The Lights over Deception Island
In the dark of the Antarctic winter, crews at three research stations watched a glowing object hover, change colour and race across the sky.
What was reported
Deception Island is the flooded crater of a volcano in the South Shetland Islands, off the Antarctic Peninsula. In July 1965, during the long winter night, personnel at its Argentine, Chilean and British stations reported a bright lens-shaped object, glowing red and green, moving fast and stopping in mid-air.
The Argentine Navy issued a statement describing the sighting, which said some instruments had been disturbed, and the story ran in newspapers around the world.
Explanations offered
Suggestions include bright planets or stars distorted by the cold air near the horizon, or a satellite catching sunlight. The official reports didn't reach a conclusion. The bases on the island were later destroyed by volcanic eruptions in 1967 and 1969.
- When
- July 1965
- Where
- Deception Island, Antarctica
- Witnesses
- Personnel at Argentine, Chilean and British bases
- Status
- Unidentified
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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