Within Sensor Artefacts
When Multiple Sensors Disagree About a UFO
Comparing radar, thermal and visible-light recordings often reveals whether unusual motion comes from the object or the sensor.
On this page
- Comparing thermal and visible light footage
- How radar and video can contradict each other
- Using AI to spot sensor inconsistencies
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
A single UFO video can look convincing while still being heavily shaped by the camera that recorded it. That is why investigators increasingly compare several sensor types at once rather than relying on one dramatic clip. If a thermal camera shows a rotating object but visible-light footage does not, or if radar tracks steady motion while video appears to show impossible acceleration, the disagreement often points to a sensor artefact instead of extraordinary flight behaviour.
Modern UFO and UAP investigations therefore treat multi-sensor comparison as one of the fastest ways to separate genuine movement from camera-generated illusion. NASA’s independent UAP study warned that many cases are difficult to interpret because of “poor sensor calibration”, missing metadata and a lack of multiple measurements. [The Debrief]thedebrief.orgThe DebriefNASA's Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Report14 Sept 2023 — “At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor sensor cali… [Space In practice]space.comsensor metadata, and the lack of baseline data," the report states.Read moreSpaceNASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial…14 Sept 2023 — "At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor senso…, that means a sighting supported by only one imaging mode is far more vulnerable to glare, tracking errors, stabilisation artefacts, parallax mistakes and depth illusions than a case independently confirmed across radar, infrared, visible-light and environmental data.
Comparing Thermal and Visible-Light Footage
Thermal imaging and visible-light cameras do not record the world in the same way. A visible camera captures reflected light. A thermal sensor measures heat contrast and converts temperature differences into an image. The same object can therefore appear radically different across the two systems.
This difference becomes especially important in military UFO footage. A distant aircraft engine, hot exhaust plume or sun-heated surface may appear as a featureless glowing blob in infrared while looking ordinary in daylight footage. When only the thermal image survives, viewers may mistake sensor bloom or optical glare for the actual shape of the object.
The Navy “Gimbal” footage became a major example of this problem. Many viewers interpreted the rotating bright form as evidence of a rotating craft. Alternative technical analyses argued that the apparent rotation aligned more closely with infrared glare and camera mechanics than with physical object rotation. [Metabunk]metabunk.orga gimbal glare explainer.12230MetabunkA Gimbal Glare Explainer17 Jan 2022 — But this glare would not rotate in sync with the rotating gimbal since the derotation devic… [Metabunk]metabunk.orgGimbal UFOA New Analysis14 Mar 2022 — It's probably an infrared glare, hiding the hot object behind it, and rotating only because the camera rotate… The debate remains contested, but the case demonstrated an important investigative principle: if the object truly rotated in space, the motion should ideally appear consistently across multiple sensing systems rather than only through one infrared presentation mode.
Multi-sensor comparison changes the question from “does the object look strange?” to “do different instruments agree about the same behaviour?”
Investigators typically look for several warning signs:
- Thermal expansion without visible structure: infrared footage may show a large glowing shape while optical footage shows only a small point source.
- Rotation visible in one sensor only: often associated with glare, lens reflections or gimbal mechanics.
- Heat signature inconsistent with apparent size: a supposedly enormous object may display a thermal profile more consistent with a distant jet exhaust or atmospheric hotspot.
- Edge instability: thermal bloom often causes soft edges that pulse or deform independently of the object’s actual motion.
AI-assisted workflows can automate some of these comparisons. Image-analysis systems can synchronise timestamps, compare motion vectors between sensors and flag moments where shape changes occur in only one imaging mode. If an object appears to “transform” exclusively in infrared while radar and optical tracking remain stable, the probability of a sensor-origin effect rises sharply.
How Radar and Video Can Contradict Each Other
Radar often provides the most useful external check on dramatic video claims because radar measures reflected radio energy rather than visible appearance. A camera may exaggerate motion through zoom, tracking jitter or parallax while radar shows slow, ordinary travel.
