Yellow Sea, International waters
The Six-Pointed Star Over the Yellow Sea (PURSUE PR104)
INDOPACOM submitted 18 seconds of infrared footage from a U.S. military platform over the Yellow Sea in 2025. AARO's public description says the sensor tracks an 'area of contrast resembling a six-pointed star' and explicitly states that the caption is not an analytical conclusion. The stable six-ra
Why This Case Matters
An excellent sensor-literacy case: authentic official military footage can have very high provenance while the dramatic apparent 'craft shape' is likely created by the imaging system.
Chronology
- 2025 military IR recording
- INDOPACOM submits UAP report to AARO
- PR104 released publicly 10 Jul 2026 through DVIDS/PURSUE
- outside optical analysis highlights diffraction-spike morphology
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Diffraction/spread-function artefact from a bright point source is the leading explanation for the six-pointed geometry; underlying source could be aircraft, drone, celestial/reflective object or other ordinary target.
What Remains Unresolved
- Identity and range of the underlying source
- sensor model/settings
- full recording
- platform motion
- whether AARO has completed optical analysis.
Key Takeaways
- Do not describe this as a six-pointed craft. The government source authenticates the footage and report, while the visible star shape is very likely an optical signature rather than object structure.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: