The Chandelier UAP: What the Pentagon’s 2013 Infrared Video Actually Shows

PW EVIDENCE FILE · UFO & UAP · STATUS: OFFICIAL MILITARY VIDEO / PUBLIC STATUS CONFLICT

The object looks ridiculous in the most interesting possible way: a dark central mass surrounded by eight long points, moving through a military infrared image with a visible trail behind it.

UFO journalist Jeremy Corbell introduced the image publicly in January 2024 under the nickname “The Chandelier.” At the time, the public mainly had a still frame and Corbell’s claim that it came from U.S. military thermal footage over the Persian Gulf.

Then the government released the video itself.

THE 2026 GOVERNMENT RELEASE

On May 8, 2026, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office published a batch of UAP material that included DOW-UAP-PR038. The accompanying government description says U.S. Central Command submitted a one-minute, 46-second infrared recording captured by a U.S. military platform somewhere in the Middle East in 2013.

AARO describes the target carefully: an “area of contrast resembling an eight-pointed star with arms of alternating length.” About ten seconds into the video the sensor zooms in. From roughly 11 to 29 seconds, the object moves through the field of view with what the government calls a “visible trail” behind it. It exits the lower-right portion of the frame, then reappears after an apparent cut.

The reporter supplied no public written or oral witness description. That leaves the imagery doing nearly all of the work.

IS THIS ACTUALLY THE “CHANDELIER”?

The released imagery closely matches the star-like still Corbell and George Knapp published in 2024. Their original report placed the event over the Persian Gulf and described the sensor as an MX-20 thermographic system. AARO’s public PR-038 page is less specific, identifying only the Middle East and a U.S. military infrared platform.

That distinction matters. The government release authenticates the military video itself. It does not automatically authenticate every location, platform or interpretation attached to earlier reporting.

THE EIGHT POINTS MAY NOT BE THE OBJECT’S SHAPE

The image makes it tempting to imagine an eight-pointed aircraft. But infrared sensors can turn ordinary bright or high-contrast sources into very strange shapes. Diffraction, glare, blooming, sharpening, image processing and other optical effects can create spikes or halos that do not correspond to the physical outline of the object being recorded.

That means the most visually dramatic part of PR-038 may be a property of the imaging system rather than the craft itself.

The same caution applies to the trail. AARO confirms that something trail-like is visible in the image. The public release does not establish that it is exhaust, smoke, plasma, propulsion or any other specific physical emission.

THE GOVERNMENT RECORD HAS AN ODD CONTRADICTION

The public DVIDS page and AARO release list PR-038 as an unresolved UAP report. However, researchers cataloguing the same government release have identified a secondary title field associated with the file that reads “Resolved as an Aircraft, Middle East 2013.”

That creates an unusually important documentation problem. If the case was resolved as an aircraft, the public should be able to see the analysis supporting that conclusion. If it remains unresolved, the aircraft label needs an explanation.

At the moment, the public-facing government video page does not provide a detailed resolution report naming an aircraft type, explaining the eight-point appearance or identifying the visible trail.

WHAT THE VIDEO DOES NOT TELL US

• The exact location is not public on AARO’s PR-038 page.
• No witness statement accompanies the video.
• No public range, size, speed or altitude data is provided.
• The military platform and full sensor configuration are not identified publicly.
• The video alone cannot establish whether the visible spikes represent physical structure.
• The public record does not explain the apparent “resolved as aircraft” metadata.

PW TAKE

Current PW status: Authentic government-released military infrared footage; the identity and public case status remain inadequately explained.

The Chandelier is stronger than a random viral UFO clip because its military origin is now public and traceable. But that does not mean an eight-pointed craft was flying through the Middle East. The image may be heavily shaped by the sensor, and the government’s own records appear to disagree about whether the case is still unresolved.

For now, the most interesting mystery may be less “What kind of alien vehicle has eight spikes?” and more “Why does the public release not clearly explain what the government thinks this was?”

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

• DVIDS / AARO — DOW-UAP-PR038 official video release
• AARO — UAP imagery release table
• WEAPONIZED — original 2024 Chandelier publication

Continue the investigation: Explore our published Military UAP Evidence & Government Releases guide for official videos, witness testimony and source-backed case material, or visit the UFO & UAP desk for current investigations.