On February 15, 2022, five U.S. Army service members at Fort Carson observed an airborne object over Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. The object appeared angular and potato-shaped, roughly the size of a large jet, with a shimmering white appearance. It hovered 300-500 feet above the mountain for 30 to 180 seconds before suddenly disappearing. An All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) analysis concludes the sighting was likely caused by sunlight backscattering off snow-covered ground and illuminating low-level clouds, though the assessment has low confidence due to uncertainties about witness viewing angles, snow depth, and cloud cover.
What did the witnesses see?
Five Army service members described an angular, non-symmetrical object resembling a potato made of uneven panels. It had a slightly translucent, shimmering white appearance with defined edges and a milky shimmer that reflected sunlight. The witnesses said the sky was clear and the object was completely stationary, but it suddenly disappeared despite them keeping their eyes on it.
How did analysts explain it?
The analysis indicates that at 9:45 a.m. on February 15, the sun was positioned low in the southeast sky at about 27.5 degrees above the horizon. Snow on Cheyenne Mountain likely ranged from 6 to 12 inches deep. Sunlight reflecting off the snow-covered ground could have illuminated low-level clouds in the area, creating the appearance of a distinct object. When either the clouds or the sun shifted slightly, the reflection would have vanished, explaining the sudden disappearance.
Why is the confidence level low?
Analysts stated they have low confidence in this assessment based on uncertainty in the field of view of each witness, the exact amount of cloud cover, and snow depth. Weather reports also conflicted with witness accounts, with multiple sources indicating partly to mostly cloudy skies despite witnesses reporting clear, blue skies.
Was this an unknown threat?
No anomalous data or characteristics were recorded or assessed. The event did not represent an unknown adversarial capability. No aircraft or balloons were noted active in or around Cheyenne Mountain during the time of the sighting.
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SUBJECT: USA/Colorado:
An Airborne Object Over Cheyenne Mountain in February 2022 was
Possible Backscattering of Sunlight
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An airborne object over Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
/was observed by five U.S. Army service members at Fort Carson,
/backscattering of sunlight.
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/Colorado at 0935 MNT on 15 February 2022, was possibly
has low confidence in this
/assessment based on uncertainty in the field of view of each
/witness, amount of snow cover, and exact elevation and amount of
/cloud cover. No anomalous data or characteristics were recorded or
/assessed, and the event did not represent an unknown adversarial
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/capability.
/
/ According to the accounts of five U.S. Army service
/members On 15 February 2022, an airborne object was observed
/approximately 6 miles to the west over and slightly behind the
/Cheyenne Mountain silhouette for approximately 30 - 180 seconds.
/The witnesses describe the object as roughly the size of a large
/jet and resembling an angular, non-symmetrical potato made of
/uneven panels, which was completely stationary about 300-500 feet
/above Cheyanne Mountain while slowly changing shape. It had a
/slightly translucent, shimmering white appearance, with defined
/edges and a milky shimmer that reflected sunlight. The witnesses
/noted that the sky was clear, and despite keeping their eyes on the
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/object, it suddenly disappeared.
/
/ At 0945 MST on February 15, 2022, in Colorado Springs,
/the sun was positioned at an altitude of about 27.5 over the
/horizon in the southeast sky and roughly at an azimuth of 125,
/casting shadows toward the northwest and providing soft, angled
/light. According historical the National Water and Climate Center
/reporting, snow depth on Cheyenne Mountain likely ranged from 6 to
/12 inches. Although witnesses reported clear, blue skies, multiple
/weather reports, including those from AFWA and Weather Underground,
/indicated the presence of clouds, suggesting that the skies were
/partly to mostly cloudy that morning.
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/ Analysis possibly indicates that the positioning of the
/sun in relation to Cheyenne Mountain would allow for backscattering
/of sunlight reflecting off snow-covered ground. This reflection
/could illuminate low-level clouds in the vicinity, which might
/account for the visibility of the object followed by its sudden
/shifted slightly, causing the reflection to vanish.
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/disappearance. It is possible that either the clouds or the sun
has low
/confidence in this assessment based on uncertainty in the field of
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/view of each witness, and exact level of cloud cover.
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/ Analyst Note: Altostratus clouds are a kind of mid-level cloud
/known for their consistent gray or blue-gray appearance. These
/clouds usually develop at altitudes ranging from 6,500 to 23,000
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/feet (about 2,000 to 7,000 meters) and can create a dense, uniform
/layer across the sky or thin and wispy. While they often appear
/opaque, altostratus clouds can permit some sunlight to pass
/through, resulting in a luminous effect. Typically, the presence of
/altostratus clouds suggests that precipitation is imminent, as they
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/may bring light rain or snow.
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/ Analyst Note: Backscattering is the phenomenon where sunlight
/reflects off the snow-covered ground and reflects upwards,
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/scattering through the atmosphere and illuminate low-level clouds.
/This is especially noticeable when the sun is low over the horizon.
/ No aircraft or balloons were noted active in or around
/Cheyenne Mountain during the time the witnesses saw the airborne
/object.
/
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page 4 of 4 View the official fileFrequently Asked Questions
What exactly did the witnesses observe?
Five U.S. Army service members at Fort Carson observed an airborne object approximately 6 miles to the west over Cheyenne Mountain. They described it as roughly the size of a large jet with an angular, non-symmetrical potato-like shape made of uneven panels. The object had a slightly translucent, shimmering white appearance with defined edges and a milky shimmer that reflected sunlight. It remained stationary about 300-500 feet above the mountain while slowly changing shape, then suddenly disappeared after 30 to 180 seconds.
What is the backscattering explanation?
Backscattering occurs when sunlight reflects off snow-covered ground and scatters upward through the atmosphere to illuminate low-level clouds. On February 15, the sun was positioned low in the southeast sky at about 27.5 degrees above the horizon. Snow on Cheyenne Mountain ranged from 6 to 12 inches deep. This positioning would have allowed sunlight to reflect off the snow and illuminate clouds in the vicinity, potentially creating the appearance of a distinct object. When either the clouds or the sun shifted, the reflection would have vanished.
Why do analysts have low confidence in this explanation?
Analysts stated they have low confidence in the backscattering assessment based on multiple uncertainties. These include uncertainty in the field of view of each witness, the exact elevation and amount of cloud cover, and the amount of snow cover. Additionally, weather reports conflicted with witness accounts, with multiple sources indicating partly to mostly cloudy skies even though witnesses reported clear, blue skies.
Could this have been an unknown threat or adversarial capability?
No. The analysis found no anomalous data or characteristics in the incident. The event did not represent an unknown adversarial capability. Additionally, no aircraft or balloons were noted active in or around Cheyenne Mountain during the time the witnesses observed the object.
Congressional Context
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