The Pajarillo Mark
One night in 1986, a family saw a glowing object near a hill outside Capilla del Monte. Next morning, a huge burn mark lay on the hillside.
What was reported
Capilla del Monte, in the hills of Córdoba, sits beneath Cerro Uritorco, a mountain famous across Argentina for reports of strange lights. In January 1986, a local family said they saw a bright object hovering near Cerro El Pajarillo, a smaller hill nearby.
The next day, a large oval mark of scorched vegetation, roughly 100 metres across, was found on the hillside. Researchers, officials and television crews came to examine it, and the town became the centre of UFO tourism in Argentina.
Explanations offered
Some visitors reported unusual soil readings; others argued the mark was made by a fire, lightning or people, or that it was exaggerated. No official explanation settled the question. The town now celebrates its reputation, with UFO-themed shops and festivals.
- When
- January 1986
- Where
- Cerro El Pajarillo, Capilla del Monte, Córdoba, Argentina
- Witnesses
- A local family and later visitors
- Status
- Disputed
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.