UFO photographed on the Moon in 1960

Summary

In February 1960, a man from Grand Blanc, Michigan, captured images of the Moon using a homemade telescope and noticed an unusual object on one of the slides after developing them. The subject, Joe Perry, an amateur astronomer, showed the photos at his pizzeria, where a customer suggested it might be a flying saucer. This caught the attention of two FBI agents, who collected the images and forwarded them to the Air Force for analysis. After a detailed evaluation, experts concluded that the blue spots on the slide were not real images, but defects in the emulsion caused during the developing process. Despite Perry's objections, who insisted on his 30 years of photographic experience and certainty that it was a real object, authorities found no conclusive evidence of a UFO. Eventually, the images were returned to Perry, but the case generated controversy and criticism from researchers questioning the transparency of the process.

Perry's case became a landmark in UFO history, especially due to the involvement of the FBI and the Air Force. Although authorities concluded the spots were technical flaws, Perry and other ufologists remained unconvinced. The lack of public access to the images and the speed with which the case was closed raised suspicions of a possible cover-up. The case also highlighted the tension between public interest in unidentified aerial phenomena and governmental discretion. Although there was no official confirmation of a UFO, the story remains remembered as an example of how testimonies and evidence are handled by official institutions.