The “GoFast” Navy video illustrates this problem clearly. The infrared footage appeared to show a fast-moving object skimming low over the ocean at extreme speed. Later analyses from the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) concluded that the apparent velocity was largely caused by parallax and viewing geometry rather than extraordinary propulsion. [UFO Transparency]ufotransparency.comUFO TransparencyAARO Resolves Go Fast as Parallax, 2025, All-domain Anomaly…AARO's February 2025 case resolution concludes with high c… DefenseScoop This matters because the dramatic impression came mainly from the camera perspective. The tracking system locked onto a distant object while [defensescoop.com]defensescoop.comuap aaro findings go fast puerto rico mt etna objectsPentagon's UAP office reviews findings on Go Fast, Puerto…19 Nov 2024 — The head of the Defense Department's All-Domain Anomaly Resolu… the observing aircraft itself moved rapidly. Without stable depth references, the target appeared to race across the water even though its actual motion was much slower.
When radar and video disagree, investigators usually examine four possibilities:
- Parallax distortion
A distant object appears to move rapidly because the observing platform is moving. Fighter jets, helicopters and drones commonly generate this effect.
- Tracking-system instability
Auto-tracking cameras may overshoot, re-centre or jitter around the target, producing apparent sudden acceleration.
- Radar ambiguity or clutter
Radar itself can generate false returns from atmospheric layers, sea clutter, birds or multiple overlapping reflections.
- Time synchronisation errors
Slight timestamp mismatches between radar logs and video feeds can create false impressions of impossible manoeuvres.
A strong multi-sensor case therefore depends on independent agreement. If radar, optical footage, infrared footage and flight telemetry all indicate the same acceleration, direction and altitude change, confidence increases that the movement was physically real. If only one system records the dramatic behaviour, investigators become more cautious.
This is one reason NASA and other research groups emphasise calibrated, multi-source observation networks rather than isolated clips. [The Debrief]thedebrief.orgThe DebriefNASA's Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Report14 Sept 2023 — “At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor sensor cali… [Space]space.comsensor metadata, and the lack of baseline data," the report states.Read moreSpaceNASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial…14 Sept 2023 — "At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor senso…
Why Sensor Disagreement Often Reveals the Artefact
In many UFO investigations, disagreement between instruments is not a failure. It is the clue.
A genuine physical object should usually create compatible evidence across systems operating at the same time. The object may look different in thermal versus visible-light imagery, but the underlying movement, position and timing should broadly align.
Artefacts behave differently. They often appear inside only one sensing pathway.
Examples include:
- Lens flare appearing in optical footage but absent from radar and thermal data.
- Infrared bloom changing object shape without corresponding radar size changes.
- Rolling-shutter distortion in phone cameras producing warped motion not reflected in external tracking systems.
- Digital stabilisation artefacts causing apparent zig-zag movement while radar shows straight flight.
- Compression glitches introducing frame-to-frame jumps in streamed or recompressed video.
This distinction becomes especially important in public UFO debates because human observers naturally trust coherent-looking imagery. A glowing object that rotates smoothly on screen feels physically real even when the movement originates inside the optics or software pipeline.
Multi-sensor disagreement helps break that illusion by forcing investigators to ask which layer of the system actually produced the effect.
Using AI to Spot Sensor Inconsistencies
AI systems are increasingly useful not because they “identify aliens”, but because they can compare large amounts of sensor data far faster than a human analyst.
In UFO case analysis, AI-assisted tools are commonly used for:
- timestamp alignment across multiple recordings
- trajectory comparison between sensors
- object persistence checks
- atmospheric and environmental correlation
- anomaly scoring against known artefact patterns
- identifying inconsistencies between radar, thermal and optical motion
For example, an automated workflow may detect that an object accelerates sharply in one infrared stream while remaining stationary relative to stars in visible-light footage. That discrepancy immediately suggests a tracking or stabilisation issue rather than true acceleration.
Machine-learning systems can also compare new footage against libraries of known artefacts:
- aircraft anti-collision lights
- satellite flares
- thermal blooming patterns
- drone lighting configurations
- autofocus hunting
- sensor washout
- rolling-shutter wobble
- gimbal rotation signatures [metabunk.org]metabunk.orggimbal lock and derotation in flir atflir systems.10792Gimbal Lock and Derotation in FLIR/ATFLIR systemsJun 27, 2019 — In order to correct for the rotation of the image, the derotation device…
The goal is not to dismiss unusual footage automatically. Instead, AI acts as a triage layer that highlights where the evidence diverges across instruments.
