A recent panel hosted by the UAP Disclosure Fund, featuring former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo, has stirred controversy with a photo purportedly showing a massive UFO over the Four Corners area [2, 17, 15]. The image, allegedly captured by an airline pilot in 2021, was presented as a disc-like, silver object estimated to be 600-1,000 feet in diameter [2].
However, online skeptics quickly challenged the photo's authenticity [2, 17, 15, 26]. Many pointed out that the object closely resembles irrigation circles common in the desert climates of the American Southwest [2, 20, 26, 27, 30, 32]. Mick West, a UAP debunker, noted that shadow patterns contradicted the object casting its own shadow, further undermining the claim [2].
The UAP Disclosure Fund held a congressional briefing on May 1, 2025, titled “Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation” [6, 18]. The event, in collaboration with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, aimed to provide a science-driven perspective on UAPs [6]. Despite the Fund's efforts to promote transparency, the debunked photo has fueled debate and raised questions about the evidence presented [2, 20, 26].