The Fatima Mass Sighting

Retinal After-Images and Optical Effects from Sun Gazing

Proposed by: Auguste Meessen (Professor of Physics)

Meessen presented his analysis at the International Symposium 'Science, Religion and Conscience' in 2003. He argued that the reported 'dancing sun' effects were optical phenomena caused by prolonged staring at the sun. Retinal after-images produced after brief periods of sun gazing create the illusion of movement. The color changes were attributed to the bleaching of photosensitive retinal cells. Meessen acknowledged that witnesses were 'honestly experiencing what they report' but argued these were subjective optical effects, not objective phenomena. He noted that similar 'sun miracles' have been witnessed at many locations where religiously charged pilgrims stare at the sun, citing the apparitions at Heroldsbach, Germany (1949) where over 10,000 people reported similar observations.

Source: Auguste Meessen, International Symposium 'Science, Religion and Conscience' (2003); Wikipedia: Miracle of the Sun

Sundog / Atmospheric Optical Phenomenon (Parhelion)

Proposed by: Joe Nickell (Skeptical investigator, CSICOP/CSI)

Joe Nickell wrote that the 'dancing sun' effects could have been caused by a sundog (parhelion) - a relatively common atmospheric optical phenomenon where ice crystals in the atmosphere create the appearance of a luminous object near the sun. Nickell suggested a combination of factors: the sun seen through thin clouds (cirrostratus) causing it to appear as a silver disc; changes in cloud density causing the sun's image to alternately brighten and dim, creating the illusion of advancing and receding; and dust or moisture droplets refracting sunlight to impart various colors. He also suggested temporary retinal distortion from staring at intense light.

Source: Joe Nickell, CSICOP (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal); Wikipedia: Miracle of the Sun

Mass Suggestion and Expectation

Proposed by: Benjamin Radford (Skeptical investigator) and others

Radford argued that 'No one suggests that those who reported seeing the Miracle of the Sun are lying or hoaxing. Instead, they very likely experienced what they claimed to, though that experience took place mostly in their minds.' He noted that staring at the sun for extended periods causes eye muscle fatigue, producing the illusion of movement. The fact that witnesses expected a miracle - the children had predicted it - created a context ripe for mass suggestion. Schwebel noted 'not only did all those present not see the phenomenon, but also there are considerable inconsistencies among witnesses as to what they did see.' Witness Joaquim Gregorio Tavares confirmed they were 'anticipating some changes of colour in the Sun.'

Source: Benjamin Radford; Schwebel (2014); Witness testimony from canonical inquiry records

Stratospheric Dust / Saharan Dust Cloud

Proposed by: Steuart Campbell (Journal of Meteorology, 1989) and Paul Simons

Campbell postulated in the Journal of Meteorology (1989) that a cloud of stratospheric dust changed the appearance of the sun on October 13, making it easy to look at, and causing it to appear to be yellow, blue, and violet, and to spin. Paul Simons, in an article 'Weather Secrets of Miracle at Fatima,' suggested that the optical effects may have been caused by a cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert, which can affect atmospheric conditions in Portugal.

Source: Steuart Campbell, Journal of Meteorology (1989); Paul Simons, 'Weather Secrets of Miracle at Fatima'

Inconsistency of Witness Accounts

Proposed by: McClure, Schwebel, and others

McClure wrote that 'the accounts of the miracle, of the dance of the sun, are simply not consistent.' Schwebel states, 'Not only did all those present not see the phenomenon, but also there are considerable inconsistencies among witnesses as to what they did see.' Different witnesses reported different colors, different durations, and different types of movement. Some witnesses at the same location reported nothing unusual at all. The crowd size itself is disputed - estimates range from 30,000 to 70,000 to 100,000.

Source: McClure; Schwebel (2014); De Marchi's collected testimonies

No Astronomical Observatory Detection

Proposed by: Various skeptics, including Father Pio Scatizzi's critics

If the sun had actually moved or changed in the way described by Fatima witnesses, it would have been detected by astronomical observatories worldwide. No such observations were recorded. The sun did not actually move - if it had, the Earth would have been destroyed. This argument is countered by believers who say the phenomenon was localized or that divine intervention prevented wider detection, but skeptics note this is an unfalsifiable claim.

Source: Various skeptical analyses; Father Pio Scatizzi's theological response and its critics

Reproducibility - The Domingos Coelho Testimony

Proposed by: Domingos Pinto Coelho (Catholic lawyer, 1917) and later skeptics

Domingos Pinto Coelho, a witness at Fatima on October 13, reported on October 17, 1917 that he had experienced the exact same solar phenomenon (motions and color changes) a few days later in Lisbon, by staring at the sun through thin clouds. He explicitly questioned whether the Fatima phenomenon was 'an exceptional thing' or could be 'reproduced in analogous circumstances.' This suggests the visual effects were reproducible by staring at the sun in similar weather conditions.

