Trindade Island photographs
- Date
- 16 Jan 1958
- Place
- Trindade Island, South Atlantic, aboard the Brazilian Navy ship Almirante Saldanha
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Contested
- Evidence strength
What was reported
Civilian photographer Almiro Baraúna, aboard the Navy hydrographic ship Almirante Saldanha during the International Geophysical Year, took a sequence of photographs of a ringed, Saturn-like object passing the island; dozens of people on deck were later said to have seen it, though how many actually did is disputed. The Navy examined the negatives and the photographs were released to the press with President Kubitschek's approval in February 1958. Kentaro Mori's 2003 analysis argued that all the images are rotated, mirrored or stretched versions of one original, which a moving solid object cannot produce, and Baraúna had earlier published trick saucer photographs. The Navy never published a final identification.
What officials concluded
No conclusion stated
Brazilian Navy examined the negatives and did not publish an identification
Strongest ordinary reading
Probable photographic hoax (one image reused across the sequence, per Mori)
Evidence profile
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- No: Radar
- No: Video
- Yes: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- Yes: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- Yes: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- No: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- Yes: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Mori, The Amazing UFO (2003)ceticismoaberto.com
- Patrick Gross: Trindade 1958ufologie.patrickgross.org
On the map
20.51° S, 29.32° W, plotted at the site
Show on the map