This article originates courtesy of ‘INEXPLICATA’

The Journal of Hispanic Ufology March 7, 2005

Scott Corralles

Readers of INEXPLICATA will probably remember this "giant UFO" reportedly photographed by Guillermo Martin, a moutaineer from Buenos Aires who managed to take the sensational shot during his ascent of Nevado de Cachi. The following report was received from Christian Quintero of Planeta UFO:

Dear Christian--

This morning I visited the Centro Cultural Montaña-Club Entrenamientos de Montaña, located at where courses and training in mountaineering are offered, to meet Guillermo Martin, who very kindly gave me a copy of the photo mentioned in the article of Diario El Tribuno. I am attaching the photo to this message, which I leave to your own opinion and open discussion. After thanking him for the photo in our group's name, Guillermo told me that he was engaged in mountaineering with other members of the Center and took photos of the place at Cerro Cachi. Upon developing them, he came across this. The rest of the photos show nothing unusual, which eliminates the possibility of lens damage. The only elucidation he made was that the sun was facing him.

Regards, Ruben Rombolá

Analysis:

I have no reason not to believe that the ‘UFO’ is actually there in frame at the time of the photograph being taken, as Christian rightly explains there is no evidence within the image of tampering. I would like to wager though that the image was not witnessed by anyone other than the photographer or that he didn’t see anything at the time of taking the picture.

This accepted however we have to explore other possibilities to the origin of the object before we can declare it a genuine UFO.

The truth behind its origin can be seen in the photograph if we accept certain detail within the image as been artefacts of the phenomena.

All camera lenses, photographic, digital or video are constructed of several pieces of glass or plastic these are referred to as the elements of the lens. Because by their design they are reflective then certain quirks can be generated in certain conditions due simply to the fact that reflections are created within the barrel of the lens.

Lens flares can appear when light hits the lens from a bright source just out of the lens view, in this case it could have been a chink of sunlight. Because the face of the lens is curved the image produced will reflect in the other elements and if it is a pronounced enough object you can even make out the angle of the curve.

I don’t want this to be a physics lesson I am trying to explain it in easy to understand terms.