Source: Domingos Pinto Coelho, October 17, 1917; Wikipedia: Miracle of the Sun

Brian Dunning's Skeptoid Analysis

Proposed by: Brian Dunning (Skeptoid podcast)

Dunning analyzed the photographic evidence, noting that the commonly reproduced 'photograph of the sun miracle' actually 'shows a lot of dark rain clouds behind some trees and the sun poking through' - i.e., it shows nothing anomalous. He argued that the event was a combination of optical effects, expectation, and confirmation bias. He noted that the crowd was primed by the children's prediction and by months of buildup.

Source: Brian Dunning, Skeptoid episode 'Illuminating the Fatima Miracle of the Sun' (skeptoid.com/episodes/110)

Jacques Vallee - Fatima as Case 142 in the Magonia Catalog

Jacques Vallee catalogued the Fatima apparitions as Case 142 in his Magonia catalog of historical UFO-like events, published in 'Passport to Magonia' (1969). Vallee was one of the first to publicly speculate that the 'solar dance' at Fatima was a UFO event. He argued that religious apparitions, fairy encounters, and modern UFO sightings share common structural elements - luminous aerial phenomena, entity contact, messages/prophecies, and physical effects on the environment. Vallee's broader thesis is that UFOs and related phenomena function as a 'control system' shaping human beliefs and culture across millennia, with Fatima being a prime example of this mechanism operating through a religious framework.

Source: Jacques Vallee, 'Passport to Magonia' (1969); Wikipedia: Jacques Vallee

The Entities as UFO Occupants

UAP researchers, particularly Fernandes and d'Armada in 'Heavenly Lights,' argue that the entity encountered by the children was not the Virgin Mary but a UFO occupant/anomalous entity. They accessed the original canonical inquiry testimony and found the children's descriptions were notably different from the later sanitized Church version. The original testimony describes a small (approximately one meter tall), luminous entity of uncertain form - not the idealized young woman of later devotion. The entity was described as emitting light, appearing in a 'haze' or luminous cloud, and communicating silently or telepathically. These descriptions are consistent with modern UFO entity reports.

Source: Joaquim Fernandes and Fina d'Armada, 'Heavenly Lights' (2007 English edition, 1995 Portuguese original)

The September 13 Luminous Globe - A Mass UFO Sighting

On September 13, 1917, approximately 30,000 people gathered at Cova da Iria. Multiple witnesses reported seeing a luminous globe or sphere moving across the sky, and a shower of white 'petals' (or flakes) falling from the sky that dissolved before reaching the ground. From a UAP perspective, this is particularly significant because it describes a physical aerial phenomenon witnessed by thousands - not just the children. The luminous globe is consistent with UFO descriptions throughout the 20th century, and the falling 'petals' resemble the 'angel hair' or 'silvery threads' reported in many UFO cases.

Source: De Marchi's collected testimonies; Fernandes and d'Armada, 'Heavenly Lights'

John Keel - The Ultraterrestrial Hypothesis

In 'Operation Trojan Horse' (1970), John Keel argued that 'ultraterrestrial' entities have been interacting with humanity throughout history, manifesting in culturally appropriate forms. Fatima is discussed as a key example: entities appeared as the Virgin Mary to rural Portuguese children because that was the cultural framework the witnesses could understand. Keel argued the same entities might appear as aliens to 20th-century Americans, as fairies to medieval Europeans, or as angels in biblical times. Keel's framework explains why UFO/entity encounters consistently adapt to the cultural expectations of the witnesses.

Source: John Keel, 'Operation Trojan Horse' (1970, revised 1996)

Parallels with Other Mass Sighting Cases

UAP researchers draw parallels between Fatima and other mass UFO sighting cases throughout history. These parallels include: (1) The 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg, Germany - mass sighting of aerial objects; (2) The 1917 Fatima apparitions - mass sighting of solar/aerial phenomena; (3) The 1942 Battle of Los Angeles - mass sighting/anti-aircraft response to aerial phenomenon; (4) The 1954 Florence, Italy UFO sighting - mass sighting with 'angel hair' falling, paralleling the September 13 Fatima 'petals'; (5) The 1986 Trans-Airlines flight encounter over the Arctic; (6) The 1997 Phoenix Lights - mass sighting by thousands. Fatima stands out as one of the earliest and best-documented mass sightings, with the added element of entity contact.

Source: Vallee, 'Passport to Magonia'; Fernandes and d'Armada, 'Heavenly Lights'; various UAP case catalogs

The Predictions and Their Accuracy

The Fatima apparition reportedly made several predictions that UAP researchers analyze for accuracy and consistency with UFO-associated predictions. (1) The early deaths of Francisco and Jacinta - fulfilled (1919, 1920). (2) The end of WWI - fulfilled (November 1918, though the war was already drawing to a close). (3) The prediction of a future war (WWII) if people did not change - fulfilled (1939), though skeptics note this was made during wartime and was not a specific prediction. (4) The spread of Communism from Russia - fulfilled, though this was a common political concern in 1917. (5) The Third Secret - revealed in 2000, describing a 'bishop in white' being shot, interpreted as the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. UAP researchers note that the pattern of predictions - some vague enough to be fulfilled by historical inevitability, others specific enough to be impressive - is characteristic of UFO-associated prophecies and the 'control system' Vallee describes.

Source: Vallee, 'Passport to Magonia'; Three Secrets of Fatima; Vatican 2000 document