--- title: "Scientists Intrigued by Strange Lights in Old Space Photos" description: "Researchers are puzzled by a number of strange and unexplained lights that show up in photographic plates of the night sky that date back over 70 years." date: "2022-05-27" modified: "2022-05-27" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-strange-lights-old-space-photos" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Exobiology" - "Space" tags: - "aliens" - "the digest" - "uaps" - "ufos" --- # Scientists Intrigued by Strange Lights in Old Space Photos ![Researchers are puzzled by a number of strange and unexplained lights that show up in photographic plates of the night sky that date back over 70 years.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Light Action Researchers are puzzled by unexplained lights that show up in photographic plates of the night sky that date back over 70 years, as [spotted by *Salon*](). Images taken by the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey in California on April 12, 1950, show nine mysterious dots of light in a row seemingly popping in and out of view. It's an intriguing new piece of the sprawling puzzle [about unexplained reports]() of "unidentified aerial phenomena," a topic scientists and [lawmakers]() are taking [increasingly seriously]() — but which, to be clear, is almost [certainly not alien visitors](), as cool as that would be. ## Blinkies In [a new paper]() published in the journal *Acta Astronautica* this month, researchers points out that humanity hadn't sent anything into orbit at the time, meaning that the nine "non-terrestrial artefacts" couldn't have been space debris or satellites. The team was led by Beatriz Villarroel, a postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm University who's also [involved]() in Harvard's [UFO-hunting Galileo Project]() led by Harvard Astronomy professor [Avi Loeb](). In a [previous paper]() published by the same team last year, the researchers concluded that the lights couldn't have come from the photographic plates becoming contaminated, making the lights all the more scientifically significant. Even if aliens turn out not to be behind the mysterious phenomenon, Villaroel and her team argued in a [third yet-to-be-published paper]() that the odd artefacts "merit serious further attention, regardless of their origin." Did an extraterrestrial civilization visit us all the way back in the early 1950s? While it's certainly not the most probable theory out there, it's definitely a fun thought. **READ MORE:** [Scientists are studying whether Cold War-era photos of the night sky contain clues of alien life]() **More on UAPs:** *[There's a "Secret Society" in the Pentagon Hiding UFO Secrets, Officials Say]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()