Several scientific UAP projects now emphasise multimodal observation systems for exactly this reason. The Galileo Project, for example, has described integrated observatories combining infrared cameras, optical systems and auxiliary sensors so that unusual observations can be cross-checked instead of interpreted from a single viewpoint alone. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXivCommissioning An All-Sky Infrared Camera Array for Detection Of Airborne ObjectsNovember 12, 2024…
The Most Important Question Is Consistency
The strongest UFO evidence is rarely the most visually dramatic footage. It is the evidence that survives cross-checking.
Investigators generally place greater weight on cases where:
- multiple independent sensors recorded the same event
- timestamps align accurately
- environmental conditions are known
- sensor calibration data exists [space.com]space.comsensor metadata, and the lack of baseline data," the report states.Read moreSpaceNASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial…14 Sept 2023 — "At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor senso…
- radar and imagery support the same motion profile
- the object remains unusual after geometry and optics checks
By contrast, many famous UFO clips remain disputed precisely because the apparent anomaly depends heavily on one viewing system. When thermal footage, radar interpretation and optical expectations begin to diverge, the possibility of sensor artefacts becomes difficult to ignore.
That does not mean every unresolved case has a mundane explanation. Some sightings remain unexplained because the available data is incomplete, contradictory or too limited for firm conclusions. But multi-sensor comparison remains one of the most reliable tools for determining whether extraordinary-looking behaviour belongs to the object itself or to the camera system observing it.
Endnotes
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Source: space.com
Title: sensor metadata, and the lack of baseline data,” the report states.Read more
Link: https://www.space.com/nasa-ufo-uap-study-team-first-results-revealedSource snippet
SpaceNASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial...14 Sept 2023 — "At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor senso...
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Source: metabunk.org
Title: a [gimbal glare]({{ ‘gimbal-glare/’ | relative_url }}) explainer.12230
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/a-gimbal-glare-explainer.12230/Source snippet
MetabunkA Gimbal Glare Explainer17 Jan 2022 — But this glare would not rotate in sync with the rotating gimbal since the derotation devic...
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Source: metabunk.org
Title: Gimbal UFO
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/gimbal-ufo-a-new-analysis.12333/Source snippet
A New Analysis14 Mar 2022 — It's probably an infrared glare, hiding the hot object behind it, and rotating only because the camera rotate...
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Source: metabunk.org
Title: gimbal lock and derotation in flir atflir systems.10792
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/gimbal-lock-and-derotation-in-flir-atflir-systems.10792/Source snippet
Gimbal Lock and Derotation in FLIR/ATFLIR systemsJun 27, 2019 — In order to correct for the rotation of the image, the derotation device...
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Source: defensescoop.com
Title: uap aaro findings go fast puerto rico mt etna objects
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2024/11/19/uap-aaro-findings-go-fast-puerto-rico-mt-etna-objects/Source snippet
Pentagon's UAP office reviews findings on Go Fast, Puerto...19 Nov 2024 — The head of the Defense Department's All-Domain Anomaly Resolu...
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Source: metabunk.org
Title: nasa panel analyzes go fast.13174
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/nasa-panel-analyzes-go-fast.13174/Source snippet
NASA panel analyzes GO FAST19 Sept 2023 — The main point of the NASA analysis is that the GO FAST object looks fast because of parallax—b...
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Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.07956Source snippet
arXivCommissioning An All-Sky Infrared Camera Array for Detection Of Airborne ObjectsNovember 12, 2024...
Published: November 12, 2024
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Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11355 -
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Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.18566 -
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Link: https://www.aaro.mil/Source snippet
AARO HomeWelcome to the website for the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Our team of experts leads the U.S. government's effo...
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Title: Official UAP Imagery
Link: https://www.aaro.mil/UAP-Cases/Official-UAP-Imagery/Source snippet
UAP ImageryForward-Looking Infrared video footage of an unidentified object recorded by the aircrew of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F in 2015. "Go F...
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Title: A dataset comprising daily data (
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/Source snippet
MetabunkA dataset comprising daily data (November 19, 1949 -April 28,1957) regarding identified transients, nuclear testing, and UAP repo...
