 minutes after the “Dark Kite” sighting, federal law enforcement special agents
(USPER5 and USPER6) returned to the same general area with another colleague
(USPER7) in response to a report of another unauthorized object in the area. Within a few
hundred meters of the “Dark Kite” sighting, two of the team members (USPER5 and
USPER6) observed a kite-shaped object with a lighting pattern similar to the object seen
previously. This object is about 6 meters off the ground, is canted at an angle from lower
right to upper left (see Image 2), and appeared to be floating slowly with the wind.
USPER5 was using NVGs when viewing the object and USPER6 used the bare eye.
USPER7 did not see the object. USPER5 stated that in the night vision goggles, they could
“vaguely see a bright star or two in the distance through the object, though somewhat
more faint,” leading them to believe the object was somewhat transparent. After losing
sight of the object, USPER5 tried using a spotlight to find it again. The witness noted that
when shining the light around, “at one point my beam went from shining far into the Image 2: Recreation of drawing
distance to stopping about 50 yards away on nothing in particular, it just was not provided by USPER6 of object
seen with the bare eye.
projecting into the distance and then it was.” When the witness pointed the light at the
spot where the light had appeared to be blocked by something, this time the light was
“projecting into the distance again.” The team was unable to reacquire sight of the object. View the official fileFrequently Asked Questions
What did the orange orbs do?
Three teams of federal law enforcement agents independently observed orange orbs that appeared for one or two seconds, emitted or launched smaller red orbs in groups of two to four (with three being the most common), and then disappeared. This sequence occurred at least five times over a two-day period at dusk. The red orbs generally moved horizontally away from the orange orb, though in some cases they moved at angles or downward.
Three teams of two federal law enforcement special agents each (USPER1 through USPER6) independently describe seeing orange “orbs” in the sky emit/launch smaller red “orbs” in groups of two to four, with three being the general consensus. This is stated to have occurred at least five times. Each time, the orange orb would appear, launch red orbs, then disappear.
What was the large glowing object near the rock formation?
Two federal law enforcement agents observed a glowing orange orb positioned close to a rock pinnacle at a distance of approximately 500 to 600 meters. The object appeared to be about the size of a small helicopter cockpit, though AARO later assessed it to be between 12 to 18 meters in diameter. One agent noted the object "did almost appear it might have had a small spindle or something connecting it from underneath to the rock formation." The object made no sound and hovered for about a minute.
What happened when agents pursued the dark kite object?
Two agents observed what initially appeared to be a car with red and white lights about 2 to 3 feet off the ground in a restricted zone. When they got within a few hundred feet, the object moved off the road over the desert at an estimated speed of 15 to 20 mph. The object maintained the same angle relative to the observers as it moved, did not change height, and appeared to move with "zero resistance." It stopped about 100 meters off the road and turned off its lights. Using night vision goggles, one agent described it as a very thin line, while the other said it resembled a dark kite shape with rounded sides.
Agents pursued the “car” and as they got to within a few hundred feet of it, the object suddenly moved off the road over the desert without changing its orientation with respect to the observers, i.e., it appeared to move laterally, at an estimated speed of 15-20mph. The object didn’t change height and appeared to move with “zero resistance.”
What made the transparent kite object unusual?
About 30 minutes after the dark kite sighting, two agents observed a kite-shaped object with similar lighting about 6 meters off the ground in the same general area. One agent using night vision goggles reported that they could "vaguely see a bright star or two in the distance through the object, though somewhat more faint," leading them to believe the object was somewhat transparent. When the agent shined a spotlight in the area, the beam appeared to stop about 50 yards away on nothing in particular rather than projecting into the distance, but when the agent pointed the light at that spot again, it projected normally.
USPER5 stated that in the night vision goggles, they could “vaguely see a bright star or two in the distance through the object, though somewhat more faint,” leading them to believe the object was somewhat transparent.
Congressional Context
Where this record connects to the congressional record and the people in it.
- Involves OrganizationAARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
- Referenced in LegislationNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024Connected through AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
- Referenced in LegislationJames M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023Connected through AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
- Referenced in LegislationServicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025Connected through AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
- Referenced in LegislationTo terminate the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.Connected through AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
- Discussed in HearingSenate Armed Services Subcommittee UAP HearingConnected through AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)