Flying Saucer Photographed Over Oak Ridge, 1947
W.R. Presley captured an image of a flying saucer while photographing his Oak Ridge home.
May 8, 2026
Pending
PURSUE Program
AI Disclosure Brief
AI assistedReported Object Read
W.R. Presley photographed a flying saucer over a mountain while snapping pictures near his home at 218 Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in July 1947. Two photos enclosed with FBI report; first local image reported over the area amid multiple sightings.
Notable Characteristics
- Environment: sky
Reported Motion
No confident entries yet.
Evidence Notes
- Two photographs
- Knoxville News-Sentinel clipping
Early FBI record documents civilian photographs of a 'flying saucer' over Oak Ridge, coinciding with 1947 wave; image quality and context warrant scrutiny.
Disc
photographic
85%
Prosaic Leads
- Lens flare or emulsion artifact on last film exposure.
- Cloud formation or debris resembling disc.
Anomalous Indicators
- First reported photograph over Oak Ridge amid multiple sightings.
- FBI retention in internal security file.
Evidence Gaps
- No analysis of photo authenticity or negatives.
- Object motion or behavior not described.
- Precise date and weather conditions unknown.
Evidence Quotes // source statements
Open archive"Two photographs of reputedly 'flying saucers' seen at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during July 1947."
Unknown speaker / FBI Knoxville Office
FBI enclosures summary.
"'FLYING SAUCER' PHOTOGRAPHED AT OAK RIDGE"
Unknown speaker / Knoxville News-Sentinel
Newspaper headline on enclosed clipping.
"Sure. Sure. You're right. It is a Flying Saucer."
Unknown speaker, Reporter / Knoxville News-Sentinel
Article describing Presley's photo.
Pattern Mesh // linked sightings
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and 57 seconds of video footage from an infrared (IR) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-01:55: No content. 01:56: An area of contrast becomes distinguishable against the background in the center of the right side of the display. 02:04: The IR sensor pans to center on the area of contrast. 02:14: The sensor field-of-view narrows to zoom in on the area of contrast. 02:15-03:26: The area of contrast remains generally in the center of the sensor field-of-view. 03:27-04:57: The sensor motion causes the area of contrast to move erratically across the display. Due to this motion, the sensor system repeatedly loses and reacquires the area of contrast within the center area of the display. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 43 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-00:17: An area of contrast remains generally within the top left quarter of the display. 00:17-00:18: The sensor pans from right to left, causing the area of contrast to pass through the center of the display. The sensor then pans from left to right, causing the area of contrast to return to its approximate initial position within the sensor field-of-view. 00:29: The sensor stops tracking the area of contrast, causing it to leave the sensor field-of-view on the left side of the screen. 00:30-00:43: The sensor resumes its motion relative to the background but does not reacquire the area of contrast. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:01-00:03: Two semi-transparent, irregularly shaped orange areas overlay the background imagery, persisting for less than two seconds each. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of six seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:02-00:04: An area of irregular color and brightness, mainly consisting of white and red highlights, appears near the center of the top edge of the sensor display. The area extends to a width of approximately one-third of the horizontal frame, with a vertical area comprising approximately one-sixth of the viewing area. Overall, its shape is best described as a horizontally-oriented half-oval bisected along its major axis. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:00-00:01: An indistinctly shaped multi-colored area moves from right to left across the top edge of the sensor display within the first second of the video. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, July 2022
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 14 seconds of video footage from an infrared (left) and electro-optical (right) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D16, described the UAP as “moving from north to south.” Video Description: At the five second mark, the video depicts an object moving from right to left across the top right quarter of the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Chronology Trace // before & after
Apollo 12 Lunar Anomaly Highlighted, 1969
Moon
Large Blue Triangle Hovers Near Facility, March 2023
Pacific Time Zone
FBI Photo B23 Western US Mystery
Western United States
FBI's Central Crosshair UAP Image
PURSUE Program
Official Files // source material
1 linked65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Serial_153
62- HQ-33894 VOL 1 SERIAL 153 ONLY FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER HQ - HEADQUARTERS Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # 0062 83894 1 153 ONLY 8/11/1274168 RRP003IXGA Declassification authority derived from FBI Automatic Declassification Guide, issued May 24, 2007. KNOXVILLE FILE #65-11 RE: "FLYING SAUCERS" OBSERVED OVER OAK RIDGE AREA INTERNAL SECURITY - X ENCLOSURES TO BUREAU: Two photographs of reputedly "flying saucers" seen at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during July 1947. Photostatic copy of newspaper clipping appearing in the Knoxville News-Sentinel concerning these "flying saucers." 62- 83891- 153 ISNCLOSURE KNOXVILLE NEWS SEY INEL JULY 1947 'FLYING SAUCER' LOTOGRAPHED AT OAK RIDGE W. R. PRESLEY ad snapped several pictures of his family and his house a? 218 Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, the other
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