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Title: gimbal glare rotation clouds and angles.14625
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/gimbal-glare-rotation-clouds-and-angles.14625/Source snippet
GImbal Glare, Rotation, Clouds, and Angles8 Dec 2025 — Cue this thread where I am again challenging "how did it get there" assumptions, i...
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Source: metabunk.org
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/the-gimbal-ufo-marik-claims-new-findings-falsify-prosaic-explanations.14839/Source snippet
that has never been clearly demonstrated as necessary from the actual video...
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Source: metabunk.org
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/hypothesis-rotation-of-gimbal-not-caused-by-lens-glare.11782/Source snippet
Rotation of Gimbal not caused by lens glare.Jun 4, 2021 — The rotation on screen is due to the object rotating, or some other hitherto un...
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Source: metabunk.org
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/gimbal-video-simulating-the-atflir-tracking-and-gimbal-rotation.11391/ -
Source: metabunk.org
Title: calculating and visualizing gimbal angles.12237
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/calculating-and-visualizing-gimbal-angles.12237/Source snippet
Calculating and visualizing Gimbal angles.Jan 10, 2022 — In the default loadout it gives a pitch-up angle of around 6 or 7 degrees for 25...
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Title: GIMBA L Video of U.S
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Navy Jet Encounter with Unknown...16 Dec 2017 — So what we are seeing is the [IR glare]({{ 'ir-glare/' | relative_url }}) being bigger than the actual plane, and covering u...
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Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/mick-vs-marik-rotation-glare-gimbal.13739/Source snippet
Mick vs Marik (rotation glare gimbal)4 Nov 2024 — That said, the claim that IR systems don't generate glare does not seem to hold water...
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Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/does-the-beginning-part-of-gimbal-debunk-the-claim-that-the-object-rotates.12068/Source snippet
Does the beginning part of Gimbal debunk the claim that...Oct 13, 2021 — It's the "rotating glare" hypothesis, but might better be calle...
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Title: some refinements to the gimbal sim.12590
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/some-refinements-to-the-gimbal-sim.12590/Source snippet
Some Refinements to the Gimbal Sim20 Aug 2022 — I'm using the glare angle to drive the pod roll in both, but previously it was just glare...
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Title: why does the gimbal shape change.12574
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/why-does-the-gimbal-shape-change.12574/Source snippet
Why does the Gimbal shape change?14 Aug 2022 — Glare is just the spread of the light reaching the camera on the physical elements of the...
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Title: UF O Reports from the US Military and Government War.gov/UFO
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Zaine M. GImbal Glare, Rotation, Clouds, and Angles · Zaine M. Dec 8, 2025 · 2 3.Read more...
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Title: page 3
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Gimbal distance and Speed Range Estimates using Lines...6 Jun 2021 — The real ATFLIR tracking uses contrast based centroid tracking, so...
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Source: space.com
Title: pentagon ufo chief tells senate very anomalous objects need careful study video
Link: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/pentagon-ufo-chief-tells-senate-very-anomalous-objects-need-careful-study-videoSource snippet
Pentagon UFO chief tells Senate 'very anomalous objects'...19 Nov 2024 — In that case, the object's apparent speed in the video was actu...
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Source: aaro.com
Title: Your Partner in Group Reporting | CPM software & more
Link: https://aaro.com/en/Source snippet
Complete software, wide range of services, online support...Read more...
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Source: aaro.org
Link: https://aaro.org/Source snippet
Association of Americans Resident Overseas: AAROThe Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), founded in 1973 is a global, non-p...
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Source: arxiv.org
Link: https://arxiv.org/html/2506.00125v1Source snippet
1 Introduction30 May 2025 — Scientific investigation of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) is limited by poor data quality and incomp...
Published: May 2025
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Source: thedebrief.org
Link: https://thedebrief.org/nasas-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena-report-key-takeaways/Source snippet
The DebriefNASA's Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Report14 Sept 2023 — “At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor sensor cali...
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Source: ufotransparency.com
Link: https://ufotransparency.com/files/decade-2020s-aaro-gofast-case-resolution-2025-aaro-gofast-case-resolution-card-methodology-finalSource snippet
UFO TransparencyAARO Resolves Go Fast as Parallax, 2025, All-domain Anomaly...AARO's February 2025 case resolution concludes with high c...
