File 26147 · July 2, 1952

Tremonton Utah Film

Tremonton, United States

Opened 9/9/2026

Ledger illustration of the file — not a photograph of the object. Ledger illustration of the report. — Night Ledger illustration of the file

LightsHynek DDphotographicFrom the netFilm4 witnesses

Standing

Unidentified

On the public record, and still open. A claim, paper, or film — not a finding that it was ours, and not a finding that it was not.

Tremonton, Utah 1952 Blue Book Film

U.S. National Archives (Black Vault digitized copy)

Original tape · original language kept

English writing · original voice kept

English writing of the original tape. Tremonton Utah Film — U.S. National Archives (Black Vault digitized copy). The voice on the recording is left as it was spoken.

16mm film frames from Navy photographer Delbert Newhouse.

What was claimed

Navy Warrant Officer Delbert Newhouse and his family filmed a formation of bright, metallic-looking objects maneuvering in the daytime sky with a 16mm camera.

What is on the record

This file is a working record — a report, not a verdict. Official paper, if any, is linked where we have it.

While driving near Tremonton, Utah, Navy photographer Delbert C. Newhouse, his wife, and children observed a group of twelve to fourteen bright objects in the clear blue sky. Newhouse stopped the car and used his Bell & Howell 16mm movie camera with telephoto lens to film approximately 90 seconds of footage showing the objects in formation, some appearing to hover and maneuver. The film was submitted to the Air Force and analyzed as part of Project Blue Book and earlier projects. The Photo Reconnaissance Laboratory spent significant time studying it. While some analysts suggested birds or aircraft, others, including early Project Blue Book head Edward Ruppelt, found it compelling. The case remains one of the more discussed Blue Book films.

Could this have been ours?

The known sky, that night.

Before Sputnik the known lights were planets, meteors, aircraft, and balloons. No station. No Starlink.

Always

Venus and the bright planets

A fixed brilliant point. Does not streak. Does not hover over a street then leave. Often the first misread light in a rural report.

Always

Aircraft, balloons, meteors

Landing lights, flares, lanterns, reentries, fireballs. They are on the known sky. They do not close a file by themselves — they are what a serious look has to hold the claim against.

Orbit · Space — the desks for lights that are already named.