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1950s Palomar Photos Show Fleeting 'Starlike' Flashes — Study Suggests Possible Artificial Origin

Scientists analyzing digitized Palomar Observatory plates from 1949–1957 report brief, starlike flashes that show up on a single exposure and disappear by the next. These transients were recorded years before the first satellite and were compared across a dataset covering more than 2,700 days. The team found transient activity increased roughly 8.5% for each additional UAP report and observed correlations with dates of above‑ground nuclear tests, though they stress correlation is not proof of causation.

03:14 AM, 12/04/2025Science

Researchers re-examining archival photographic plates from the Palomar Observatory report brief, pointlike flashes that appeared on a single exposure and vanished by the next. These transients were recorded in images taken between 1949 and 1957 — years before the launch of the first artificial satellite — prompting renewed interest in historical records of unexplained aerial phenomena.

The team inspected digitized glass plates from the first Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (1949–1957). They define “transients” as starlike sources that appear on one plate but are absent on successive exposures of the same sky region, sometimes within the roughly one-hour interval between frames.

“We’ve ruled out some of the prosaic explanations, and it means we have to at least consider the possibility that these might be artificial objects from somewhere,” said Stephen Bruehl of Vanderbilt University. The authors emphasize that ruling out ordinary causes does not yet establish a definitive origin.

As part of their analysis, the researchers compiled a dataset spanning more than 2,700 days. They cross-referenced transient detection dates with records of above‑ground nuclear tests and with contemporaneous reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). Their statistical analysis found that transient activity increased by about 8.5% for each additional UAP report on the same date.

While the study notes a correlation between transient detections and both UAP sightings and dates of nuclear testing, the authors caution that correlation does not prove causation. They acknowledge remaining uncertainties, potential selection biases in the archival data, and other possible natural and instrumental explanations that require further investigation.

The findings add objective, historical data to discussions about UAPs and demonstrate the value of digitized astronomical archives for re-evaluating past observations. The researchers call for additional archival searches, independent re-analysis, and new observations to clarify the nature and origin of these brief starlike flashes.

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