Newly released picture claims to show ‘1,000-foot-wide UFO’ but people think they’ve found an embarrassing mistake
Topics: Social Media, UFO, Space, Twitter, Viral
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/UAP Disclosure Fund
Topics: Social Media, UFO, Space, Twitter, Viral
Social media users are weighing in on a photograph unveiled by the UAP Disclosure Fund, however it's been called out for 'clearly' 'mislabeling' the object.
Yesterday (May 1), former senior intelligence official and special agent Luis 'Lue' Elizondo hosted a panel with the UAP Disclosure Fund.
UAP Disclosure fund's 'mission is to promote greater understanding of UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) by advocating for government transparency'.
And during the panel, Elizondo - previously 'recruited into a strange and highly sensitive US Government program to investigate UAP incursions into sensitive military installations and air space' - released a 'new photo' allegedly taken by a civilian pilot in 2021 as the commercial plane flew at 21,000 feet near the Four Corners landmark joining New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.
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Shared to Twitter by the UAP Disclosure Fund, the image shows a photograph of what appears to be disc-shaped object hovering over some square shapes.
The caption reads: "Captured near Four Corners at FL210 - estimated 600-1,000 ft in diameter, silver-hued, disc-shaped."
The post continues: "Released moments ago by @LueElizondo during our 'Science, National Security & Innovation' panel. Several speakers confirmed DoD & IC hold hundreds of similar UAP images + sensor files still classified.
"It’s time for full declassification and open scientific analysis."
While noting he 'could not vouch for the veracity of the photograph, because [he] didn't take it,' Elizondo detailed during the meeting the image was allegedly taken using an 'average camera,' the New York Post reports.
However, it's not taken long for social media users to weigh in, many unconvinced it's a UAP and several suggesting the same alternate theory.
✈️ NEW PHOTO (civilian pilot)
— UAP Disclosure Fund (@UAPDF) May 1, 2025
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… pic.twitter.com/KHxkywz8JR
One user wrote: "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."
And another provided even more in-depth photo analysis, alleging the disc-shaped 'object' is 'not flying' but is actually the two circular shapes are 'a pair of centre-pivot irrigation fields on Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI) land, southeast of Four Corners Monument'.
'Centre-pivot irrigation fields' or 'areas' are a method of crop irrigation, where crops are cultivated using specific irrigation systems which apply water to them - some systems shaped like a disc.
To prove their point, the user even directed others to open 'any map service' and go to the coordinates the image was supposedly taken, 'historical imagery show[ing] the same fallow/vegetated contrast that produced the "saucer+shadow" illusion'.
The user didn't deny that the discs may be interpreted as a saucer, however, they quickly debunked each UFO-like quality.
⬅️LEFT: a photo of a "UFO" presented by UFO lobbyists to credulous members of Congress today
— Steven Greenstreet 🐷 (@MiddleOfMayhem) May 1, 2025
➡️RIGHT: a photo of normal irrigation circles
The UFO lobby asked @RepLuna, @RepEricBurlison and @RepTimBurchett for $1 billion in taxpayer funds to hunt UFOs. pic.twitter.com/33houNLLJS
The 'pale disc'? The 'fallow field reflecting more light'. The 'dark shadow'? Well, it's probably the 'neighbouring pivot with crops giving a darker tone'.
The 'shadow rim'? 'Denser vegetation on the field's outer edge'. The diagonal line? 'Straight NAPI service road on the township grid'.
They added the photo being taken at high altitude and it's over-exposure 'flattens depth cues' and 'triggers pareidolia'.
"Flight‐level 210 over the San Juan Basin, camera catches two adjacent centre-pivot fields. One is bare soil, one is green, and the straight service road completes the classic “UFO with shadow” look. Plug in 36.4014 N, –108.1791 W to confirm," they resolved.
Another user agreed, comparing the image to 'a photo of normal irrigation circles' - and well, you can see for yourself.
UNILAD has contacted The UAP Disclosure Fund and Elizondo for comment.