Latest news with #Elizondo
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Massive 1,000-Foot UFO Found In US? Social Media Detectives Debunk The Claim
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A viral photo claims to show a massive UFO over the Southwest. Luis Lue Elizondo, a former Department of Defense employee, shared it. Upon examining the pic, social media sleuths called out Elizondo. A mysterious photo believed to be of a massive 1,000-foot-wide UFO, hovering over the American Southwest, has gone viral on social media. Released by controversial former Department of Defence employee and activist Luis "Lue" Elizondo, the image has caught the attention of social media users who are now debating if the picture is real or if it has been digitally altered. The grainy photo was allegedly snapped by a commercial airline pilot in 2021 flying at 21,000 feet near the Four Corners landmark joining parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. "Captured near Four Corners at FL20, estimated 600-1,000 ft in diameter, silver-hued, disc-shaped," the UAP Disclosure Fund captioned the image on X (formerly Twitter). ✈️ NEW PHOTO (civilian pilot) Captured near Four Corners at FL210—estimated 600-1,000 ft in diameter, silver-hued, disc-shaped. Released moments ago by @LueElizondo during our 'Science, National Security & Innovation' panel. Several speakers confirmed DoD & IC hold hundreds of… — UAP Disclosure Fund (@UAPDF) May 1, 2025 As soon as the image was posted, the internet detectives got to business and pointed out that the picture was really just two crop circles, commonly spotted in desert climates. "This is clearly a crop circle, not a UAP. Mislabeling known terrestrial phenomena erodes public trust and undermines legitimate disclosure efforts. Please correct this mistake, your reputation is on the line," wrote one user. Some users also compared the image to a side-by-side Google Maps pic to show that there was nothing "alien" about the media shared by the ex-federal officer. 'Are you guys serious? Have you never flown in a plane before? These agricultural circles are extremely common,' said another user. Elizondo issues statement After the photo and related claims were debunked by the social media users, Mr Elizondo released a statement, admitting he got it wrong but refused to share an apology. Mr Elizondo said he had been provided the photo by a pilot prior to the forum. "The purpose of me showing the photo was to illustrate the need for civilian and commercial pilots to have a central reporting mechanism to report potential anomalous sightings," he wrote. "In the end, whether a private pilot sees what turns out to be a cloud, a balloon, a tennis shoe, or a UAP, we need a reporting mechanism to ensure it can be analysed and resolved. This was the reason I shared the photo, and I emphasised that several times during the forum." As you know, I am always first to admit mistakes, but this is not one of those times. The facts regarding the photo I shared from a private pilot (as I emphasized several times yesterday during the forum) are as follows: 1. The specific photo had only just been provided to me… — Lue Elizondo (@LueElizondo) May 2, 2025 This is not the first instance when Mr Elizondo has come under scrutiny for his "extraterrestrial" claims, with the Pentagon also debunking his statements that alien life was present on Earth.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Who is Lue Elizondo? The ex-Pentagon official behind the controversial ‘1,000-foot UFO' photo
A photo claiming to show a 1,000-foot-wide UFO near the Four Corners region in US has stirred up widespread intrigue and scepticism across the internet. The grainy image, reportedly taken by a commercial airline pilot in 2021, shows a silver, disc-shaped object allegedly hovering over the landmark intersection of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. The image was recently presented by former Department of Defense employee Luis 'Lue' Elizondo during a panel organised by the UAP Disclosure Fund, according to the New York Post. (Also read: Mysterious underwater 'UFO base' believed to be alien hub spotted off Southern California coast) Internet users and sceptics were quick to analyse the photo, suggesting that the so-called flying saucer was nothing more than two crop irrigation circles seen from above. Some pointed out that one circle was darker than the other, giving the illusion of a shadow and making the formation appear like a single 3D object. Despite the criticism, Elizondo remained firm in his position, noting that the photo was presented merely to highlight the lack of a formal reporting system for pilots. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Elizondo offered a detailed explanation: 'As you know, I am always first to admit mistakes, but this is not one of those times,' he wrote. 'The facts regarding the photo I shared from a private pilot… are as follows: 2. The photo had NOT YET been vetted. 3. The dimensions I quoted were per the pilot's own assessment of what he saw, based on altitude and experience.' He stressed that the purpose of sharing the image was not to assert it as verified evidence, but to underscore a larger issue. 'This illustrates a bigger point here… when pilots come out to share what they feel may be anomalous, they are faced with fierce ridicule… and learn quickly not to ever share again.' Check out his post here: Noted UAP sceptic Mick West challenged the authenticity of the image, pointing out that shadow patterns in the surrounding hills don't align with claims of a large object casting its own shadow. Elizondo has previously faced criticism for promoting UFO evidence that was later debunked, with Pentagon officials disputing many of his claims. The panel, held in Washington, D.C., also featured US Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Tim Burchett, along with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb and nuclear physicist Eric Davis. Davis claimed that four alien species—'grays,' 'Nordics,' 'reptilian,' and 'insectoid'—have visited Earth.
