Federal law enforcement agents reported observing a transparent, hovering object in the western United States in October 2023, according to a recently declassified Pentagon document. The incident, detailed in a report submitted to the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), is part of the Trump administration's ongoing release of UFO-related information.
The witness account describes the object as translucent, allowing observers to see stars, hills, and vegetation through its body, an effect compared to looking through water. The anomaly reportedly floated between 15 and 20 feet above the ground and moved silently.
Sequence of Encounters
The sighting of the transparent object was the culmination of a two-day period marked by several unusual aerial phenomena. The encounters began with reports of strange lights moving in groups miles away. On the first night, agents driving through a valley observed a large, glowing orange sphere near a hillside. The sphere, estimated to be 20 feet or more in diameter, emitted a bright glow despite the dimming evening light and lacked any discernible structure, frame, or shell. It remained visible for a short time before vanishing without a sound.
Approximately 20 minutes later, a similar object appeared several miles away, its orange glow lasting only a couple of seconds. Three red lights reportedly emerged from this object and rapidly disappeared, coinciding with a bright flash on the horizon. This sequence repeated with the red lights departing in a different formation.
Later that night, agents encountered an object on the road that resembled a vehicle but did not behave like one. It appeared to hover, did not kick up dust, and moved off the road as another vehicle approached. When the agents stopped, the lights turned off, and a darker object was observed moving upward and away.
Further Observations
Hours later, agents reported seeing dust and a "spiderweb-like material" before observing what appeared to be the same object again. This time, the object was described as partially transparent, with agents able to identify the locations of two previously illuminated lights even though they were no longer glowing. The ability to see through the object, including stars and terrain features, was a notable aspect of this encounter. The report does not provide an explanation for the observed phenomena.
This incident is among dozens of other documents, photographs, and videos released by the Pentagon as part of its UFO disclosure efforts. Previous releases included reports of glowing orbs and a video of a "plasma-like sphere" over the northeastern U.S., as well as historical CIA files concerning investigations into unidentified flying objects. Future releases of these files are expected periodically.