The Bariloche UAP of 1995 included in the Pentagon release of classified UFO documents (PURSUE)

Following President Trump's directive to disclose until now classified information on UAPs (formerly known as UFOs), the Department of War (seems to have changed its name recently) of the US opened a website to reveal the secrets they have kept hidden until now. The directive has a code name Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) as all military things have. And it is onlinie here: "https://www.war.gov/ufo/".

Interestingly, in one of the documents, that can be found here: "https://www.war.gov/ufo/#255_413270_UFOs_and_Defense_What_Should_we_Prepare_For". They disclose different cases, one of which happened in Patagonia, when an Aerolíneas Argentinas flight was trying to land in Bariloche in 1995, when the lights in the city and the whole area, including the airport went off. The plane circled until it was allowed to land, and did so accompanied by strange lights. See the image below with the account (or read it in the pdf on p.21)

The UFO and AR 674 flight, 1995, Bariloche, Río Negro, Patagonia

Interesting link between electomagnetism and aerial phenomena, similar to the bobbing lights and earthquake electromagnetic effects. Not an ET, but a natural incident yet to be explained.

The release is not secret stuff, it is an english version of a French study on UFOs, by the COMETA (Comité d'Études Approfondies) group, published in 1999.

The pilot of the plane, Polanco said that the UFO appeared out of the Lake Nahuel Huapi, and was a group of lights, that were also seen by a plane of the Argentine Border Patrol (Gendarmería Nacional). The incident lasted 17 minutes. Source.

You can see my previous posts on weird lights, UFOs and similar unexplained stuff online here.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2026 by Austin Whittall © 

UAP photographed by the University of Magallanes, Chile

Odd lights in the sky have been reported across Patagonia since pre-Hispanic times: Tthe Mapuche natives had the Cherruve, or Cherufe, a mythical being that was linked to comets, volcanoes, will-o'-the-wisp, and fire in the sky.

In the past, I posted about the sightings of strange lights in the sky reported by historical figures such as Sarmiento de Gamboa in the late 1500s and Capt. FitzRoy in the early 1800s. I also mentioned a sighting of lights in Ancud in 1906. Today's post is much more recent, and it was reported by scientists from the University of Magallanes, Chile.

This is a Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) as defined by the U.S. govenment All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)

The university published the sighting that took place close to Punta Arenas, Chile, on its website in an article titled Universidad de Magallanes registra inédito fenómeno luminoso con cámara trampa de proyecto científico en la Patagonia (University of Magallanes records unprecedented luminous phenomenon with camera trap of scientific project in Patagonia) on Aug. 18, 2025.

The article says the following:

"To the great surprise and astonishment of researchers from the Environmental Studies Group (GEA) at the University of Magallanes (UMAG), they released images of an unexpected discovery made during the Public Baseline Project for the Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego Provinces. One of their wildlife monitoring camera traps had recorded an unusual luminous phenomenon, unprecedented in the context of scientific research in the region.
The recording was obtained in the middle of summer 2025, specifically in the early morning of January 21 (12:22 a.m.), 54 kilometers north of Punta Arenas. At that moment, one of the 65 devices deployed between continental Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, which monitors terrestrial ecosystems, captured, in just two seconds, three photographs showing intense lights moving downwards. Specialists ruled out the possibility that it was wildlife or a common phenomenon."

Since the lights tripped the movement detector of the camera, they had a physical entity, not just a distant light floating by. The article includes the following images, which, from top to bottom show: a daylight view at the spot a few hours before the event, the sequence of three pictures, and one of them enlarged.

The text continues:

"“In a camera that was on the edge of a meadow quite far from any public road, with no nearby trails used by ranchers, and focused towards a fairly flat horizon, some lights appeared that we cannot explain, because the camera is “set” to take three photos simultaneously when the sensor is activated and it takes those photos in just seconds, so in that micro-period, these lights, which apparently appear to be far away —unless they are very small lights— come closer and end up in front of the camera, dazzling it, in a movement that seems to be downward,” explained biologist Alejandro Kusch Schwarzenberg, in conversation with the LBP Podcast program of UMAG TV.
For Rodrigo Bravo Garrido, also a researcher at GEA UMAG, this event recounted by Kusch represents a unique occurrence: “Phenomena in Patagonia have indeed existed; there are reports, records, and a history, but for it to be the first time it has been scientifically investigated and recognized by the academic in charge of this project, or this part of it, I believe it is unprecedented. Furthermore, it opens a door to understanding that perhaps these phenomena, which were captured by chance or fortuitously, should be investigated in greater depth at some point.”
In light of this, the professional notes that, in Magallanes, accounts of this type of sighting already included the so-called “evil lights” and other oral traditions of indigenous peoples, which reinforces the historical basis of the phenomenon in the region.
Bravo also reported that the case was referred to the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (SEFAA), the UFO Museum of La Serena, and specialists in anomalous aerial phenomena for analysis."

