Apollo 17 Bright Flashing Object at Distance
Source: NASA-UAP-D2, Apollo 17 Transcript, 1972
Astronauts observed a bright, distant object exhibiting rhythmic flashing in two-flash pattern (bright and dull flashes alternating), rotating in a regular fashion, located approximately 10-12 Earth diameters away from the spacecraft at 11 o'clock position relative to Earth.
“CDR Hey, Bob, I'm looking at what - what Jack was talking about; and it's definitely not a particle that's nearby because there is another one I can look at and get a three-dimensional comparison with. It is a - it is a bright object, and it's obviously rotating because it's flashing. It's way out in the distance, as I say, because there are particles that are close by and it's obviously not one of those. It's apparently rotating in a very rhythmic fashion because the flashes come around almost - almost on time.”
Verbatim from NASA-UAP-D2, Apollo 17 Transcript, 1972 · View original on war.gov
Case details
- Date
- 1972-12-10
- Precision
- day
- Location
- Earth orbit, viewed from Apollo 17 at approximately 11 o'clock position, 10-12 Earth diameters away
- Branch
- NASA
- Unit
- Apollo 17 Commander and Lunar Module Pilot
- Sensors
- eyewitness, photo
- Shape
- Bright object, rotating, with alternating bright and dull flashes
Resolution
Identified as the S-IVB stage, with flashing caused by rotation reflecting sunlight off the side and engine bell
Source document
Agency: NASA
File: NASA-UAP-D2, Apollo 17 Transcript, 1972
Case ID: 1972-NASA-4331CD
View original on war.gov →Extracted via LLM. Verbatim excerpt validated.