New York Post
02-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Internet divided over photo of ‘1,000-foot UFO' near Four Corners: ‘Clearly a crop circle'
Is it really out of this world? A new photo claiming to be a 1,000-foot-wide UFO near the Four Corners is sending the internet into a frenzy over whether it's the real deal — or just an optical illusion. Internet sleuths claim the photo posted by controversial former Department of Defense employee Luis 'Lue' Elizondo — claiming to show a '1,000-foot'-wide silver, disc-shaped flying saucer — is really just two crop circles common in desert climates. 3 New photos indicating a 1,000-foot-wide UFO near the Four Corners had led the internet into a frenzy as to whether it is real, or nothing more than an optical illusion. Oversight Committee/UAPDF / SWNS A comparison with Google Maps in the same region shows two irrigation circles, with one darker than the other to make it appear as its shadow, posts showed. 'This is clearly a crop circle, not a UAP [unidentified flying object],' wrote user Dr. Diclosure. 'Mislabeling known terrestrial phenomena erodes public trust and undermines legitimate disclosure efforts. Please correct this mistake — your reputation is on the line,' they said. In several replies, the elusive picture was compared side-by-side to images of crop circles, which appeared nearly identical to the reported UFO. 'Are you guys serious? Have you never flown in a plane before? These agricultural circles are extremely common,' said user Jeff Knox. 3 The photo, which was posted by ex-Department of Defense employee Luis 'Lue' Elizondo — claiming to show a '1,000-foot'-wide silver, disc-shaped flying saucer — is really just two crop circles. Google/Airbus/Maxar / SWNS 'The second one just looks like they did a recent field burn of it. JFC, this is embarrassing, and why there is stigma in this topic,' Knox said. The photo went viral after Elizondo presented it at a UAP Disclosure Fund-organized panel. 'Captured near Four Corners at FL20 — estimated 600 – 1,000 ft in diameter, silver-hued, disc-shaped,' the UAP Disclosure Fund posted on X. 3 The crop circles are common in desert climates, as internet sleuths discovered that Google Maps in the same area shows two irrigation circles with one darker than the other to make it appear as its shadow. / SWNS The grainy photo was allegedly snapped by a commercial airline pilot in 2021 flying at 21,000 feet near the Four Corners landmark joining parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado, Elizondo claimed. Elizonda had pointed to the apparent shadow cast by the large 'lenticular' object as part of the evidence for the existence of a physical craft in the photo. But noted UAP debunker Mick West pointed out that shadow patterns in the hills are counterfactual to the claim that the object is creating its own shadow, according to a blog post. Elizondo has previously come under fire for presenting evidence of UAPs or UFOs that were later debunked — with the Pentagon pushing back against claims that alien life is present on Earth. The UAP Disclosure Fund panel included US Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), and Harvard astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb for a discussion Thursday in Washington, DC. Astrophysicist and nuclear engineer Eric Davis, another member of the panel, claimed during the event that there are four types of alien species that have visited planet Earth, namely 'grays,' 'Nordics,' 'reptilian' and 'insectoid.'
