Circular Object Below Crosshair, Unlocated Sensor Frame
FBI Photo A7
An FBI-submitted still image from a redacted U.S. government sensor showing a circular, light-colored object below a crosshair reticle, forwarded to AARO with no location, date, or mission report.
Brief
The FBI submitted a single monochrome still image to AARO, captured by an unspecified U.S. government system during an event whose date and location were withheld. The original image was redacted prior to submission, and no accompanying mission report was included. The operator on scene was unable to positively identify the object. The image shows a circular, light-colored object with a bright specular highlight positioned just below the center of a crosshair reticle against a smooth, grainy background.
Metadata
- Agency
- FBI
- Release
- 5/8/26
- Incident
- Late 2025
- Type
- IMAGE • .png
- Classification
- UNCLASSIFIED
- Tags
- circular, monochrome image, specular highlight, crosshair reticle, redacted, late 2025, FBI, AARO submission
Key points
- The source agency is the FBI; the image was forwarded to AARO under the May 2026 disclosure framework.
- Date and location of the event are explicitly withheld — not merely unknown.
- The original imagery was altered with redactions before submission, meaning AARO received a degraded version of the source material.
- No mission report accompanied the image, removing all operational context that would normally support analysis.
- The operator at the time of capture could not positively identify the UAP.
- The object appears circular with a bright specular highlight, consistent with a smooth, reflective surface; no appendages, exhaust, or other features are described.
- The presence of a crosshair reticle places the image within a targeting or surveillance optical system rather than a civilian or consumer camera.
Most interesting
- The FBI's submission is one of the few in the AARO disclosure tranche attributed to a domestic law enforcement agency rather than DoD or intelligence community components.
- The double suppression of context — redacted imagery AND withheld date/location — leaves the object's behavior, altitude, and environment entirely unknown from this record alone.
- A specular highlight on a circular object in a monochrome sensor image is consistent with a smooth, convex surface reflecting a point light source, though no analytical judgment is being made here.
- The absence of a mission report is unusual; standard AARO intake guidance requests operator narratives alongside imagery submissions.