Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

('. .'1atural Phenomena PhDtographed as UI'O~
t\ numb(;r of natural phenomena. \\'ell known in vurjous branches of
the scientific community, but little known to the general public. have
been reported as UFOs. Three classes of these are meteorological, as-
tronomical, and photographic.
Plate 1 shows an excellent example of a lenticular cloud. These
thil~ clouds are usually related to irregularities in ground elevation
thence classified as "orographjc" clouds). and sometJ,mes appear seacked.
one above the other. like a pile of ~aucers. A nwnber have appeared
in UFO reports.
Plat~ 2 illustrates a sub-sun, produced by reflection of the sun
off a laminar arrangement of flat ice crystals (Minnaert, 1954, p. 203).
The Gulfstream aircraft case is tentativr;:]y attributt~d to a sub-sun
(see Case S4).
Plate 3 is a time exposure of the moon, showing traillng due to
the earth's rotation, The explanaticn of such a photograph of the
moon is obvious to anyone familiar with astronomical phvtogl'aphs. Yet
a similar picture showing the trails of the moon and Venus was wiJe1y
printed in newspapers across the country in March 1966. The trails
were dC3cribed as two U~Os.
Although aurora displays can produce colored, fast-moving ar~s
of light of various shapes and brightnesses, it d0CS not appear that
aUl'Ol'1:lS are inv0lved in a substantial number of UFO reports. No
UFO photographs were attributed to aUT0roS in this study.
A. number of purely photographi r: effects call result in UFO-like
images. Two classes are very common. The first is film damage.
Creases ur unusllal pressure produce dark image] on negatives and
bright spots Oil prints made from them. Chcm.il:i·~ damage dUI i:lg devel-
opment can produce either bright or dark spots 011 ne~atives or
prints, The second class is internal reflections, or lens flares
prctlur.ed by unwanted light paths through tht) carnerH optics. MallY
Iddely circulated UFO photographs arc unquestionably the result of
lens flares. Symmetry about a line connecting the flare to,) a bright
li~ht source in the photograph 1S u~ually the clue to identification
of a le~s flare photograph.
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('. .'latt~rill Phenomena Plwtographed ilS lJ)'O~
A numb(:or of natural phenomcna, "'ell knowll in various hranches of
the scientific communHy, but little known to the general public, have
been reported as UFOs. Three classes of these are meteorological, as-
tronomical, and photographic.
Plate 1 shows an excellent eXllmple of a lenticular cloud. These
thit'.. nwnber of pnrely photographi r: effects call result in UFO-like
images. Two c11l~;ses are very common. The first is film damage.
[reases or unUS11al pressure produce dark imageJ on negatives and
bnght spots OIl prj nts made from them. Chemic;') damage dUl i :ig devel-
opment (an produce either bright or dark spots 011 J1e~ativcs or
prints. The sec,1I1u class is intemal l'eflectioJls, or lens flares
pnl;.\1J(:ed by unwanted light paths through the cameI'll optics. MallY
Iduely ci rClila led UFO photographs al'C ungves tionab 1y the resu It of
lens flues. Symmetry about a line connecti ng the flare tu a bright
li~ht source in the photograph 15 u~lIally the clue to id~ntification
of a le~9 flare photograph.
113