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Shocking truth behind incredible UFO image that stunned Congress
Internet sleuths have already discovered the stunning truth behind a ' UFO ' image shared on Capitol Hill yesterday by a Pentagon whistleblower. Former military intelligence official Luis Elizondo spoke before Congress Thursday morning, revealing a never-before-seen image of a cruise ship–sized craft he claimed was spotted hovering 21,000 feet in the air over the western US. The image quickly flooded social media and was debunked in less than 24 hours. Users analyzed the photo and located the object, discovering it was actually a snapshot of two irrigation circles in rural Colorado. Mick West, a British-American science writer and conspiracy theory investigator, wrote on X: 'This UFO photo shows two irrigation circles. 'The roads are perfectly aligned, and the 'shadow' is in the wrong direction.' West also noted that this isn't the first time Elizondo, who led the Pentagon's program investigating UFO sightings for 10 years, has made a major UFO blunder. One glaring mistake involved a high-resolution image of a supposed 'mothership' in 2022, which appeared to be piercing through clouds over Romania. It was later debunked as the window reflection of an indoor chandelier lamp. 'It makes you wonder why Elizondo gets fooled by things like this,' West added in his post on X. 'Is he just really bad at analyzing UAP?' John Greenewald, the creator of The Black Vault, a website archiving millions of declassified government documents, added that a Reddit post revealed the circles in the newest image were sitting on County Road X, in Colorado's Lincoln County. 'I've said it a million times. The internet, and (some) of the users within it, are an amazing resource,' Greenewald tweeted. Others in the Reddit thread were less forgiving toward Elizondo, with many accusing him of spreading disinformation. 'Trying to clown all of us,' one user wrote. 'If any of the people coming forward are serious, they'll distance themselves from him.' 'Really brings into question what they are doing with disclosure. Starting to think that Elizondo and co. are just disinformation agents,' another added. Elizondo served as the moderator at the congressional briefing, which featured well-known figures in the UFO community, including Harvard scientist Avi Loeb and Tim Gallaudet, a retired Navy Rear Admiral who has long claimed the existence of underwater alien bases. Despite his role as moderator, Elizondo took a moment to present the image, which he implied was a UFO. 'You would think this information would be important for somebody to look at,' Elizondo said, challenging the US government to take UFO sightings more seriously. He told the room of government officials that a civilian pilot had captured the photo while flying over the Four Corners — where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet at a single point. He described it as being up to 1,000 feet long and metallic. Despite the criticism, Elizondo doubled down on showing the photo at Thursday's hearing, saying on X Friday that it was an unvetted image he used to prove a point about civilian pilots lacking access to UFO-reporting resources. 'The purpose of me showing the photo was to illustrate the need for civilian and commercial pilots to have a central reporting mechanism to report potential anomalous sightings,' Elizondo posted on X Friday. 'In this case, the pilot who took the photo, using his own camera, did not have a way to report what he believed was anomalous,' he continued. 'The ones who are screaming about it (instead of discussing respectfully it as I hoped) missed the entire point of the photo and are not helping other pilots in the future from coming forward,' the whistleblower added. Some on social media understood how the pilot and Elizondo could have mistaken the irrigation circles as a UFO, as even the full-color maps of the area tricked some viewers on Reddit. 'Even this one kinda gives the optical illusion effect makes it look like the green circle is floating,' one person admitted. was able to track down this area of Colorado on Google Maps, revealing that there are actually several center-pivot irrigation fields all in a row next to the ones in Elizondo's photo. In this method of farming, a central pivot point anchors a long irrigation arm that rotates around it, watering crops in a circular pattern. The fields can reach up to a mile in diameter. The ones in the photo shown to Congress are approximately between 1,300 and 2,600 feet long, which would fall in line with the reports of the size of the now-debunked UFO. Thursday's hearing was led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the Republican congresswoman from Florida charged by President Trump with overseeing the disclosure of several classified events, including UFO sightings. Loeb, an Israeli-American astrophysicist at Harvard, said at the hearing that 'there are objects in the sky that we don't understand' while explaining the need for increased funding for UFO detection. The Harvard scientist said that at least one billion dollars needs to be committed to improving America's efforts to track and monitor the movements of UFOs and UAPs.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Military Whistleblower Showed a Photo of an Allegedly Huge "Disc-Shaped" Object, But There's an Incredibly Obvious Explanation
