Newly declassified images from NASA’s have brought up an age-old question: Are aliens real? There has been a debate over extraterrestrial life ever since the Trump administration first brought up the big release of thousands of pages of so-called ‘’ tied to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). On Thursday, the Pete Hegseth-led Pentagon made the first trove of documents and photos public.
Apollo images and an anomaly
The material, published through a new government portal, includes grainy lunar photographs, military videos, transcripts and incident reports connected to decades of unexplained sightings. Among the most discussed files are several Apollo-era images showing mysterious lights and unexplained objects captured on the moon during NASA missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 images
One of the most talked-about photographs came from the 1969 Apollo 12 mission. The image appears to show a bright glowing object hovering just above the lunar horizon. The UFO files describe the image only as ‘unidentified phenomena.
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Another Apollo 12 photo included in the archive shows multiple unexplained bright spots scattered in the distance across the moon’s surface.
Meanwhile, a separate image from the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972 features three illuminated dots positioned in a triangular formation. Although the image has circulated publicly before, newly released documents state there remains ‘no consensus about the nature of the anomaly’.
The resurfaced photos quickly went viral on social media platforms, with UFO researchers and skeptics debating whether the anomalies were camera reflections, equipment artifacts, natural lunar effects or something more mysterious.
Military videos also included in declassified archive
Beyond the Apollo images, the files also contain several military-recorded videos showing unexplained aerial objects. One infrared clip reportedly captured above Iraq in 2022 appears to show a fast-moving object flying over a residential area before abruptly disappearing off-screen.
Another report tied to a 2024 military operation in Syria described a suspected UAP as a ‘misshapen and uneven ball of white light’. Officials also noted a ‘light/glare halo effect’ in the recording. The short video shows orange glowing objects appearing suddenly before vanishing seconds later.
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According to the Defense Department, many of the materials included in the archive remain unresolved despite review by analysts.
Maximum transparency
Earlier this year, Trump announced plans to release government records connected to UFOs and extraterrestrial investigations after renewed public interest following Congressional hearings.
In a February 2026 Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”
The first files were officially released on Friday through the government’s PURSUE system, which officials described as a centralized archive for declassified UAP material.
“The American people can now access the federal government’s declassified UAP files instantly. The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place — no clearance required,” the Department of Defense said in a release.
The agency added: “While all of the files have been reviewed for security purposes, many of the materials have not yet been analyzed for resolution of any anomalies.”
Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard promise more disclosures
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the release and said the administration wanted to address years of speculation surrounding classified UFO reports.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation – and it’s time the American people see it for themselves,” Hegseth said. “This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also indicated additional records could be made public in future phases of declassification.
“The American people have long sought transparency about the government’s knowledge of unidentified anomalous phenomena,” Gabbard said. “Today’s release is the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification and release effort.”
Did the files prove aliens exist?
Despite online excitement surrounding the Apollo photographs and military videos, the released documents stop far short of confirming extraterrestrial life.
Government officials repeatedly emphasized that many of the anomalies remain unexplained, not necessarily extraterrestrial. Still, the mystery about the lunar photos, especially those from Apollo 12 and Apollo 17, has renewed public fascination with whether humanity has already encountered evidence of something beyond Earth.
