UFO. Chile

Date: May 17, 1968
Location: El Infiernillo Observatory, Chilean Andes
Time:
Summary: The scientific research facility involved with this photographic case has been set up in the high Andes primarily as a Cosmic Ray measuring installation. It is described as part of the University of Chile and is run by the department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics. The operators of the observatory apparently began observing a “series of luminous phenomena” starting in October of 1967. The “phenomena” are described as “star-like” and of magnitude zero to +1. They were “mobile” but also stopped or hovered. When hovering [the ultra-careful scientists said “static”] , they were photographable. The photographs showed a bright “focus” [looking to me suspiciously like a disk] surrounded by Fresnel Rings [caused usually by light diffraction]. The significance of these Fresnel patterns is beyond the author of this thumbnail, but perhaps a physicist can tell the rest of us. The observatory staff logged around a dozen instances of these “phenomena” which they were nervous about calling UFOs , but seem to fit that description. A not-terribly-great copy of one of the photos is attached. {Mike Swords: Sources: 
Source: Prof. Gabriel Alvial. “Unusual Photograph from 14,000 Feet Andean Observatory”, Flying Saucer Review March/April 1969; and “From a Laboratory in the Cordilleras Comes Documented Cases”, INFO Journal 1 (4), Spring 1969; and J. Antonio Huneeus. ” A Historical Survey of UFO cases in Chile”, MUFON 1978 Symposium.