Finding such objects in pre-Sputnik data, would represent a significant discovery with far-reaching implications for both astronomy and humanity, including the possibility of non-terrestrial artifacts (NTAs). It also bears directly on the scientific investigation of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), formerly known as Unidentified Flying Objects (“UFOs”)—a subject that, after decades of stigma, is now gaining serious academic attention, as highlighted in the recent review by Knuth et al. (
2025) in
Progress in Aerospace. Clarifying the origin of these transient events is therefore not only of astrophysical interest but also of potential importance for one of the most enigmatic and consequential questions facing science today.
To add to the intrigue, Solano et al. (
2023) recently reported a bright triple transient event occurring on 1952 July 19, found among a set of ∼5000 short-lived POSS-I transients (Solano et al.
2022). This highly curated data set, in which diagnostics based on photometry and morphometric parameters have been carefully applied to the sample to reduce false positives (e.g., plate defects), suggests that the phenomenon of multiple transients can be found even when stringent diagnostic criteria are applied. As in the earlier case with the nine transients, the objects appeared and vanished within a single 50 minutes exposure. Their brightness (
r ∼ 15–16 mag) makes contamination less likely. Notably, this particular event coincides in time with one of the most extensively documented aerial anomalies in historical records: the Washington D.C. “UFO flap” of 1952 July, which unfolded over two consecutive weekends (July 18–19 and 26–27). While this may be a coincidence, the temporal proximity invites further scrutiny—especially given the rarity of both phenomena.