Published: February 2025
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Source: media.defense.gov
Title: DOPSR 2024 0263 AARO HISTORICAL RECORD REPORT VOLUME 1 2024
Link: https://media.defense.gov/2024/Mar/08/2003409233/-1/-1/0/DOPSR-2024-0263-AARO-HISTORICAL-RECORD-REPORT-VOLUME-1-2024.PDFSource snippet
Historical Record Report Volume 18 Mar 2024 —... data, it is often incomplete or of poor quality. In terms of military reporting, the se...
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Title: uap unidentified anomaly or demand signal
Link: https://pwkinternational.com/2025/11/11/uap-unidentified-anomaly-or-demand-signal/Source snippet
UAP | An [Uncertainty]({{ 'uncertainty-labels/' | relative_url }}) Tax & Demand Signal |11 Nov 2025 — ODNI's declassified preliminary intelligence assessment on UAP that outlines what...
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Link: https://thedebrief.org/we-do-have-some-very-anomalous-objects-new-director-of-pentagons-uap-investigations-tells-lawmakers/Source snippet
“We Do Have Some Very Anomalous Objects,” New...19 Nov 2024 — Examples of AARO's resolved reports also included a now-famous U.S...
Additional References
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Source: war.gov
Title: the department of defense launches the all domain anomaly resolution office web
Link: https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3513171/the-department-of-defense-launches-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office-web/Source snippet
The Department of Defense Launches the All-domain...31 Aug 2023 — The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office's new website provides the pu...
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Source: thenationalnews.com
Title: nasas ufo report advises us government on how to detect mysterious objects
Link: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2023/09/14/nasas-ufo-report-advises-us-government-on-how-to-detect-mysterious-objects/Source snippet
Nasa's UFO report reveals how public can help hunt for...14 Sept 2023 — Released online on Thursday, the 36-page document says that exis...
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Source: meritalk.com
Title: nasa urged to take more permanent role in uap research effort
Link: https://www.meritalk.com/articles/nasa-urged-to-take-more-permanent-role-in-uap-research-effort/Source snippet
NASA Urged to Take More Permanent Role in UAP...15 Sept 2023 — The study team found that most UAP data is “hampered by poor sensor calib...
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Source: nevadacurrent.com
Title: nasa report finds no evidence that ufos are extraterrestrial
Link: https://nevadacurrent.com/2023/09/18/nasa-report-finds-no-evidence-that-ufos-are-extraterrestrial/Source snippet
18 Sept 2023 — Analysis of this data is “hampered by poor sensor calibration, the lack of multiple measurements, the lack of sensor metad...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1gv8xak/aaro_has_resolved_the_go_fast_uap/Source snippet
Wind speed at that altitude was 60 knots. Object moved in a relatively straight...Read more...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Oficina de Resolución de Anomalías en Todos los Dominios
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Oficina de Resolución de Anomalías en Todos los DominiosLa Oficina de Resolución de Anomalías en Todos los Dominios (del inglés: All-d...
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Source: brobible.com
Link: https://brobible.com/culture/article/nasa-releases-33-page-report-ufos/Source snippet
NASA Releases 33 Page Report On UFOs After Yearlong...14 Sept 2023 — At present, analysis of UAP data is hampered by poor sensor calibra...
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Source: avweb.com
Title: nasa report no aliens but more uap investigations needed
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NASA Report: No Aliens, But More UAP Investigations...15 Sept 2023 — The report said investigations have thus far “been hampered by poor...
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Source: academia.edu
Title: UF Os and NASA: There is No Reliable Data, But We Still
Link: https://www.academia.edu/107167561/UFOs_and_NASA_There_is_No_Reliable_Data_But_We_Still_Want_to_Investigate_ThemSource snippet
UAP depends cri cally upon the quality of the data … At present, UAP... low quality of the data exis ng today. In my opinion, NASA has f...
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Source: nypost.com
Title: pentagon claims to debunk famous gofast ufo radar video
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Pentagon claims to debunk famous 'GOFAST' UFO radar...20 Nov 2024 — The “GOFAST” video shows a radar recording of an object that appeare...
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