The "evil light" or, in Spanish, luz mala, is a common belief in Southern South America, associated with ghosts and wandering, restless spirits. However, the evil light may be a different phenomenon, associated to the will-o'-the-wisp. This case, the lights seem to be similar to ball lightning.

A Plasmoid?

The article then cites a UFO investigator, Freddy Alexis Silva (now we enter the realm of pseudoscience), who after examining the pictures analyzed the trajectory of the lights and did a spectral analysis and concluded that the objects were moving at 947 km per hour (588 miles per hour) or 0.7 match, almost the speed of sound. Silva concluded it is a UAP suggesting it was a plasmoid, a form of exotic plasma that has a very short duration and has been studied by Russian researchers.

A Plasmoid is a real physical entity, and defined as follows: "Plasmoid: A plasmoid is a luminous, plasma-based structure that has a well-defined plasma boundary and is created in a gas environment through the influence of an electromagnetic field. Electrons from the surrounding area are drawn into the plasmoid along magnetic fields to maintain a balance of charge" (Source).

Plasmoids may be the explanation for phenomena like ball lightning, which still remains unexplained despite some papers on the subject, like the excellent analysis of video images by K. Stephan, R. Sonnenfeld, J. Bertoloni, 2025 of a ball lightining in Montana, US., that looks strikingly similar to the ones posted above. Other papers hint at other explanations involving dark matter (Zhitnitski, 2025) or incandescent / inflammable gases (Singer, 1980; Y. H. Ohtsuki and H. Ofuruton, 1991) and a weird "optical theory" proposed by V.P. Torchigin and A.V. Torchigin, 2020 plus a paper reporting a Ball Ligthning Burns caused by one that entered a home through the chimney and burned a man and his daughter! (Selvaggi et al, 2003).

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2026 by Austin Whittall © 

FitzRoy in Patagonia: Lights in the Sky (earthquake lights)

In 2011 I posted about A "UFO" spotted by Sarmiento de Gamboa in 1580 in the Strait of Magellan. I discarded the sighting as an Unidentified Flying Object (now called UAP, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), and suggested a lunar eclipse, or even the moon obscured by volcanic ashes. Today I will look into other UAPs reported by FitzRoy during his voyages along Chile's Patagonian coast (1829-1835), and provide some additional information to his comments.

FitzRoy wrote the following (Source - see p.295):

"Extraordinary meteoric appearances have occasionally been noticed about Chilóe, and the islands southward of it. In describing the Carelmapu earthquake, of 1633, Ag&uuuml;eros says that torrents of rain followed; and that on a high hill near the town was seen a globe of fire, which rose for a short interval, and then fell into the sea: the waters of which were in consequence much disturbed. A violent tempest ensued, with hail larger than musket-balls.
Another remarkable earthquake happened thereabouts on the 23d—24th of December, 1737: and on the 30th, in the early part of the evening, a great exhalation or cloud of fire was seen passing, from north to south, over all the archipelago. It fell on the Huayteca islands, covered them with ashes, and burned up the vegetation to such a degree that it was only in 1750, that the islands began again to look green.—Agüeros, pp. 102, 104, 105."

I found the source mentioned by FitzRoy (Online), Descripción Historial de la Provincia y Archipielago de Chiloe, en el Reino de Chile, y Obispado de la Concepción (1791) by Pedro González de Agüeros. He wrote the followign about the 1633 earthquake and the "lights" that followed it:

"In the year 1633, on May 14, at dawn, they heard in the town of Carelmapu a vehement and terrifying noise that resounded throughout all the houses and fortress; but with such astonishment on the part of the people that they were forced to leave without delay, and with all haste from their beds, because it seemed to them that the houses were falling upon them, as in fact they soon saw them on the ground. They ran astonished to the Church, but they found it already ruined, without finding anything but piles of planks and timbers. The stones from the beach were out of their center, and piled up next to the ruins of the Town, and two boats, which were anchored in that Port, were also broken into pieces. A heavy downpour followed this, and those people, having nowhere to take shelter or defend themselves from it, did nothing but cry out to God for mercy. Afterwards, somewhat calmed, and eagerly desiring to see and worship the Image of the Most Holy Mary, which that Church had as its patron saint, and the entire town as its Patroness since the first settlers brought it there from Osorno, they cleared a path, removing wood, and clearing away all other obstacles until they managed to reach the site of the main chapel, and there they found the Divine Lady between some sticks, with the Child Jesus in her arms, but without any injury. They all attributed this wonder to the infinite power of our God and Lord, who arranged for that Divine Image to remain intact for the consolation of so many in affliction, and because they also found another image of Christ crucified that they venerated in that Church. They continued cleaning that sacred place; but they were astonished when they found the bones of the deceased, and a corpse that was not yet completely corrupted. They reflected on this, and realized that the cause was that the violence of the earthquake, since it had not been able to break the wooden posts that held the Church up, because they went into the ground about a yard and a half, tore them out entirely, and as if they were levers, they raised the tombs, removing the bodies. After these fatal events had passed, they wanted to find out where, or how this failure had come about; but while they were examining all the places in the town in case they could find any other effects to determine the cause, they were overcome by something even worse, because they saw on a hill or high mountain near the town, a globe of fire that seemed to threaten the final disaster. It rose and then fell into the sea, immediately disturbing its waters. Then came a furious storm, accompanied by astonishing darkness, and breaking the sky with hail, they found stones thicker than musket balls. Finally, those people were already believing that the last hour of their lives had arrived for them, and therefore, crying out incessantly to God, they hoped for moments to pass into eternity."

