The Trindade Island Photographs
From the deck of a navy ship, a photographer took four pictures of a ringed object flying around a remote Atlantic island.
What was reported
On 16 January 1958, the Brazilian Navy ship Almirante Saldanha was at Trindade Island, a remote volcanic island in the South Atlantic, as part of a scientific programme. Almiro Baraúna, a photographer on board, took four photographs of an object shaped like the planet Saturn, flying around the island's peaks.
Several crew members said they saw it too. Brazil's president, Juscelino Kubitschek, allowed the photos to be released, and they were published around the world.
Explanations offered
Sceptics argue the photos were a hoax by double exposure. Baraúna was known for trick photography and had earlier published fake UFO pictures as a joke. Others point to the crew witnesses and the navy's own investigation, which did not find a hoax.
- When
- 16 January 1958
- Where
- Trindade Island, South Atlantic, Brazil
- Witnesses
- A photographer and crew aboard a Brazilian Navy ship
- 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.