The Lights Filmed by Discovery
A shuttle camera filmed points of light drifting above Earth, then darting off in new directions after a flash.
What was reported
On 15 September 1991, during the STS-48 mission, a camera on Space Shuttle Discovery was pointed at the Earth's horizon at night. It recorded several glowing points moving slowly across the view. Then there was a flash, and some of the points suddenly changed direction and sped away, while a streak crossed the frame.
The footage was shown on television and is still among the most-watched UFO videos.
Explanations offered
NASA said the points were small ice particles and bits of debris near the shuttle, lit by the Sun, and the flash was one of the shuttle's thrusters firing, which pushed them away. Some researchers argued that the motion didn't look like particles being pushed, which keeps the video in dispute.
- When
- 15 September 1991
- Where
- In orbit, filmed from Space Shuttle Discovery
- Witnesses
- A camera on Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-48)
- 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.