Lights. Orbs. Oumuamua? What’s in 155,000 Pages of New U.F.O. Documents
- Outlet
- The New York Times
- Format
- Article
- By
- Danny Hakim
- Featuring
- Avi Loeb, Sean Kirkpatrick, Michael Shermer, Peter Skafish, Garry Nolan, Tim Gallaudet, Greg Eghigian
1.0
Original source
The New York Times. “Lights. Orbs. Oumuamua? What’s in 155,000 Pages of New U.F.O. Documents.” October 2, 2026.
2.0
Key points
Danny Hakim profiles the administration's new UAP Science Advisory Council and reviews the six PURSUE tranches with council members and critics. Highlights include federal agents' 2023 account of "orbs launching other orbs" and a 1949 Los Alamos conference on green fireballs. Former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick calls the council a distraction.
Why it is notable
The Times built its own database of about 155,000 unique pages of UAP records from seven countries and reports finding no definitive signs of alien visitation. It sets council members' views beside a former AARO director's dismissal of the council.
3.0
Excerpts from the source
“Even if one in a million happens to be of extraterrestrial technological origin, it would be the biggest discovery ever made by humanity in the context of science,”
Avi Loeb; Opening section [source]. Verified against the source October 13, 2026.
“I think it’s laughable at the least and a waste of taxpayers dollars at the most. It serves absolutely zero purpose,”
Sean Kirkpatrick; Opening section [source]. Verified against the source October 13, 2026.
“blurry photographs and grainy videos and just stories about weird things that people see.”
Michael Shermer; "A Word From the ‘Devil’s Advocate’" section [source]. Verified against the source October 13, 2026.
4.0
Editorial notes
- The 155,000-page figure is the Times' own database of UAP records from seven countries, not the size of the PURSUE releases or of any council review.
- The orb account comes from released government documents, which report what the agents said they saw. The documents do not establish what the lights were.
- Peter Skafish's statement that there are technologies "that aren’t of human origin" is his own attributed belief.
- Published October 2 and updated October 9. In print on October 4 (Section A, Page 14) as "Trump’s U.F.O. Team Begins Its Hunt. What Does It Expect to Find?"
- Reviewed from a printout of the archive.today capture of October 11 supplied by Jim; the original page blocks automated access.
Inclusion documents the public conversation. It does not imply endorsement of the source or its claims.