Synopsis: On 21 April 12, at 1658 hours, the witness of this investigation was vacationing on a beach near Marseille, France and noticed many lenticular clouds over the nearby mountains. The witness took several photos of the clouds with a mobile phone and, while reviewing the photos, noticed a black orb-like UFO in all of the photos.
Evidence Submitted: Five photos of the UFO.
Initial Action: This UFO investigation was opened as an AN1 – an anomaly that left no lasting physical effects, such as lights in the sky and similar phenomena. A preliminary analysis of the photo indicated the UFO was more than likely dirt on the camera’s interior optics.
Investigation and Findings: The witness of this investigation did not speak English. Therefore, after consultation with Ovni France, it was determined that the witness did not see the UFO in the sky while taking the photos. The UFO was noticed later while reviewing the photos. During the photo analysis, the investigators noticed that regardless of where the camera was pointed or what zoom factor was used, the UFO was always positioned in the same location on the photo. By applying a grid pattern on all five photos, the analysis indicated the UFO was positioned on the same location on all the photos. Investigators, moreover, conducted a cross examination of the witness’ photos with several other photos taken with known dirt on the camera sensor. The results of the investigation concluded the UFO was dirt on the camera’s internal optics.
Object Details: Dust or dirt on a camera’s sensor will show up as small gray or black spots in photos. More often than not, the spots will show up the most in portions of an image that contain sky or solid white areas. (Investigator Note: dust or dirt on the camera lens will not appear on the photo due to the distance between the rear element and the camera sensor).
