 17 February 1967
 MFMORANIJtM FOR;  Director, National Photographic Interpretation Center
 Photo Analysis of UFO Photography-
 1.  This memorandum is in response to Project Number 66120-7,
 submitted by                                               requesting
 that          perform a photo analysis of-photographs imaging an...
 alleged UFO (i.e. -unidentified.flyih --abject).---T
 2. The photography for this project-was-,supplied by the Aerial.
 Phenomena Office of FTD-(TDET/UFO); located at Wright-Patterson AFB,-.
 Dayton, Ohio. The photographic package-included three photo enlarge
 Slinger havtug- an -approximate 2"x3'._image.format. - These-original-=
 prints were not available for the-pb to-analysi    This letter
 single factor greatly hampered-- he t   ysis and prevented any
 hopes of esteablishing meaningful--answers:= _
 this factor.. The_original photography vas_ta_en with a-Polaroid--  -
 4"x6" image format.  Attachments -3-an-d.k_are_assumed not to be
 full format and we-re-not used-in this-photo analysis because of
 1 and 2 were supposedly printed-full-format-vith an approximate----_-_
 mensural and photo analysis.  These-four enlarged-photograph.s.ver.e,
 copies reproduced from a second generation negative and attachments
 approximately the same-time-and from approximately- the sane-camera
 station as were the-UFO;.-photographs. -The_image.::quality-of these -
 four prints were less than optimum_and:were-considered poor for
 of a helicopter (attachment 4). -The-latter-was supposedly taken at--- --
 ments of the UFO (attachments 1,=2 and:3)-and one-photo enlareenent _
 3.  Also included in the photographic. package. were five photo-
 graphs of the alleged exposure station-and surrounding vicinity.
 These photographs (attachment 5) were-taken--with-a Polaroid Swinger
 by Major R.W, Nyls of the USAF  Re personall  investigated the UFO
 exposure station on the shore-of-Lake St.:Clair, Michigan, and tried
 to duplicate as closely as-possible the exact position of the
 original carrera exposure stations: -Major Idyls also provided exact
 measurements of the area and objects imaged in the original UFO
 Approve for Release
 ,lo
 000015433
 SUBJECT:  Photo Analysis of UFO Photography
 photographs (attachments 6, 7 and 8).  These photographs along
 with the measurement sketches and investigation report provided
 a means of obtaining an approximate photographic scale.  This
 scale value was then used to obtain approximate dimensions of the
 VFQ.  However, to do this the photo-analyst had to first make
 major assumptions.  These ass.w ptions were necessary in a photo
 analysis-of this type where.. insufficient data is available or in
 doubt. If any of these assumptions are-in error the obtained  --
 dimensions are likewise in-error........ -== -:-:-
 4,                                     The assumptions used in-this-photo analysis.are as follows:
 a.  UFO uas"t a distahee     . 5-miles from camera
 station when photographed- (this information supplied by
 Major.Nyls in his-investigation report ).
 b.  The measurements-supplied by Major Hyls.are,
 c.  Photographs-shown in attachment 1 and 2 are full
 `    format,
 e.  The distance:-between--the=cami;ra station and the
 object was large enough to that adjustments to the camera
 focal lenSth need not--be.considered.
 5.  ALtachment 9 represents &,.. - artists rough conception of
 the UFO along with the averaged-dimension obtained from the mensural
 analysis of the photograph shown-in attachments 1 and 2.  Again,
 the user of this-information-must becautioned that the dimensions
 shown here are only approximations-based on assumptions.  The
 quality of the photography,-the crude estimation of the distance
 from the camera station_to_the-fojoct--theJ.ack of original prints
 and precise camera data all-.tend: to.invalidate the answers.  A
 good example of how the dimensions could change is illustrated by
 any change in the distance of the object from the camera station.
 The dimensions will change in direct proportion as the ratio of any
 new distance divided by the 0.25 mile distance that was used, i.e.
 0.20 mile -; 0.2        - 0.0.0; therefore, cauc!n; the new values to
 be 80% of the original values.             _
 d. UFO photographed was-circular-with plane. of section perpendicular-to-camera-axis,
 C00015433
 SURTFCT:  Photo Analysis of UFO Photography
 6.? In cone lusion,_it-Should -be-noted- that all of the-infor..
 motion contained in this memorandum deals with quantitative --or -..-7..
 dimensional information obtained-from-calculations based upon a
 terminable. For example.,the-degraded-image quality of-the hell=___-
 copter when compared with-the-UFO?i        t -when considered-that----
 the helicopter was .closer to camera station when photographed.---
 Likewise, the-crispness of the. edge gradient-of the black band--
 on the UFo 1s-good :considering-the-distance -at -which -the.-object -was.-_
 equally as dangerous... There`=are' oomany__uriahswered-quest tons -to-
 label the probable cause- of=this-sight3n -ai  nything but- unde-       ---
 large number of assumptions.  The qualitative or subjective analysis
 of the imagery is_not-treated because of a lack of-background
 knowled&e on UFO"imagery:"'". This. off ice`emnrot-shed any--light-on-the----
 authenticity-of=this alleged?UFO-from this-photo analysis.  There
 1s no definite evidence that this phsgpaphy,is a hoax.  On the
 other hand, for one-to-assume that-this-object is a UFO is ...
 some suspicion on-the authenticity o#_.the UFO.  However :each
 the above facts can be .explain.ed,-by various..reasons-and-because=of
 photographed.  Also, the fact-that-the-tall 5oction_of=the-UFO:xas=-=
 photographed in each case'with_the_same-cross-section exposed-casts.-
 these reasons-the-photo-analysis-of-.thie=(!F'Q-photograph  as-resulted-= -
 in inconclusive--answere.__
 C00015433...
 Photo 2 of-Attachment 5_to_A2
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 p
 .....  ;ice,.