This globe of fire is surely an Earthquake Light.

Agüeros adds another similar incident that took place after the 1737 earthquake: "the year 1737, on the 23rd and 24th of December, and also that on the 30th they saw in the middle of the afternoon a great exhalation or cloud of fire, which coming from the North, passed through the entire Archipelago, filling all its inhabitants with terror; and having come to fall on the Islands of Cuaitecas, and on that coast, they noticed later that it had set fire to those mountains there (1).
(1) This is also evident from the Note found on the Map that the Count of Super-Unda sent to the King in the year 1752, when he was Viceroy of Peru, where he says: the Islands of the Archipelago that are washed with red, are those that in the year 1737 were burned with fire rained down from Heaven, which terrified the entire Province, which Islands remain covered in ashes; and in the year 1750 it was recognized that some were beginning to reproduce some grass."

There was an earthquake on those days, but Agüeros mentions fire raining from heaven and ashes (?). Another source confirms the quake which had a 7.5 magnitude, Vicente Carvallo y Goyeneche (vol ix, p. 264 in Descripción histórico-geográfica del reino de Chile, en Colección de historiadores de Chile y documentos relativos a la historia nacional

"The town of Valdivia was devastated the previous year by a formidable earthquake, with three shocks (December 24, 1737), so close together that their interruptions were almost imperceptible, and lasting nearly fifteen minutes, with such violent undulations that people could not stand firm, and the ground opened up in many places..."

Could it have been a meteor strike, one that exploded as it entered the atmosphere and left no crater? Probably, but since the Osorno volcano south of Valdivia erupted at the time of the earthquake (Source) it was likely that the ashes were volcanic, and blanketed the islands further south. This quake-eruption, was similar to the one of 1960 (Valdivia earthquake, Puyehue eruption).

A final aerial phenomena associated to an earthquake was reported by Joaquín de Echeverría and José Antonio Rodríguez, in Santiago, Chile, in November 1822. (Source). This quake was also centered in Valdivia and had a magnitude of 8.5.

"On Tuesday the 19th at 10:50 a.m., stronger concussions of short duration were sometimes repeated. The next day, the 20th at 3:08 a.m., there was a tremor without any noticeable noise, but little commotion. At 3:42 a.m., a meteor traveled in the same direction as the earthquake, that is, northeast to southwest, in the form of a large fiery trail, which produced a brightness equal to that of an already clear twilight for four seconds. Several other minor meteors reportedly appeared toward the mountain range. At 5:24 a.m., another tremor of little commotion, but preceded by considerable noise. These have happened very often."

Earthquake Lights

There is a paper explaining how these lights form Robert Thériault; France St‐Laurent; Friedemann T. Freund; John S. Derr, (2014). Prevalence of Earthquake Lights Associated with Rift Environments. Seismological Research Letters (2014) 85 (1): 159–178. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220130059).

One explanation was that rocks containing quartz, when placed under stress generate electric potential, another suggeste that the stress caused by tectonic plates colliding distorted Earth's magnetic field, and these electromagnetic incidents produced light. But the 2014 paper are caused by stress releasing electric charges held by certain types of rocks.

Rocks like basalts and gabbros which may have defects in their crystaline structure, when they are subjected to high pressures, they release electrons. Some basaltic rocks in the form of dykes (solidified lava that reaches deep into the crust, conduct these charges, funneling them towards the atmosphere where they discharge in the air and form a colorful plasma. Apparently these events are rare, occurring in roughly 1 out of every 200 earthquakes. The lights can appear before, during, and after a quake, and up to 100 miles from the epicenter of the quake (160 km).

Below is a video of a January 2025 earthquake in Taiwan, with earthquake lights.

Earthquake Lights, Taiwan, Jan. 2025.

Strange lights are reported often in Patagonia (see this one, from 2021, with a photograph and this one from 2020), the area is subjected to considerable tectonic stress which could explain these lights.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2025by Austin Whittall ©