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What did the first patrol see on 26 December 1980?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: the falling lights were a fireball; the lights in the forest and the beacon were the Orford Ness lighthouse…Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. The falling lights were a fireball; the lights in the forest and the beacon were the Orford Ness lighthouse… leads, with evidence 2 for, 1 against: supported by its tests. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

Halt's memo describes a structured object; the airmen's own statements describe lights and a walk toward a beacon⁠[1]⁠[2]. Which is closer to what happened decides whether anything landed.

Answers 4

Evidence: 2 for, 1 against
Most likely
A prank with vehicle lights and fog by base personnel.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for, 2 against
Disputed
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. Halt: halt's memo, written from the airmen's reports, describes a metallic triangular object with coloured lights…Against: The falling lights were a fireball; the lights in the forest and the beacon were the Orford Ness lighthouse…
  2. Easton: burroughs' 1981 statement says he followed a beacon for about two miles before realising it was the…For: The falling lights were a fireball; the lights in the forest and the beacon were the Orford Ness lighthouse…
  3. Clarke: police and the forester judged the depressions rabbit diggings; the radiation was at the meter's noise floor.Against: A structured craft landed in the clearing and was approached and touched.
  4. Ridpath puts forward: a structured craft landed in the clearing and was approached and touched.
  5. Ridpath: penniston's 1981 statement puts him about 50 metres from lights and mentions no craft; Burroughs and…Against: A structured craft landed in the clearing and was approached and touched.
  6. Wikipedia contributors puts forward: the falling lights were a fireball; the lights in the forest and the beacon were the Orford Ness lighthouse…
  7. Wikipedia contributors puts forward: a prank with vehicle lights and fog by base personnel.
  8. Wikipedia contributors: a bright fireball was recorded over southern England at 2:50 am on 26 December.For: The falling lights were a fireball; the lights in the forest and the beacon were the Orford Ness lighthouse…
  9. Wikipedia contributors: penniston has described touching the craft since 1994 and produced a notebook and binary code in 2010.For: A structured craft landed in the clearing and was approached and touched.
  10. Wikipedia contributors: kevin Conde says he staged such a prank in late December 1980 but cannot tie it to these nights.For: A prank with vehicle lights and fog by base personnel.
  11. Asked on this site
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