Self-styled Pentagon whistleblower and former US Army counterintelligence officer Luis "Lue" Elizondo showed off a peculiar image of what appeared to be a gigantic, disc-shaped object floating hundreds of feet above the ground, during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee meeting this week. The briefing, which took place on Thursday, was hosted by the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Fund, a nonpartisan political advocacy group "committed to uncovering the truth about UAPs," a less-stigmatized term used by government officials to refer to UFOs. Also present at the meeting was Harvard professor and noted UFO hunter Avi Loeb. According to a tweet by the Disclosure Fund, the object was "estimated 600-1,000 ft in diameter, silver-hued, disc-shaped," which the group used to call for "full declassification and open scientific analysis." "This was taken by a civilian pilot," Elizondo claimed during the meeting. "But again, you'd think this information would be important for somebody to look at," he added, while holding up a printout of the image. According to Elizondo, "an average person with an average camera" took the photo at "21,000 feet." "The object is potentially anywhere between 600 and 1,000 feet in diameter," he added. "It's a lenticular object, and it is silver." However, despite making a big deal out of the image, he admitted that he couldn't "vouch for the veracity of this photograph," quipping that "I didn't take it." At first glance, it does indeed look like an alien ship from a Hollywood movie. But as eagle-eyed users on Reddit quickly pointed out, Elizondo's purported smoking gun has a hilariously simple explanation. On the platform's otherwise conspiracy theory-friendly r/UFOs community, user mattperkins86 traced back the satellite image to two adjacent, perfectly circular fields, with the nearer, much darker one perfectly lining up to look like the second circle's shadow. The two circles, located an hour east of Colorado Springs, can be spotted on Google Earth here. Put the pieces together, and showing the image as evidence of a UFO makes Elizondo look absolutely buffoonish. "He HAD to have known that if this thing was fake, it was going to be found," mattperkins86 wrote. "So I am left thinking that this is intentional, I guess." "This is actually hilarious," one user wrote. "Not even a crop circle, just regular crops in a circle." UFO debunker Mick West also had a closer look, finding that the shadows simply didn't line up the way they should if it was an object floating above the ground. Elizondo tried to retrofit the photo after the criticism, arguing in a lengthy tweet that the "specific photo had only just been provided to me (by a private pilot) that morning, prior to the forum" admitting that the photo "had NOT YET been vetted." "The dimensions I quoted, were per the pilot's own assessment of what he saw, based on altitude and experience," he added. "As you know, I am always first to admit mistakes, but this is not one of those times," Elizondo wrote. Instead of admitting his gaffe, Elizondo argued that the incident "illustrates a bigger point" that pilots and other individuals reporting UFO sightings may be "faced with fierce ridicule." Of course, none of that really addresses the core criticism: that he shared an unvetted photo that was handed to him hours earlier, seemingly having done no due diligence. The incident, following almost a decade of public government investigations into the UAPs, shows that even though it's a singularly grabby topic — or perhaps exactly because of that reality — official discussions often devolve into a laughable circus. Officials have repeatedly pushed back against claims that the US government is hiding recovered alien spaceships that crashed on Earth, or that the Pentagon was conspiring against the public to keep evidence of extraterrestrials secret. As he's admitted, Elizondo already has a track record of showing off debunked evidence of UFOs. "A photo that was provided to me by a friend in Government a couple of years ago was presented by me two days ago at our engagement in Philadelphia," he admitted in an October tweet. "Looks like we can put this one bed, as our friends in Twitter figured/solved this one, major bravo to you!" The photo, which Elizondo alleged to show a "mothership" UFO, turned out to be a simple, unusually-shaped cloud. Elizondo has previously alleged that military pilots had received radiation burns after making close encounters with UFOs, and that other pilots had experienced the "warping of space time." The former intelligence official has strongly advocated for the release of classified information regarding UAPs, promising to turn up the pressure on the Defense Department's UAP Task Force. In 2017, Elizondo resigned from the DoD in protest of the "bureaucratic challenges and inflexible mindsets" that he said "plague" his former employer and its treatment of the "UAP issue," according to an official bio submitted to Congress. After years of hunting for evidence of UFOs, though, Elizondo has little to show. His repeated efforts to prove their existence using phony pictures of crops and clouds aren't helping his ambitions. Whether his latest slip-up will meaningfully add to the discussion and reduce the stigma surrounding the subject remains dubious at best. If anything, chances are it could risk further undermining the UAP Disclosure Fund's legitimacy. Even the r/UFOs community, which remains extremely open-minded when it comes to the supernatural, is starting to turn on him. "Jesus, this is embarrassing," one user wrote in response to Elizondo's latest gaffe. More on UFOs: There's Another Reason Flights Have Been So Messed Up Lately: UFO Sightings
