Near Tremonton, Utah, Delbert Newhouse saw bright lights in the sky. A US Navy officer and photography expert, he picked up a handheld movie camera.
His wife and two children were with him. Newhouse filmed the lights on color film. As he recorded them, one object broke away from the group, moved in the opposite direction, and disappeared from view.
The film remains, but what does it actually show? The US Air Force studied it for several years. Investigators eventually favored an explanation far less mysterious: the lights may have been birds reflecting sunlight.
One Changed Direction and Disappeared
Newhouse reported seeing between 12 and 14 bright objects. His family heard no noise and saw no aircraft, birds, or balloons nearby. They watched the lights for several minutes.
According to his account, one object broke away from the group and continued moving in the opposite direction. It disappeared from view while still moving that way. The camera followed the lights, but the film captured too few details to determine exactly what happened.
Why Consider Birds?
In its initial investigations, the Air Force considered several explanations. Sunlight reflecting off birds or balloons was one possibility. Investigators also considered whether the lights might have been an optical illusion.
The Air Force later leaned toward an explanation involving seabirds, or birds that live near the sea. Investigators identified seabirds in other films, where they appeared as points of light under similar conditions. Those findings supported the possibility that Newhouse’s lights were also birds reflecting sunlight.
A Reliable Cameraman, Limited Footage
The Air Force described Newhouse as a reliable person and an experienced photographer. He had logged more than 1,000 hours of aerial photography. But his experience could not add details the film had failed to capture.
Without fixed reference points, it is difficult to determine how far away the lights were or how large they were. Their altitude and speed cannot be established from the film alone, either.
What Remains Unknown
