In the early 1950s, before Sputnik, before satellites, astronomers at Palomar captured strange points of light on photographic plates. They appeared… then vanished.

Now, new research shows some of these “transients” disappeared exactly when entering Earth’s shadow. This “umbra effect” is a breakthrough discovery: just like modern satellites, these objects reflected sunlight until Earth blocked it. Plate defects can’t do that.

Statistical confidence? 22 sigma. That’s not noise.

There were nine transient objects orbiting Earth in straight line in 1950, seven years before the first ever satellite. Beatrriz Villaroel joins John Michael Godier to discuss this mystery. Shapes in picture is based on models using the light curves. ⛓⬇️ Not of This Earth: Were There Unidentified Orbiting Objects in 1950? With Beatriz Villaroel